Old Ancestor Xuanming was so terrified his soul nearly fled his body, and he kowtowed again and again.
"Please quell your anger, Token Master! Your subordinate harbors no disloyalty whatsoever. If I break this oath, may heaven strike me with lightning and annihilate my divine soul!"
Old Ancestor Cangwu gritted his teeth and declared his allegiance under the crushing pressure.
"This old man's sword will be drawn for the Token Master alone!"
Emperor Jiang Wu and the Origin Return Alliance Leader also broke out in cold sweat, frantically kowtowing and swearing oaths.
Zhou Xuan watched them coldly.
"Remember what you said today."
"I don't care what status you used to hold in Central Province, or how many people you command."
"There is only one rule here."
"Obey, and you get meat to eat."
"Disobey, and you won't even qualify as fertilizer."
Zhou Xuan withdrew his pressure, and the collapsed space around them rapidly healed.
The four men slumped to the ground, gasping for breath, their clothes soaked through with sweat.
Only now did they understand how vast the gulf between them and Zhou Xuan truly was.
That gulf could never be bridged by reshaping their Dao Fruits just once.
Zhou Xuan was the sovereign of this world.
They were merely blades in the sovereign's hand.
Zhou Xuan sat back down on the stone stele, his tone returning to its usual calm.
"All right. Put the crystal stones away and take your time refining them when you get back."
"These can raise your Dao Fruits another level. Don't waste them."
As though granted a pardon, the four men hurriedly tucked the crystal stones into their storage spaces with utmost care, then rose respectfully.
Old Ancestor Xuanming wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and spoke cautiously.
"Token Master, what do we