The old man held up three fingers, his tone grave. "Three words — a sense of crisis."
"Right now, the Alliance of Sixteen Kingdoms is losing more and more of its standing in the Myriad Forms Domain. Once the Alliance is seen as something without real value — something unnecessary — we'll be isolated by other powers and declared a barren wasteland."
"Isolated? A barren wasteland?" The confusion deepened in Consort Dan's beautiful eyes.
"Yes. A barren wasteland means a place that has been abandoned, exiled. Abandoned by our own kind, with no one to care about us. And when that happens, we become food for the foreign races — even carved up, gnawed away, and devoured. The humans living here, if they're lucky, become slaves to the foreign races. If they're unlucky, they're simply consumed and wiped out. Once a place becomes a barren wasteland, unless the foreign races never invade, it's a dead end."
Ye Chonglou's tone was heavy. "And this is absolutely not fear-mongering. The major powers in the Myriad Forms Domain already see the Alliance of Sixteen Kingdoms as dead weight. If the Alliance can't put up some kind of impressive showing, it will truly be abandoned and become a barren wasteland. And if that happens, the consequences will be unthinkable."
"So you're saying the Four Great Sects organized this Grand Selection precisely because of this sense of crisis?" Jiang Chen posed his question.
"Yes, a deep sense of crisis. Otherwise, what else could make the Four Great Sects set aside their prejudices? Abandon their grudges? Join hands to hold this Grand Selection? This is truly a once-in-a-century event. Jiang Chen, the reason I invited you here is to tell you — participating in this Grand Selection is an opportunity for you. It's not just about resources; it could propel you to great heights, elevate you to a higher level, and attract far more attention. You might even catch the eye of an Origin Realm Venerable."
The old man continued. "Jiang Chen, don't underestimate this chance. Once you catch the eye of an Origin Realm Venerable, that changes everything. Origin Realm Venerables are rarer than phoenix feathers and unicorn horns in the Alliance of Sixteen Kingdoms. These old monsters would be considered top-tier figures even across the entire Myriad Forms Domain. Yes, there are even more powerful existences in the domain, but reaching the Origin Realm Venerable level means you'll be highly sought after wherever you go. You'll inevitably become a target for major powers to win over."
"Jiang Chen, the old man has said all this — aren't you going to say something?" Consort Dan noticed Jiang Chen's expression remained calm, showing none of the fervent excitement she'd expected. She felt a bit annoyed, thinking, What's wrong with you, Jiang Chen? Why do you always have to act so composed?
Jiang Chen saw both the old man and Consort Dan looking at him, their eyes full of anticipation.
"Just tell us — are you in or not?" Consort Dan asked huffily.
"I'm in." Jiang Chen nodded firmly.
Consort Dan waved her delicate fist. "Remember! Don't just participate — give it your absolute best. You have to blow everyone away and stomp all those arrogant sect geniuses into the ground! Otherwise, don't even say you know the old man and me!"
Jiang Chen laughed. "Isn't that asking a bit too much?"
"It IS asking too much!" Consort Dan's lips curled upward as she let out a light hmph. "You're always trying to slack off. If I don't push you like this, you'd never give it your all."
This time, the old man sided with Consort Dan. He smiled. "Jiang Chen, I actually want to see just how unfathomable your potential truly is!"
"Sir, I've just been lucky — I had some fortuitous encounters when I was young. It's nothing special."
The old man's expression turned suddenly very serious, and he advised, "Jiang Chen, in truth, these are exactly the things I wanted to tell you. The fortuitous encounters of your youth made you different from most people and gave you an extraordinary advantage. But now that your benefactor has departed, all of that is in the past. I hope those encounters won't become an obstacle that holds you back. Don't let your elevated perspective prevent you from keeping your feet on the ground. What I fear is that your ambition is too high, that you look down on sects, always trying to go it alone and do everything yourself. If that happens, the best years of your youth will be squandered, wasted, even ruined — without you even realizing it. That would be a terrible shame. Once you pass the age of thirty, many opportunities will slowly slip away. Remember, at your age, you truly cannot afford to waste time, and you shouldn't let your broader vision turn you against sects."
The old man spoke with heartfelt sincerity. These words could only be described as deeply earnest and from the bottom of his heart.
Moreover, these were words the old man had contemplated for a long time before deciding to speak them aloud.
He truly admired Jiang Chen, and his starting point was simply to ensure Jiang Chen wouldn't lose himself — wouldn't let the encounters of his youth cloud his vision, making him too complacent and blind to the importance of keeping his feet on the ground.
Since the fortuitous encounters of his youth were now in the past, the martial path still required a firm foundation.
Joining a sect was the best choice for any martial genius.
What the old man worried about was that Jiang Chen's pride was too high, that he harbored prejudice against sects, and would resist joining one.
If that happened, he would lose countless opportunities because of his own prejudice.
It had to be said — the old man was being completely sincere. And Jiang Chen could feel that sincerity.
Something stirred within him. It had to be said — the old man's words were deeply thought-provoking. On some subconscious level, Jiang Chen had indeed been resisting sects.
Because too many sect disciples had left him disappointed and exasperated.
Thinking carefully, even with his memories from a past life, the martial path still demanded a solid foundation. There were no castles in the air that could propel him straight to the Myriad Heavens Realm for nothing.
The road still had to be walked step by step, and sects were something he couldn't afford to ignore at his current stage.
In truth, Jiang Chen had been planning to join a sect.
But there were still some grievances he hadn't let go of, some prejudices he hadn't released.
After the old man's guidance, Jiang Chen's heart truly settled, and he completely set aside his prejudice.
In that moment, Jiang Chen's mind opened up entirely.
He stood up respectfully and bowed to the old man. "Sir, your words today struck me like a wake-up call. I've been brought to sudden realization, and I offer my sincere thanks."
At this moment, Jiang Chen also felt somewhat ashamed. He had always felt that although the old man held a high position, he wasn't qualified to be his teacher.
That thought wasn't wrong, either.
But on this particular matter, the old man's reminder had truly given him a feeling of sudden enlightenment, allowing him to cast off the prejudice in his heart and feel an immense sense of relief.