The scene had reached a stalemate.
Without question, in an atmosphere like this, no one could convince anyone else. Heavenly Emperor Qing Tian wanted to seize God King Chishui and his people, but it would not be easy.
Because God King Linghan was clearly supporting God King Chishui.
The factions had split in an instant. But this split, on the surface, appeared to be just two sides — in reality, it ran far deeper than that.
Those harboring private calculations behind the scenes were beyond counting.
God King Baihe suddenly chuckled and spoke up: "Let's sort through this one matter at a time. The Creation Token is the most pressing issue right now, yes? If we want to get the Creation Token, we can't go around Heavenly Emperor Taiyuan. So whether we release him or not, we must meet with Heavenly Emperor Taiyuan first — everyone agrees on that point, surely?"
God King Qingmu nodded: "Indeed."
God King Jiuding also nodded: "I won't deny that."
"Your Majesty, what do you think?" God King Baihe smiled at Heavenly Emperor Qing Tian.
Heavenly Emperor Qing Tian gave a cold snort: "I have no objection to meeting Heavenly Emperor Taiyuan. But releasing him is a matter that requires further deliberation. A tiger set free is bound to bite — we cannot ignore the danger of backlash."
One could tell that Heavenly Emperor Qing Tian's tone had already begun to soften.
Evidently, he had calmed down, thought through the situation, and realized that with the undercurrents surging beneath the surface, his position was not as secure as he had imagined.
God King Chishui seized the opportunity: "Your Majesty Qing Tian, my proposal was not directed against you in any way. However, Heavenly Emperor Taiyuan's emergence might not necessarily be a bad thing for you. This matter is worth careful consideration."
Seeing God King Chishui speak this way, Heavenly Emperor Qing Tian furrowed his brow and fell into deep thought.
Was he really holding any prestige as Heavenly Emperor? Look at how everyone was behaving today — how many of them actually took him seriously as Heavenly Emperor?
Almost none.
In that moment, a trace of sorrow flickered through Heavenly Emperor Qing Tian's heart. Being an emperor like this was truly tasteless.
Even if he continued in the role, what good would it do? Could he ever establish real authority? Very difficult, extremely difficult!
Not one of these vassals who controlled a key was someone to be trifled with. In their bones, they simply did not regard him as a true Heavenly Emperor.
Heavenly Emperor Qing Tian began to waver.
God King Linghan smiled faintly: "Since everyone's opinions differ, the solution is simple. Why not vote? The minority defers to the majority. How does that sound?"
Voting would amount to a complete dismissal of Heavenly Emperor Qing Tian. This sort of matter should have been decided by the Heavenly Emperor alone. If even the Heavenly Emperor's word didn't count and they had to vote, then all the Heavenly Emperor controlled was a single key — which meant just one vote.
Heavenly Emperor Qing Tian suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to cough up blood. Was his reign truly this much of a failure? A vote — this was a complete slap in the face.
Yet he was utterly powerless. God King Linghan, no matter how you looked at it, had no reason to fear him, Qing Tian.
"I support voting," said God King Chishui.
"Then let's vote," God King Qingmu nodded as well.
"Voting is a viable option. I support it too!" God King Baihe appeared perfectly calm and composed.