Millennia of Hatred, the Prerequisites and Foundation of Choice

As soon as those last two titles were spoken, the crowd behind Luo Qinghan suddenly fell silent. Shu Yan caught the unmistakable hatred and disgust emanating from them. Even Electrolux, within Shu Yan's Sea of Consciousness, was drawn by those intense emotions and briefly awakened.

Perhaps sensing that the atmosphere had turned strange, Luo Qinghan sneered again before speaking softly.

"What? Are you all feeling dejected and aggrieved over this trivial nonsense?"

"Let me tell you, the humiliation and oppression endured by our ancestors were thousands, even tens of thousands of times worse than what we suffer today. If you cannot even control such petty emotions, then hurry back south and get married. At least that would count as contributing to the alliance."

Luo Qinghan's words showed no mercy, yet no one stepped forward to refute her. Regardless of gender, everyone regained their spirits after hearing her words, and their momentum even rose higher than before.

Shu Yan looked at Luo Qinghan with slight surprise. He could tell that she held a high position among this group, but he had not expected her standing to be so great. With only a few words, she could easily stir and soothe everyone's emotions. There was not the slightest trace of defiance on anyone's face; most even showed faint respect.

Xu Jiujiu sat to the side, her eyes carrying a trace of astonishment. She had not expected a girl around her own age to possess such tremendous authority. Yet alongside her surprise came greater concern. Facing an opponent like this, could Shu Yan still remain as composed as before?

As for the Snow Empress, she was entirely in the mood to watch a show. From the moment she took her seat, she had closed her eyes to rest, never opening them even once.

After Luo Qinghan's reprimand, those clearly young men and women regained their fighting spirit. Watching this, Shu Yan spoke softly to Luo Qinghan.

"Are you interested in discussing another topic? I think you will be interested in this one."

Luo Qinghan glanced at Shu Yan, then swept her gaze across Xu Jiujiu and the Snow Empress beside him before finally nodding.

"Everyone except Chen Ming and Wang Lin, leave."

Everyone looked at one another, but constrained by Luo Qinghan's authority, no one dared question her. In the end, they swarmed toward the doors, and on their way out, they even remembered to carry off that fellow who was still an ice sculpture.

Once the crowd departed in a rush, the entire hall instantly became spacious and empty. Behind Luo Qinghan, only two people remained.

Shu Yan's gaze swept over the two of them. They noticed his appraisal, but their expressions did not change. Instead, they merely nodded lightly at him, conducting themselves far better than the group that had just left.

Luo Qinghan's gaze was cold as she looked directly at Shu Yan and spoke.

"Go ahead. Chen Ming and Wang Lin are both outstanding among our generation, and they are also the inheritors of two families. They are qualified to know the same information as I do."

Luo Qinghan kept her eyes fixed on Shu Yan. After enduring her sharp gaze for a moment, Shu Yan nodded lightly, appearing entirely at ease.

The two boys nodded lightly at Shu Yan. Their auras were calm, completely different from the previous group. Clearly, they too occupied leadership positions among the descendants of the Martial Soul Hall Remnants, bearing a maturity and steadiness that did not match their age.

Luo Qinghan's brows furrowed slightly, but she quickly returned to normal. Looking into Shu Yan's eyes, she spoke bluntly.

"I can tell you are not someone who likes to beat around the bush. Say whatever you want to say directly. There is no need for any buildup. We live in darkness and shadow, people who cannot stand in the light. We are not bound by so many worldly rules and considerations. The imperial Princess and a consecrated elder instinctively follow your lead, so what you wish to discuss cannot possibly be something insignificant. Other than the forces behind us, I cannot think of any reason why you would appear here today."

Shu Yan was somewhat surprised, and the look in his eyes changed again as he regarded Luo Qinghan. He smiled faintly, reined in his unnecessary expressions, and returned to his restrained, gentle demeanor. Those who knew Shu Yan understood that once he entered this state, it meant he was about to begin the real discussion rather than continue probing.

"As you wish. I will keep it brief. I know the origins and past of your branch, and I know what kind of prejudice and discrimination your ancestors endured over these ten thousand years. You watched helplessly as your companions died one by one in misery under worldly prejudice, while you yourselves could do nothing. That bitterness and torment gradually wore you down..."

"In the end, your terrible circumstances made even preserving yourselves incredibly difficult. Left with no choice, you fled your homeland and moved to the poor, backward south of Star Luo. I know all of this. So now, I am offering you an opportunity: an opportunity to clear your ancestors' names, restore your families' glory, destroy Shrek and every enemy, and wash away your humiliation. Whether you can seize it depends on yourselves..."

Shu Yan's voice echoed beside the three of them. Chen Ming and Wang Lin almost instinctively clenched their fists, their expressions gradually darkening. The dull sound of bones grinding against one another reflected their current emotions—unbearably heavy and furious.

The hand beneath Luo Qinghan's skirt also clenched involuntarily. Her eyes shifted slightly before she spoke softly.

"You want to cooperate with us, or rather, you want us to submit to you..."

Shu Yan nodded without confirming or denying it. He lightly tapped the crystal tabletop before him and said calmly.

"That is not an incorrect way to understand it. I need my own foundation, and my ultimate goal overlaps greatly with yours. Taking everything into consideration, you are undoubtedly my best choice. Besides, due to reality and the current situation, I do not think you have room to refuse..."

Luo Qinghan lowered her eyes slightly. She had completely understood the other party's intentions. Chen Ming and Wang Lin behind her were also waiting for her judgment and decision.

As the undisputed leader and strategist of the entire group, Luo Qinghan naturally had her own exceptional qualities to earn their respect and loyalty. Beyond her formidable strength, her intellect and wisdom were among the finest. She had her own unique views when handling matters, able to consider the larger picture while safeguarding the interests of her own faction...

After a long while, Luo Qinghan raised her beautiful, indifferent eyes again. The result of her deliberation made her realize a harsh reality: no matter how she considered it, they seemed to have already lost the right to refuse. She could tell that the other side did not know much about them, but they definitely knew certain deeper matters.

The understanding between the two sides was not equal. Since the other party dared reveal their intentions so rashly and directly, it meant they possessed sufficient confidence and an almost absolute certainty of success.

Luo Qinghan would not foolishly assume that the other side was stupid or reckless. One's basic judgment of another person revealed the breadth of one's vision. In her eyes, the three people in Shu Yan's group were more terrifying than the last, especially that imperial consecrated elder, who gave her an even more terrifying feeling than that person...

The hand hidden beneath her skirt had clenched so tightly that it had turned pale. Only after releasing a shallow breath did she continue in a low voice.

"I admit that with the strength you displayed when you effortlessly defeated Wang Hu, even I would probably not be your opponent. But even if an imperial Princess and a consecrated elder stand behind you, that still is not enough to make us abandon our current stability and choose a bottomless road."

"In other words, you know quite a lot, so you know even better what we need. You must show enough confidence for us to see hope on the road ahead. I can tell you clearly: if you want us to submit, a shared goal is the prerequisite, but strength is the most important foundation. Otherwise, I do not think we would hand our fate over to you for no reason..."

P.S. Some readers may wonder whether the hatred from ten thousand years ago could still have such a great impact on descendants living in the present era.

This will be explained later in the story. It is actually easy to understand: broadly speaking, it simply depends on one's own choice.

For example, after the Divine War ended, the Sacred Dragon Sect was also severely wounded. At the same time, they suffered the scorn of the world and exclusion from the various imperial forces of that era. Back then, they did not have many choices either.

The first was to relocate and hide from the world, swallowing all the humiliation and hatred due to reality and circumstance.

The second was to choose submission, such as joining Star Luo or one of the Heaven Dou empires at the time, voluntarily taking on the so-called "crime" and "redeeming themselves through meritorious service," seeking a path to survival for their descendants... To some extent, this was no different from joining the enemy and betraying their cause.

If you think the powerful figures from the former Spirit Hall faction could have lived harmoniously with the two great empires after the Divine War, that would be absolutely impossible.