"The whole affair has been investigated. Something went wrong while Youxuan was cultivating a secret art, causing Sky City to seal itself off."
"Then it looks like a false alarm? We can lift the combat readiness status at the front. Notify the Immortal Alliance as well. There's no need to provoke a dispute over this."
The Elders' Council soon received Han Tong's report. He stepped forward to explain the situation, and the alert was lifted.
Some privately doubted this conclusion, but said little openly. After all, a Grandmaster's word still carried authority.
They suspected there might be more to the matter, but would not delve too deeply. Digging down to the roots was not necessarily in their own interests.
Thus, an incident that might originally have shaken the Puppet Dao was quietly suppressed.
"Next, would the Grandmasters please stay behind to discuss routine affairs..."
Afterward, several Grandmasters remained to discuss ordinary matters concerning the faction.
Li Chen said, "In light of the current situation, I propose implementing a necessary screening mechanism within the public Heavenly Net Network to prevent a repeat of the Ji Shan incident."
The Grandmasters considered this briefly, then voiced their positions one after another. "Agreed."
"Agreed..."
Han Tong gave Li Chen a look filled with an indescribably complicated mix of emotions, then slowly said, "I agree as well..."
This proposal was plainly aimed at Youxuan's subsequent moves, making it harder for his meme power to spread through the Puppet World Heavenly Net.
Only now did he begin to understand Li Chen's intentions. He realized that Li Chen was a man who struggled and drifted between reality and ideals.
Li Chen carried out a cultivator's deeds with a mortal's mindset. What he sought was transcendence for his entire people and civilization, not merely for himself.
When his