One sentence stirred up a thousand waves!
The vast plain, once silent, was filled with the major factions, all waiting for the An Clan to make its choice.
Still, everyone had thought the answer was hardly in doubt.
So when they heard An Shanyuan's words, they were all taken aback.
No one could believe that at a time like this, the An Clan would dare to flatly refuse to open the restrictions on Cangwu Mountain.
It was no different from challenging most of the Cultivation World with the strength of a single clan!
Admirable courage!
But were they really not afraid of being wiped out?
After a brief uproar, silence fell once more. But now, the crowd looked at An Shanyuan with unmistakably cold eyes.
One powerful aura after another burst forth, seemingly from nowhere!
The An Clan had made its choice. Now it would have to bear the consequences.
"Everyone, please hear me out once more!"
An Shanyuan had made thorough preparations before coming, and he had expected this situation to arise.
Even so, his heart trembled, and he wiped away a bead of cold sweat.
He hurriedly waved his hands, faced the crowd again, and said, "Fellow cultivators!"
"Whose family doesn't have a few secrets?"
"I'd like to ask you all this: if your sect had a secret realm or an ancestral shrine, would you let anyone open it at will for the whole world to visit?"
As soon as he said this, silence settled over the scene once again.
Quite a few people shook their heads to themselves. Which family in the Cultivation World didn't have a few secrets?
But let those secrets be exposed?
Impossible.
But if the secret belonged to someone else, and involved a tremendous opportunity—
That was another matter entirely.
An Shanyuan's words might win them some sympathy, but hoping to dissuade everyone from entering Cangwu Mountain—
That was no different from a fool's dream.
What was more, the more the An Clan tried to hide something, the more suspicious everyone became.
"The An Clan rose to power so quickly over the past ten thousand years..."
"Could it be because they got their hands on Cangwu Mountain's secrets?"
"That's entirely possible!"
"The Immortal Great Emperor himself said it was a secret concerning the entire Cultivation World. How could one family claim it for itself?"
"No matter what, the An Clan has to hand over Cangwu Mountain!"
For a time, everyone buzzed with discussion, their eyes blazing with even greater fervor.
Just then!
"Silence!"
A voice infused with spiritual power rang out across the plain.
Everyone turned toward the sound. A pale, distinguished young nobleman stepped forward, his bearing anything but ordinary.
"That's Jiang Rulong of the Jiang Clan!"
"He's an exceptionally talented young man, too. At such a young age, he's already reached the Void Refinement stage. Impressive!"
"I've heard the Jiang Clan and the An Clan have always been close. What does he want by stepping forward now?"
The Jiang Clan was an ancient cultivation clan.
Quite a few people present knew Jiang Youlong. When they saw him step forward, many began murmuring to themselves.
Yuan Ruoyu narrowed her eyes slightly as she studied Jiang Youlong.
Nearby, Ye Qingge sat inside the Imperial Chariot. She lifted the beaded curtain and looked toward Jiang Youlong as well.
In an instant, all eyes focused on him.
Jiang Youlong took a deep breath, straightened his back, and stepped forward a few paces. He cupped his hands toward An Shanyuan, then asked solemnly:
"Elder An, though our two families have been friends for generations..."
"I can't agree with your position this time. The Great Emperor's Diary records that Cangwu Mountain holds a great secret concerning all the cultivators of the world!"
Jiang Youlong paused, then continued:
"Then Cangwu Mountain should be opened, so cultivators everywhere can see what lies within! It shouldn't be claimed by your family alone!"
His words left everyone somewhat surprised.
Quite a few people nodded repeatedly.
They had thought Jiang Youlong would speak in the An Clan's defense. They hadn't expected this.
An Shanyuan glanced at him coolly, his expression turning colder.
"Heh..."
An Shanyuan sneered, then turned to face the crowd. "The Great Emperor's Diary says there's a great secret. Does that make it so?"
"If the Great Emperor said there was treasure in your ancestors' graves, would you go dig it up?"
Jiang Youlong's expression stiffened. "That... Elder An does have a point!"
Quite a few people exchanged glances.
Yuan Ruoyu watched the scene quietly, deep in thought.
After hesitating for a moment, An Shanyuan suddenly looked over the crowd with a grave expression and asked, "Have you ever considered one thing?"
"Perhaps Lin Feng deliberately revealed the Great Emperor's Diary. Perhaps he wants to achieve some aim by doing this!"
"Or perhaps he wants to wipe out his former rivals and enemies?"
His words stunned the crowd. Then their expressions shifted, and for a long while no one spoke.
An Shanyuan had struck straight at their innermost fears.
In truth, many had privately asked themselves: what if the Great Emperor's Diary exposed their own family?
An Shanyuan pressed his advantage. "Everything here is only the Immortal Great Emperor's side of the story. He can write whatever he wants in his diary!"
"And we're supposed to crack our skulls and bleed ourselves dry over what's written in it. Is it worth it?"
Quite a few people were already wavering.
At the very least, they weren't as determined as they had been at the start. Seeing this, An Shanyuan felt the tension in his chest ease.
It was impossible to dispel everyone's doubts.
But as long as some people believed the An Clan, and the other families quietly lent their support, the An Clan would still be able to fight back, even if the others resorted to force.
However, just then—
Yuan Ruoyu's voice rang in everyone's ears. "Elder An, are you saying that your An Clan once had a grudge against the Immortal Great Emperor?"
Her words put everyone on guard once more.
Pair after pair of eyes fixed intently on An Shanyuan.
An Shanyuan frowned. After some thought, he said, "I don't remember there ever being a grudge!"
"But who can say for sure?"
"My An Clan has millions of people, while the Immortal Great Emperor is unfathomably mysterious. Perhaps one of our clan members once offended him without knowing it. That's possible too!"
The explanation was plausible enough.
An Shanyuan was indeed a clan head worthy of his position; even under pressure, his answers carried some weight.
Seeing the crowd's attitude begin to soften, he continued, "Does that mean whatever the Immortal Great Emperor says must be true?"
"Wouldn't that plunge the world into chaos?"
"If a few made-up words and scribbles can sway the course of the world, wouldn't that be laughable?"
An Shanyuan had struck at their sore spots with a string of three questions.
The crowd was left speechless.
Once again, the air fell silent. Not a sound could be heard.
Just as An Shanyuan thought his plan was about to succeed, Ye Qingge suddenly moved.
She stepped down from the Imperial Chariot, her gaze indifferent. With overwhelming authority, she said:
"Exactly!"
"Whatever he says, goes!"
"He is an emperor whose strength stands above all ages. If he wanted to wipe out your An Clan, why go to all this trouble? He could destroy you with a flick of his finger!"
An Shanyuan's face turned livid. "You..."
"No matter how much your An Clan says, you're only using clever words to cover things up!"
Ye Qingge cut him off, her voice turning cold, her killing intent surging.
"I, Ye Qingge, will make this clear: Cangwu Mountain must be opened."
"Otherwise, it's war!"
An Shanyuan opened his mouth again, ready to argue—
But he was interrupted once more!
Yuan Ruoyu's voice carried the same killing intent, icy and cold. "Exactly. The Jade Pool Holy Land will see this through to the end as well!"
Quite a few people present had witnessed the clash between the two sides a few days ago.
How had they ended up on the same side again?
It made no sense.
Anyone who didn't know better might have thought Ye Qingge and Yuan Ruoyu had planned this together.
But that didn't stop everyone else from making up their minds and stepping forward to declare their stance.
With the Jade Pool Holy Land and the Liyue Immortal Dynasty backing them, what was there to fear?
"Exactly! Count Breeze City in if it comes to war!"
"Cangwu Mountain must be opened!"
"No one family can claim it alone. Cultivators throughout the world should share it!"
"Lift the seal and restrictions on Cangwu Mountain within three days, or the An Clan will bear the consequences."
"Don't try to talk your way out of it and cover up the truth!"
For a time, everyone grew stirred up. The fervor and ambition in their hearts reached its peak!
With just a few words, Ye Qingge had completely destroyed the doubts An Shanyuan had worked so hard to sow.
Watching the crowd advance on him with such aggressive momentum, An Shanyuan hated Ye Qingge to the bone.
He gritted his teeth. At this point, he could only take a risk and try another approach.
An Shanyuan's aura erupted, and surging spiritual power swept outward as he shouted, "Since that's the case, could you hear me out one more time?"
"Otherwise, then let's go to war! The An Clan is no easy target. Even if we fight to the last person, we'll protect our ancestors' peace!"
Ye Qingge sneered. "Then there's nothing more to discuss. With so many factions on our side, do you really think we're afraid of your An Clan fighting to the death?"
"Good! Then fight to the last person in your An Clan!"
Their exchange quieted the crowd somewhat.
An Shanyuan's brows twitched, fury surging through him. He nearly spat out a mouthful of blood.
He looked at Ye Qingge and thought, I've never even offended you!
Jiang Youlong stepped forward, taking the opportunity to quiet the crowd. "Elder An, I'll give you one last chance. Say what you have to say!"
"You'd better not try to fob us off again. Otherwise..."
An Shanyuan was grateful in his heart, but his expression remained unchanged. He hurriedly said,
"Fine. I agree to everyone's demands..."
He paused, swept a sharp gaze over the crowd, and shouted, "To prevent rivers of blood from flowing, we can hold a life-and-death contest!"
"Every faction here may choose three people to face the An Clan's three Ancestors!"
An Shanyuan continued, "Fair duels, life and death be damned. Three rounds, best of three!"
"If the An Clan loses, we'll do as you all say!"
"But if we're lucky enough to win, none of you may bring this up again. You must all leave Ning Province!"
At his words,
everyone looked at An Shanyuan with a trace of admiration.
Though they stood on different sides, An Shanyuan and the An Clan deserved respect for this.
It took tremendous courage to make such a decision!
Every faction present would choose its three strongest fighters to face the An Clan's three Ancestors. If they still lost, they would have no face to keep fighting over this opportunity.
Even Ye Qingge fell silent.
"Good! It's a deal!"
"Three days from now, we'll choose our fighters and face your An Clan's three Ancestors in a life-and-death battle!"
Every faction present agreed to the proposal.
That way, they could keep the fallout to a minimum and avoid rivers of blood.
Besides!
With so many top factions gathered here, could they really not find three fighters who could win?
Before you continue