In truth, the Five Great God Kings had raised this same point before.
So when Jiang Chen laid out his reasoning, they weren't particularly surprised — though while they had mentioned it, none of them had been able to provide sufficient grounds to back up their view.
Jiang Chen continued, "No matter how cunning the mastermind behind the scenes may be, there's no way they would hand complete control of their final trump card over to someone else. Think about it — if none of the seven turned out to be the mastermind, what would stop those seven God Kings from one day deciding, on a whim, to band together and release the Celestial Emperor?"
"Good point." The Corpulent God King nodded vigorously, fully agreeing with the reasoning.
"Furthermore, what was the point of the mastermind going through all that trouble to orchestrate the coup? Wasn't it to seize power? An ambitious usurper's desire for control would be absolute. It's inconceivable that someone like that would entrust their success or failure to others while washing their hands of the matter. It defies all logic."
Jiang Chen's analysis was rooted in human nature — he didn't have much hard, direct evidence to go on.
"Hmm, the matter of the mastermind behind the scenes — no matter how much we speculate, even if we all suspect the same person, as long as they haven't been exposed, there's no way to formally accuse them," the Withered Ancestor spoke up suddenly.
Crimson Water God King let out a sigh. "That's exactly right. It's the most delicate part of the current situation. I'll say this — the mastermind behind the scenes can only be unmasked if the Taichuan Celestial Emperor re-emerges. But that mastermind holds the spirit key that seals the Celestial Emperor away. It's a paradox, an inextricable knot."
"So right now, the Taichuan Great World has been completely wrecked by this mastermind. If things go on like this, the Taichuan Great World is finished sooner or later." Haoran God King slammed his palm on the table in fury.
The Five Great God Kings went round and round without reaching any conclusions. All they could do was complain and lament. Clearly, in this kind of situation, unless someone among them had the courage to step forward and address the problem, they could only watch the situation spiral into the abyss one step at a time.
"Crimson Water, brother — are we really going to sit on the sidelines again this time?" The Corpulent God King asked, unwilling to accept it.
"And what does Brother Fei think?" Crimson Water God King countered.
"What do I think? What do I think?" The Corpulent God King muttered to himself, then suddenly sounded almost frantic. "I think that no matter what, we should at least try. At the very least, we can bring it up at the God King and Vassal Assembly. Perhaps, under the momentum of the broader situation, it could actually be pushed through! And once that momentum builds, anyone who opposes releasing the Celestial Emperor will be the mastermind! Nobody would dare take on that accusation!"
It had to be said — there was logic in his words.
"But what if the momentum doesn't build? What if no one heeds our call?" Crimson Water God King posed another question.
"If you don't even try, how will you ever know?" Jiang Chen spoke up.
"Someone has to step forward. No matter who it is, someone has to be the one to lift the lid. Even if lifting it means death the very next moment, someone still has to do it." Jiang Chen's tone was firm.
Haoran God King declared, "I'll do it!"
"Let me be the one!" The Blue-Robed God King also volunteered.
"I'm in too!" The Corpulent God King's flesh jiggled as he steeled himself, apparently ready to risk his life.
The Withered God King suddenly remarked in a cold voice, "It's easy to say all this now. But when you're standing in that grim, terrifying assembly — are you really certain you'll have the courage to step forward and lift the lid?"
"Courage is something we must have. And even if we individually lack it, the five of us together will find it." Haoran God King replied with a grave expression.
Every pair of eyes turned to Crimson Water God King. They were all waiting for his decision. Among the five of them, Crimson Water God King was the leader.
Crimson Water God King was silent for a long time before finally making up his mind. "Tomorrow, we'll read the situation as it unfolds. If someone else raises the matter first, we immediately voice our support and push the momentum forward. And if no one steps up, then we'll decide whether to be the ones to do it. How does that sound?"