When they looked again at the young man who strolled back out of the hall and calmly put away the Dark-Gold Command Token, not a trace of contempt or disdain remained in their eyes.
In its place was reverence and fear that came from deep in their bones.
This man was no mere ant.
He was a prehistoric beast!... No, he was a monster!
Inside the great hall.
The Alliance Leader's phantom in dragon robes remained silent for a long time.
He looked at Zhou Xuan with an extraordinarily complicated gaze: shock, wariness, bewilderment, and a hint of... relief that even he was unwilling to admit.
Relief that he had not truly torn their relationship apart earlier.
Relief that he had chosen cooperation rather than coercion.
Otherwise, the Court-Seeking Envoy would likely not have been the only one kneeling here today.
"Ah..."
A long sigh broke the silence in the hall.
That sigh seemed to span ten thousand years, filled with weariness and the weight of ages.
The Alliance Leader's phantom slowly descended from his throne and floated down three feet before Zhou Xuan.
For the first time, he regarded Zhou Xuan on something approaching equal terms.
"Zhou Xuan."
He spoke, his voice stripped of its lofty authority and instead carrying a hoarse solemnity.
"I... take back everything I said before."
"You are no ant."
"Your abilities and methods far exceed anything I imagined. No, they exceed anything anyone in Central Province could have imagined."
Facing Zhou Xuan, that phantom, exalted for tens of thousands of years, actually bowed slightly.
"I failed to recognize your worth and offended you repeatedly. I hope... you will not take it to heart, young friend."
If word of this scene spread, all of Central Province would erupt!
The illustrious Master of the Purple-Gold Immortal