"This..."
Seeing Qiu Yan's sincere attitude, everyone exchanged glances, unable to discern his true stance.
At a time like this, naturally no one was foolish enough to leap out and refute Qiu Yan. His strength was plain for all to see. Nine Springs Ancestor had not truly meant to rebuke Qiu Yan either; he merely wanted to salvage a bit of face, considering that his sect's disciples were nearby.
"Do not hold back. Qiu is not seeking to condemn anyone for their words. I sincerely wish to discuss this with you, to learn what you truly thought and how your state of mind and thoughts changed when you encountered Outsiders. This concerns many things."
Qiu Yan's expression was calm, without the slightest trace of falsehood.
"Marquis of Pacifying the Realm, I have a thought," said Void-Driving Dao Lord. This leader of the Daoist Sect had dealt with Qiu Yan before, when he had been lofty and aloof, but the situation had now reversed. Before Qiu Yan, he scarcely even dared to breathe loudly. "Had we known beforehand, we certainly could have made preparations in advance."
"What sort of preparations?" Qiu Yan asked. At the same time, as he conversed with those present, Thought Threads from the Literary Web spread outward, extending in every direction. They merged with the emotional ripples and thoughts that were gradually settling within the crowd, slowly gathering the shifts in thought, emotion, and mood they had experienced earlier.
Void-Driving Dao Lord pondered for a moment before saying, "Naturally, we would select someone capable of commanding everyone's respect and make unified plans. Then, when facing the enemy, we could coordinate our forces as one."
"Such thoughts sound fine, but some even go beyond the foundations of reality." Qiu Yan shook his head. "When you were on the