Inside Doushuai Palace.
The Dao Venerable held Chu Tiange's sword between his fingers, his expression dark as he watched Chu Tiange's look of resolute readiness to die.
If he had initially refrained from killing Chu Tiange out of magnanimity, and because he wanted to communicate with both the Heavenly Dao and the Heavenly Emperor through him... then now that they had fallen out, could he kill him?
Now, instead, he dared not.
Chu Tiange was the Heavenly Dao's Chess Piece, the Heavenly Emperor's envoy, and Zhenwu's disciple... He was probably also the new Buddha Ancestor's friend from the Mortal Realm, and had rendered outstanding service in the battle in the Buddha Kingdom that had brought the new Buddha Ancestor to power. The Buddha Kingdom might have declined, but it was not dead yet. It still had several Golden Immortals!
Kill this man now, with Zhenwu rising and upheaval brewing?
The Dao Venerable could practically picture the Heavenly Emperor, the Buddha Ancestor, and Zhenwu storming Heaven Beyond Heaven together, with the Heavenly Dao making all sorts of arrangements as well. Who knew what else that might bring about?
A Chess Piece indeed, connected by countless threads, where pulling one strand moved everything. That was precisely why the Heavenly Emperor had sent him as an envoy. There were far too many variables that could be stirred through Chu Tiange.
"Crack!" The Dao Venerable jolted Chu Tiange back and said evenly, "Go report to the Heavenly Emperor. This alliance... I accept."
Chu Tiange had thought he was about to be struck dead. That answer left him stunned for a long while before he sheepishly put away his sword. "Uh... oh."
The Dao Venerable lightly swept his sleeve. The Pill Furnace that had been kicked away returned to its place, and the alchemical flames