Junior Brother Zhu, You've Changed a Great Deal Lately
Little B, you've improved! You even know that "it's okay to leave Early Leave."
Unfortunately, Little B has been becoming increasingly estranged from Lu Ping lately.
Our goal is to take down the Golden Crow Demon Emperor.
We can't lose sight of the bigger picture by focusing on trivial details.
Lu Ping grimaced at Little B and muttered curses as he chose A.
[You chose A.]
[You stood up and bowed slightly to Qi Huailin and the others in the hall.]
"Sect Master, you flatter me. This is a testament to the sect's flourishing fortune, and also the result of the sacrifices of all the disciples. I dare not take credit for it."
Your words were humble and appropriate.
[The Workplace People-Pleaser, effective.]
Wang Guihe on the other side snorted coldly, but did not utter a rebuttal.
[Once the commendation ceremony was over, the meeting moved on to the real agenda.]
[Resource allocation.]
[An elder from the Human Venerable Sect stepped forward.]
"Among the Demon Beast captured this time, there are three Red-Eyed Golden-Plumed Eagles at the Core Formation Late Stage. I, Severing Delusion Peak, am willing to exchange them for double the Sect Contribution Points to replenish the losses of our battle beasts."
[Core Formation Late Stage, equivalent to the Nascent Soul Early Stage in the Human Race.]
[As soon as he finished speaking, one of your elders from the Beast Venerable Sect immediately retorted.]
"The Red-Eyed Golden-Plumed Eagle's bloodline is rare and perfectly suited for disciples of the Transforming Spirit Peak to comprehend bloodline supernatural Divine Abilities. How can it be used as a mere battle beast for consumption?"
"Hmph, Demon Beast beasts are born to be used by humans, not for combat. Are we supposed to keep them as offerings?"
"You're misinterpreting the teachings of our ancestors!"
The Human Venerable Sect advocates refining high-level Demon Beasts into battle beasts to sustain future wars.
The Beast Venerable Sect slammed their fists on the table, berating the other side for wasting resources and arguing that their bloodline should be extracted to help their disciples revert to their ancestral cultivation.
Ultimately, the ideological conflict between the two factions is a conflict over resources.
[Since they all originate from the same source, the exploitation of Demon Beasts will ultimately lead to the same outcome, albeit through different paths.]
[However, on this divergent path, you've taken the resources, while I've lost mine. In the end, you'll reach the Great Dao, while I'll perish midway.]
Therefore, all we can do is fight.
Cultivating immortality is harder than ascending to heaven.
Your eyes darkened slightly, and you sighed softly in your heart.
[Salty Fish, in effect.]
[Your Dao Heart is firm.]
[As for the old Sect Master, Qi Huailin, a hero in his twilight years, he was no longer able to suppress the two factions.]
After all the arguing, in the end everyone's attention fell on you.
[As the leader of the Beast Venerable Sect and the one who brought these Demon Beasts back, your attitude is crucial.]
[Options pop up.]
[A: Propose a seemingly fair solution that assigns equal blame to both sides.]
[B: Favoring the Beast Venerable Sect, using the opportunity to suppress the Human Venerable Sect and expand their own power.]
[C: Proposes holding the "Profound Beast Taming Sect's First Spirit Beast 101 Talent Show," with the Three-Headed Red-Eyed Golden-Plumed Eagle as mentor. The Profound Beast Taming Sect disciple who ultimately wins the center position will receive preferential treatment in sect resources and have the right to choose their Spirit Beast first.]
Lu Ping looked at Little A and Little B, somewhat hesitant.
He is not Zhu Wanshan.
Zhu Wanshan would naturally choose to strengthen his own side's power.
As for whether it will ultimately exacerbate the division within the Profound Beast Taming Sect, that is probably not within Zhu Wanshan's consideration.
In fact, most people who joined the Beast Venerable Sect faction did so in order to obtain more resources.
Lu Ping's current task is to complete the Crow's Arrival Grand Formation and defeat the Golden Crow Demon Emperor.
If the Profound Beast Taming Sect falls into chaos, it will not be conducive to the implementation of Lu Ping's current plans.
Lu Ping chose A.
[You chose A.]
[You raised your hand and pressed it down.]
The once noisy hall fell silent instantly.
"The Red-Eyed Golden-Plumed Eagle represents both combat prowess and a legacy."
[You spoke softly.]
"I think we should take one of the three-headed, Red-Eyed Golden-Plumed Eagles from Severing Delusion Peak and one from Transforming Spirit Peak."
"The remaining one will remain in the Spirit Beast Garden for now, to be jointly raised by disciples from both peaks. After three months, it can go with whichever side it chooses."
[Your words stunned both sides.]
What kind of allocation scheme is this?
Wang Guihe of the Human Venerable Sect frowned. He felt something was off about the plan, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
[The Beast Venerable Sect is even more dissatisfied, feeling that you, their Grand Elder, are too "weak."]
[But you've already spoken, and given your current prestige within the sect, no one dares to openly oppose you.]
[A glint of light flashed in the cloudy eyes of Qi Huailin, the old Sect Master seated at the head of the table.]
He looked at you intently, then slowly nodded.
"As the Grand Elder has said."
[A dispute was thus suppressed by you in a manner that bordered on appeasement.]
"The Grand Elder is absolutely right."
"The Grand Elder's vision is truly remarkable; we are all ashamed of our own in comparison."
[Since the Sect Master has spoken, both sides shall cease hostilities.]
[The days that followed were very peaceful for you.]
[You always play the role of a perfect balance at every sect meeting.]
[Nobody knows what you're up to.]
[Even within the Beast Venerable Sect, there are faint signs of discontent emerging.]
[You didn't explain to anyone, only releasing a faint trace of your aura.]
[Bully at Home, effective.]
Everyone immediately felt a chill run down their spines, as if they were being watched by some great terror.
Your unusual behavior has made the entire sect even more awe-inspiring.
[Even Wang Guihe, Zhu Wanshan's old rival, has become increasingly reluctant to make direct statements in public.]
[As for the old Sect Master, Qi Huailin, it was clear that he was no longer able to control the situation.]
The reason he hasn't relinquished the position of Sect Master is not because he's greedy for power.
[You search through Zhao Kangquan's memories, and combine them with Zhu Wanshan's fragmented memories; a piece of information emerges.]
[The succession of the Profound Beast Taming Sect's Sect Master requires not only the approval of the sect's elders, but also, more crucially, the recognition of the sect's guardian Spirit Beast residing in the Back Mountain Forbidden Ground.]
[And this generation of disciples, including the most outstanding geniuses of both sects, seems to have failed to catch the eye of that Transformation Great Demon.]
The old Sect Master wanted to wait for a successor who could be recognized by the Spirit Beasts to appear, but those below him could no longer wait.
[If the old Sect Master passes away and a new Sect Master is not appointed, the split of the Profound Beast Taming Sect seems inevitable.]
[On this day, you are meditating in your cave abode on Returning to Truth Peak.]
[The communication Jade Talisman lit up; it was the former Sect Master, Qi Huailin.]
[You have arrived at the rear hall of the main temple on the Main Peak.]
Qi Huailin sat cross-legged on the Jade Bed, looking at you with a glint of shrewdness in his eyes.
"My fellow disciples, you've changed a lot lately."
Your heart skipped a beat.
[Were you seen through?]
[Options pop up.]
[A: Remaining calm and collected, she followed his lead.]
[B: Since you've seen through it all, and you've already made it public...]
[C: On the spot, he pulled out the "Menu for the Funeral Banquet of the Former Sect Master's Passing Away," earnestly inquiring whether the Transformation Spirit Beast in the Back Mountain ate scallions or garlic, and begged Qi Huailin to hand over its weakness and cooking instructions, guaranteeing that on the day of his passing, the sect's guardian Spirit Beast could be stewed into the most substantial first dish.]