Taiyi Zhenren might have felt that everyone around him was now looking down on his status and authority. That would not do.
Taiyi Zhenren immediately slapped the other person across the face, leaving behind a deep, vivid handprint.
After that single blow, True Lord Ruyi stared at Taiyi Zhenren with an incredulous expression. "I've followed you for so many years without asking for anything. Is this how it ends for me?"
"You really are disgusting. What are you trying to do with all that nonsense you're spouting? You're badmouthing Laozi in front of so many people. People usually talk behind someone's back when they want to badmouth them, but you don't even have the most basic social awareness!"
"I'm doing this for the sake of your reputation. You should know that Nine Heavens Above hasn't fought the outside world for many years."
"A lot of people have been saying behind our backs that we're finished, that our strength is declining by the day. Faced with that, if you don't give them a big slap—"
"If you don't strike back at all of this, what else can we do behind the scenes?"
"Are we really supposed to swallow our anger? Is that our style? Of course not!"
"And you need to understand that hardly a day goes by without interference from the outside world. Those demons, especially, have been causing us even more trouble!"
"They're practically risking their lives to fight us head-on. It's because we've acted like sheep for too long that they think we have no real strength."
"So it's time for us to prove ourselves. If we don't prove it now, how much longer are you going to wait?"
True Lord Ruyi's instincts were remarkably accurate, and he understood more than anyone else.
Taiyi Zhenren was simply timid