They had actually bluffed him!
Seeing Zhitong flee in disarray, Xu Yingyi's gaze at Wang Chen gained a trace of complicated meaning.
He had recommended Wang Chen as chief representative not only because of the West Sea Sect's lofty status, but more importantly because he wanted to push the latter to the very front, making it easier for himself to act behind the scenes.
The position of chief representative might seem glorious, but it was not so easy to hold.
Representatives from one hundred and seventy-six sects were watching, each with their own schemes. Xu Yingyi did not believe he possessed the domineering aura to command the masses and make these elites bow obediently.
Yet Xu Yingyi also wanted to seize the initiative, so he chose Wang Chen as his "front-stage" spokesman.
To his surprise, though Wang Chen looked young and inexperienced, his methods were remarkably seasoned. With one simple move of advancing by retreating, he had turned the situation around in an instant.
And he had won the support and trust of the other cultivators!
Though he regretted it to some extent, Xu Yingyi was not so brain-dead as to jump out and sing a different tune at this moment.
He smiled. "They really don't know when they're being shown respect!"
The cultivators all agreed deeply.
Xu Yingyi's words stirred the pride in every heart.
After the time it took to drink half a cup of tea, Zhitong returned.
With lowered brows and submissive eyes, he bowed to Wang Chen. "Chief Wang, our temple's abbot invites you to move to the meditation courtyard for discussion..."
"If there's something to say, say it here."
Wang Chen remained unmoved and said coolly, "There is nothing that cannot be spoken before others. Our one hundred and seventy-six Daoist sects are branches of