True Lord Guangde felt utterly helpless when he heard this.
"True Lord, please allow me to explain. The Heavenly Court has its reasons for this arrangement..."
"Say no more, venerable immortal. Just report back to the Heavenly Court that I, Li Ling, am not satisfied."
Li Ling cut him off without the slightest ceremony.
Although this elderly immortal commanded great respect, he was ultimately no more than a messenger running errands. He could not decide anything himself.
Li Ling's earlier courtesy had been out of respect for him personally, but now he had to give a direct response and make his position clear.
Hearing this, True Lord Guangde had nothing more to say. He could only return crestfallen to report.
"Master, isn't the Heavenly Court going too far? An acting Heavenly Lord? Aren't they just toying with us?"
Nie Yingzhi saw True Lord Guangde off with the proper courtesies, then immediately returned to the Floating Cloud Platform to report.
Li Ling said, "They're merely testing us. It all comes down to my resolve.
"There's no need for you to get angry, either. The Heavenly Court does indeed have its reasons for this arrangement."
Nie Yingzhi said helplessly, "Master, why are you speaking up for the Heavenly Court, too?"
Li Ling smiled faintly. "Why shouldn't I speak up for the Heavenly Court? If I don't argue their side, how can I understand what they're really thinking?
"You shouldn't assume the Heavenly Court truly has no sense of when to advance or retreat, or that it would betray its word. Those mighty Heavenly Venerables aren't so narrow-minded, either. As things stand, Changsheng's qualifications for becoming a Heavenly Lord really do fall somewhere in between. Whether they give him the position or not, either decision is acceptable.
"The reason I rejected them so