Damn it.
Chi Yuan was immediately caught off guard.
Li Fu didn't care about leaving the Sacred Domain, but Chi Yuan had gone to such great lengths to establish the Ten Thousand Immortals Association, so naturally he cared about the inheritance of the Ten Directions Holy Lord.
Seeing the tension between the two sides escalating to the point of imminent conflict, the cultivators outside the three factions, eager for a spectacle, whispered amongst themselves, some even quietly retreating to make room for the impending battle.
Han Xuanji was happy to watch the spectacle and had no intention of going out to show off his divine abilities.
Just then, the white-robed man who had been standing beside Chi Yuan without saying a word suddenly stepped forward, raised his hand and gestured for the Ten Thousand Immortals Association members to calm down.
This man had a refined appearance and a gentle demeanor; he was none other than Liu Wanxu, the vice president of the Ten Thousand Immortals Association.
He was Chi Yuan's closest friend, and the Ten Thousand Immortals Association's ability to occupy such a large territory was largely due to his efforts.
Liu Wanxu first gave Chi Yuan a look that said, "Take it easy," and the latter nodded without saying a word.
Then he turned to the crowd, his voice gentle and clear, spreading unhurriedly throughout the valley.
"Fellow Daoists, please hear me out."
Liu Wanxu bowed slightly, his manners impeccable, his face radiating amiability.
"This Seven-Colored Profound Origin Fruit is indeed a rare treasure of heaven and earth, and everyone can compete for it."
But you might as well take a look around that fruit tree. The restriction has not yet disappeared, and the Dark Gold Black-Armored Lizard, the Three-Headed Poison Shadow Dragon, and many other powerful Variant are eyeing it.
None of these Variant are easy to deal with, no matter which one you pull out.
If we fight to the death here first, who will have the strength to deal with these beasts in the end? I'm afraid it won't be a question of who gets the spoils, but who will be sent out of the Sacred Domain by the Variant first."
His words were like a bucket of cold water, making everyone present calm down a bit.
"That's true."
"The protective barrier around the spiritual fruit is about to dissipate. We can't let these beasts benefit from such a precious treasure of nature, can we?"
Even Li Fu stopped laughing wildly and narrowed his eyes to re-examine Liu Wanxu.
He hadn't dealt with this vice chairman before, but now that he saw him, he was indeed no ordinary person.
Seeing that the crowd was beginning to waver, Liu Wanxu pressed his advantage and offered a more specific suggestion:
"In my humble opinion, we might as well join forces for the time being and work together to drive out or kill these Variant."
Afterwards, the seven Profound Origin Fruit were distributed according to the amount of effort each party contributed during the hunt for the Variant.
Those who contribute more choose first, and those who contribute less choose later. This is fair and reasonable, and no one is at a disadvantage.
"I wonder what the opinions are of Master Jiang, Master Chen, Fellow Daoist Li, and all the other fellow Daoists who have come here?"
"Vice Chairman Liu's suggestion is a compromise."
Jiang Hanzhou nodded first, and the members of the Hanzhou Association behind him echoed his agreement.
Chen Bei remained as sparing with words as ever, only saying "Okay" before holding his sword and refusing to say anything more.
Li Fu wanted to say something more, but a tall, slender man in blue robes appeared beside him at some point and whispered a few words of advice in his ear.
Li Fu frowned as he listened, spat, but didn't launch another attack; he merely gave a cold laugh.
"Alright, then let's kill these beasts first."
However, let me make this clear from the start: if things aren't fair later, don't blame me Li Fu, for turning my back on you.
As for the other Rogue Cultivator and small groups present, their opinions became irrelevant after the three major powers reached a consensus.
This is a world where the strong prey on the weak; the strong set the rules, and the weak can only obey.
Many people looked worried and whispered among themselves, clearly understanding the strange situation.
The so-called distribution according to contribution ultimately means that the Ten Thousand Immortals Association's share, and those others are lucky to get even a small portion.
Han Xuanji stood at the edge of the crowd, his expression calm and composed, neither frustrated nor concerned, as if the intense confrontation before him had nothing to do with him.
A Rogue Cultivator who had also been squeezed to the side glanced at him several times and finally couldn't help but speak:
"Fellow Daoist, judging from your calm and composed demeanor, you seem completely unconcerned? This is Seven-Colored Profound Origin Fruit; wouldn't it be a pity to miss it?"
Han Xuanji glanced at him sideways and smiled faintly:
"It's all about timing and fate. I never came here for this fruit. Since it's not meant to be, there's no point in forcing it."
He paused, then added,
"Of course, it's just finding joy in hardship. Things have come to this point; frowning won't bring any results, so it's better to take it easy."
The Rogue Cultivator paused for a moment after hearing this, then smiled as well.
"Fellow Daoist is quite insightful."
He moved half a step closer to Han Xuanji and took the initiative to speak:
"My surname is Zhou, and my given name is Yuan. I came to the Sacred Domain with a small team of a few trusted friends. Fellow Daoist, you look unfamiliar. Are you new to the Ten Directions Sacred Domain? May I ask which side you belong to?"
"I'm new here, all alone."
Han Xuanji answered truthfully.
Zhou Yuan's eyes lit up upon hearing this, and he immediately lowered his voice:
"Traveling alone is not easy. Since you don't have a team, why don't you travel together later?"
Although the lion's share will definitely be divided among the three families, those who contribute during the hunt for the Variant will receive some compensation afterward based on their merits.
Although there aren't many of us, we work together fairly well, which is better than one person working alone.
Han Xuanji pondered for a moment. "Rewards for meritorious service" held no appeal for him, but it was a good excuse to move closer to the fruit trees and perhaps sign in early and leave.
Han Xuanji then used the system's functions to investigate the other party's information.
You wouldn't believe it until you see it; it's quite a surprise.
[ Zhou Yuan: Eternal True Lord Perfection, a person of great fortune, a descendant of the Ten Directions Holy Lord, who knows some of the secrets of the Ten Directions Immortal Hall. He came here to retrieve the treasures left by the Ten Directions Holy Lord for their descendants.]
Um?
He just happened to run into a descendant of the Ten Directions Holy Lord?
According to the information revealed by the system, this guy should know some secrets.
Thinking of this, Han Xuanji nodded and replied:
"Alright, let's go together then."
He had barely finished speaking when a cheerful voice suddenly came from behind him:
"How about I join?"
Han Xuanji turned around and saw a blue-haired youth walking towards them with a smile.
The man had long, dark blue hair tied back with a silver ring, and a handsome face; it was none other than Lan Miao.
He had been secretly observing Han Xuanji from a short distance away for quite some time, and only after hearing their conversation did he seize the opportunity to approach and strike up a conversation.
As he approached, he first cupped his hands in greeting to Han Xuanji and said with a smile:
"Junior Brother Han, we meet again."
Han Xuanji raised an eyebrow slightly. He had indeed met Lan Miao once before in the trial hall, but they hadn't exchanged names at the time. He was somewhat surprised that the other party had called him by name so readily.
"Fellow Daoist, do you recognize me?"
"My master attended the disciple-acceptance ceremony of the Nine Mysteries Holy Lord, who is a highly accomplished disciple of him."
Lan Miao smiled, and then generously introduced herself.
"My name is Lan Miao, and my master Cloud Wasteland Holy Lord. After my master returned that day, he spoke highly of Junior Brother Han. Now that I see him, he truly is a dragon among men."
It turns out he was a disciple of the Cloud Wasteland Holy Lord.
At this point, using the system to investigate the other party's information confirms that what they said was true.
With the cultivation of Eternal Dao Master Perfection and personally taught by the Cloud Wasteland Holy Lord, the Lan Household is an ancient Aristocratic Clan with Holy Lord presiding over it, and Lan Miao is the most talented person in the Lan Household this generation.
The other party's visit to assert their relationship seems to have some ulterior motives; perhaps they're trying to outdo him?