"Please hold, Fellow Daoist." A hint of anxiety flickered through King Shangping's otherwise composed demeanor. If this young man walked out, their unsavory alliance would be completely exposed.
If the outside world learned they were trying to control this affair, the backlash would be catastrophic.
For every conceivable reason, they could not let this young man leave. With his volatile temperament, he'd be stirring up a storm the moment he set foot outside.
The moment Jiang Chen entered, his divine sense had already swept across the entire area, mapping out every person present. There were many powerful cultivators here — all of them Emperor Realm experts.
But if anyone could genuinely threaten his life? Not a one.
This wasn't arrogance. With his current cultivation and equipment, ordinary Emperor Realm cultivators truly held no terror for Jiang Chen.
The only possible exceptions would be Heavenly Emperor Realm experts who also possessed heaven-defying treasures. In that case, Jiang Chen might show some wariness — but outright fear? That was beyond him.
A strong person's confidence was sometimes feigned, and sometimes it radiated naturally. Jiang Chen's confidence at this moment left everyone in the room feeling they couldn't quite read him. In their eyes, this brash young cultivator shouldn't be overwhelmingly powerful. Yet the composure he exuded didn't look like an act.
King Shangping smiled bitterly to himself, shot a glance at the others, and spoke. "My friends, since you trusted me enough to let me organize this joint venture, perhaps you could refrain from constantly undermining my decisions?"
The others said nothing, their eyes fixed on King Shangping.
"Fine. I'll give King Shangping face."
"Agreed, we'll give you face. But if this kid doesn't have real skills, we absolutely won't tolerate deadweight."
King Shangping fixed Jiang Chen with a burning gaze. "Fellow Daoist Huang, I have a proposal. Would you care to hear it?"
"Speak." Jiang Chen's expression was flat.
"The friends gathered here are all prominent figures across the human territories. A certain degree of pride comes with the territory. I hope you can understand."
Jiang Chen merely let out a cold laugh but didn't respond.
Understand? Why should I bother understanding you?
"What we're all trying to do here is gain some control over the situation — establish a set of rules for entering the Desolate Lands."
King Shangping's voice carried a certain persuasive quality that drew listeners in and made them want to keep hearing more.
"As you can see, the crowd has been growing these past two days. I estimate there are still thousands — perhaps tens of thousands — of cultivators streaming in along the way. If they're all experts, that would be one thing. But Origin Realm, even Spirit Realm nobodies are showing up to join the fun. It's almost laughable. If we don't rein this in, who knows what kind of chaos that horde will cause once they pour inside?"
There was truth to this. After all, the Desolate Lands were entirely unfamiliar to human territories — sealed away for over a hundred thousand years. No one knew what conditions were like inside.
An unexplored place, untouched for a hundred thousand years, would certainly contain all manner of natural treasures. But did that mean there weren't other powerful beings inside? Other formidable forces? Not necessarily!
Worse still, the Desolate Lands had been the site where the Demon Race was sealed in ancient times. The demons had been imprisoned, but after a hundred thousand years, who could say whether they'd made a comeback?
All of these were unknowns, and no one could give a definitive answer.
With that in mind, controlling the number of people entering was actually a sound approach.
Jiang Chen considered this and had to admit it made sense.
Seeing Jiang Chen's expression soften, King Shangping brightened. "That's why I've gathered everyone — to pool our wisdom. Of course, to establish rules, you need the strength to back them up. If you wish to participate, Fellow Daoist, offer some proof of your abilities. Put everyone's doubts to rest, and naturally, no one will have grounds to object. What do you think?"
The reasoning was sound enough, but Jiang Chen had no intention of playing along. If he did what King Shangping suggested, he'd be falling into their rhythm. And Jiang Chen had absolutely no interest in dancing to someone else's tune.
"First, I have no interest in establishing rules. Second, I don't need anyone's approval. Third, if your rules don't exclude me, then we can all be happy — live and let live. But if you try to exclude me, then I'm afraid we'll have a problem."
King Shangping's brow furrowed. "Your refusal to cooperate puts me in a difficult position."
Jiang Chen smiled faintly. "Then pretend I was never here."
King Shangping quickly said, "Wait. I'll make another concession — simply demonstrate the strength of your divine sense, and you'll stand as an equal with everyone present. I guarantee that no one will maliciously shut you out."
Jiang Chen thought for a moment. "How would I demonstrate?"
"Simple," said King Shangping. "Tell me where the exit and the killing formation in my array are located. That will be sufficient."
With that, King Shangping turned to the others, seeking their approval.
Though none of them were particularly keen on admitting a Saint Realm cultivator into their ranks, King Shangping's face had to be given due respect.