Lin Yi's fingers paused slightly around the teacup. The certainty of his original guess was shaken by Flame Emperor's words.
He had indeed believed that if Venerable Xuantian were still outside, he would never allow Taiyi City to descend into chaos or permit the Myriad Emperor Alliance to lose power. Combined with Great Emperor Jin Man entering the secret realm soon afterward, Lin Yi had become even more convinced of his judgment.
But hearing Flame Emperor's tone now, he inexplicably began to doubt himself.
"Could it be that you think Venerable Xuantian never entered the secret realm, Brother?" Lin Yi looked up at Flame Emperor.
Flame Emperor sighed softly. His voice carried a hint of distant reflection. "You still underestimate this Venerable."
He set down his teacup and lightly tapped the stone table with his fingertips. "When Venerable Xuantian first rose to fame, no joke, seventy percent of the current peak Emperor Realm cultivators in the Source Realm had not even been born."
"This man was skilled in schemes and astonishingly talented. If not for poor timing back then, leaving him stuck before the threshold of the Great Dao Realm without making further progress, he would likely have broken through his shackles long ago and gone beyond the Source Realm in search of opportunities."
"The entire Source Realm may now seem as though the Ten Great Main Cities govern themselves, belonging to no one. But you must understand that if Venerable Xuantian truly gave an order, not one of the people in power among the Ten Great Main Cities would dare disobey."
Flame Emperor shifted the topic, his gaze falling upon Lin Yi. "According to what your master said, Venerable Taiyi had already promised him the Great Dao Realm Inheritance within the secret realm when the Heavenly Palace was destroyed.