The atmosphere in the conference hall instantly froze.
Every gaze converged on the black-haired human at the end of the oval table.
At the center of everyone's attention, Lin Yi gave a faint, inward sneer.
He had planned to keep a low profile at this first core meeting, simply listening and quickly familiarizing himself with the proceedings and everyone's attitudes.
It seemed he wouldn't get to do that.
Eldest Senior Brother Zhen Yu had warned him that Lord Ellis was forceful and blunt, and might say some things that were "hard to hear." But Lin Yi had no intention of showing weakness because of that.
Meeting those eyes, which seemed to hold a space-time vortex, he raised an eyebrow and replied calmly,
"The meeting notice and seating arrangement were issued by the base system. I took my seat here as instructed. What, Lord Ellis, do you think there's something wrong with that arrangement?"
The moment he spoke, the hall fell utterly silent.
Zhen Yu furrowed his brow but said nothing. Sijia's gaze sharpened slightly, thoughtful.
As for the other deities, most looked surprised. They hadn't expected this newcomer to face a direct challenge from the base's strongest at his very first meeting. There was even a faint sense of confrontation between them.
Seeing Lin Yi's attitude, a flicker of something else crossed Ellis's cold eyes. He stared at Lin Yi for two seconds, then tugged at the corner of his mouth and let out a brief, soft laugh.
"Haha."
The laugh held no warmth, but it dispelled the icy tension that had nearly frozen the air.
"That's how the Pan-Spirit Alliance's newest generation's greatest prodigy ought to be."
Ellis spoke slowly. The scrutiny in his gaze eased somewhat, replaced by an expression that seemed to say he'd seen something that