Faced with Wu Shuai's overbearing manner, the two-day Gu Immortals all lowered their heads, not daring to meet his gaze directly.
Ice Crystal Immortal King witnessed this scene, inwardly cheering — Wu Shuai's behavior would undoubtedly cost him a great deal of goodwill. At the same time, he couldn't help but feel envy. When would he ever possess such formidable combat strength, enough to make everyone bow their heads in submission?
After a moment of silence, Ice Crystal Immortal King stepped forward at just the right time and spoke respectfully: "Alliance Leader, fellow allies, the most pressing matter right now is to pursue the remnants of the Xia family. Most of the Xia family's Gu Immortals have already fled aboard the Whale Fishing Boat. If we don't give chase soon, we won't catch them."
"Indeed, indeed." The assembled immortals nodded one after another, and the conversation shifted to this topic.
Many cast grateful glances toward Ice Crystal Immortal King. His words had given all the Eighth Transformation Gu Immortals present a perfect way to save face.
"Haha." Wu Shuai laughed loudly. "Chase? Why would we chase them?"
He continued: "The reason we were able to seize the Xia family's stronghold in the Eastern Sea is that we struck with lightning speed, catching them completely off guard. If we now try to expand our territory by encroaching on other supreme forces, that will be far more difficult. From now on, the entire Eastern Sea — indeed, the Righteous Path across all five regions — will be on extreme alert."
"But if we let this group of Xia family Gu Immortals escape, they will actively invite other Eastern Sea Righteous Path forces to help them reclaim their lost territory."
"That way, those Righteous Path forces in the Eastern Sea will have to leave their own territories of their own accord, coming right to our doorstep to throw their lives away. Isn't that ideal?"
The assembled immortals were momentarily stunned, then nodded in succession, compelled to admit that Wu Shuai's analysis made excellent sense.
"Alliance Leader truly possesses a broad vision — we could never compare." Ice Crystal Immortal King heaped on the flattery even more thickly.
But Wu Shuai's expression darkened: "I don't regard any of these Eastern Sea supreme forces with the slightest concern! But there is one person I must be wary of. That person is Qi Hai Old Ancestor."
"This old man can stand against Dragon Lord. He once hosted the Qi Sea Banquet, and in the Battle of Destiny he neither helped Fang Yuan nor helped Heavenly Court. His attitude is critical!"
"It is entirely possible that he will be persuaded by those Righteous Path forces to come deal with us. Of course, it would also not be strange if he continues his seclusion and avoids going to war with us."
"By letting these Xia family people go, I am also testing Qi Hai Old Ancestor."
The two-day Gu Immortals listened to Wu Shuai's analysis and nodded repeatedly, their expressions growing more solemn in tandem.
Ice Crystal Immortal King sneaked a glance at Wu Shuai and couldn't help but think: "Wu Shuai is Wu Shuai after all — he cannot be underestimated. He has both vision and cunning; he simply couldn't be bothered to use them against the likes of us."
He reconsidered: "Qi Hai Old Ancestor's stance is truly ambiguous. On one hand, he once cooperated with Fang Yuan to make things difficult for Dragon Lord, but later he reconciled with Dragon Lord. On the other hand, at the Qi Sea Banquet he hosted, he not only treated Heavenly Court's Gu Immortal Jun Shenguang as an honored guest, but also openly tolerated demonic Gu Immortals selling Blood Path Immortal Gu."
"Enough." Wu Shuai swept his great hand through the air, cutting short everyone's train of thought. "The Xia family has been driven out by us. It's time to divide up the spoils of this battle."
And so the atmosphere rapidly shifted, heating up with excitement.
The Eastern Sea was the wealthiest of all five regions. As a supreme force of the Eastern Sea, the Xia family naturally controlled numerous resource points, with vast stores of treasure.
These Xia family assets were distributed one by one by Fang Yuan, each portion landing in the hands of every Gu Immortal — and even so, each share remained considerably substantial.
The two-day Gu Immortals beamed with joy, sighing with emotion.
"The five regions truly are prosperous!"
"This is just the foundation of a single supreme force in the Eastern Sea, and it's already this vast."
"The Xia family was incompetent! If resources like these had been placed in our own blessed land, the difference would be night and day."