Act First, Amend Later

"The clan had only just been unsealed. No one had recovered to their peak yet, and our numbers were pitifully small. Even if the Sun-Moon Federation's high-level combatants were inferior to ours, their legions were exceptionally well-funded. Not to mention all of them—just the North Sea Legion, Central Legion, and Southern Legion bordering the East Sea each had at least two hundred thousand troops. And with Shrek, the Spirit Pagoda, and the Tang Sect joining forces, if we really clashed head-on, even if we won, our clansmen would inevitably suffer losses."

Once Aquarius Star Dragon said this, the meeting room fell several degrees quieter.

Zhong Lingyue opened his mouth, wanting to say, "Losses are losses. What war doesn't kill people?" But seeing the grave expression on Aquarius Star Dragon's face, he swallowed the words. He knew it too—the Fighting Dragon Clan's greatest shortage right now was people. Every clansman was precious, and losing even one would hurt terribly.

Xie Xie smiled, resting both hands behind his head and crossing one leg over the other as he swayed it lazily. His gaze fell upon the starlight filling the sky, and his tone was unusually free of its usual flippancy.

"Wulin, I never became friends with you because of your talent."

He turned to look at Tang Wulin's bewildered face. His peach-blossom eyes, usually filled with mischief, now shone with sincerity. There was not the slightest hint of a joke.

"To be honest, when I first set my sights on you, it really was because I couldn't accept it. I just couldn't understand how a Blue Silver Grass martial soul could have such freakish strength. I always wanted to beat you one day and prove that I, Xie Xie, was the strongest in our year."

Xie Xie laughed at himself as he