An Argument: Not a United Front

"Not at a loss?" Yan Tianjin scoffed. "Originally, if I had obtained the Dao Fruit, the Demonic Path could have monopolized the fortune and prospered for a hundred years. Now that everyone has a share, it's as if I've given away half of the benefits for nothing. Is that what you call not at a loss?"

"If you insist on fighting for it, you can," Li Yunjing said calmly. "But you need to think carefully. Whether you succeed or not is one thing, but even if you do succeed, will you be able to save your life?"

"You!" Yan Tianjin with anger.

"You know perfectly well whether the assimilation of the Dao Fruit is true or false," Li Yunjing said calmly. "The Primordial Origin Spirit for countless years, Dao Guardian have held sway over the origin for countless years. They all acknowledge it. Do you really think it's false?"

Yan Tianjin was speechless.

He was already seven or eight parts convinced.

Given his status and position, he must have had some contact with High Antiquity secrets.

Those who attained the Dao Fruit throughout history all ascended and disappeared, and none of them ever returned.

I used to think it was just because the Immortal Realm realm was far away, but now I realize that I've probably really been assimilated.

Is it worth risking one's life for the sake of Dao Fruit?

He's lived for ten thousand years, finally reaching his current position through hardship. What use is all that luck if he dies?

But he was unwilling to give up just like that.

"Let me think about it."

Yan Tianjin threw down a sentence, turned around, and left.

Seeing this, the members of the demonic path followed suit and retreated back to the western camp.

Watching Yan Tianjin's retreating figure, Zhang Jianchen frowned and said, "Sect Leader Li, do you think Yan Tianjin will agree? What if he interferes..."

"He will agree," Li Yunjing said confidently. "Yan Tianjin is a shrewd and ruthless man, not a reckless fool. He can clearly calculate the pros and cons."

"Even if he wanted to cause trouble, with the presence of ten Ancestral Vein, two Loose Immortal, and seven Dao Guardian of the Dao, he couldn't stir up any waves."

Xuanjizi nodded. "Sect Leader Li is right. Yan Tianjin values his life and wouldn't risk it. Return to the Origin would also benefit him, so there's no need for him to fight to the death."

Despite this, everyone still felt a vague unease.

Yan Tianjin's temperament has always been unpredictable.

No one can guarantee that he won't suddenly go crazy.

"Let's make preparations first," Zhang Jianchen said in a deep voice. "Pass down the order: everyone should perform their duties, set up guard posts, and inventory supplies in preparation for the Return to the Origin Ceremony."

"Yes, sir!"

Inside the temporary Devil Palace palace tent at the demonic camp.

Yan Tianjin sat at the head of the table, his face so gloomy it could drip water.

Below, key figures such as the Old Devil Bone Spirit, the Old Devil Yin Corpse, and the Devil General Blood Baleful Intent stood on both sides, not daring to breathe loudly.

They can all tell you're in a bad mood.

"Tell me, is the matter of Return to the Origin credible or not?" Yan Tianjin asked slowly, his voice icy.

The crowd exchanged glances, Old Devil Bone Spirit stepped forward first, shrilly, "Your Majesty, in my humble opinion, this is not to be trusted!"

"That kid Li Yunjing is a master of sweet talk. All that talk about Return to the Origin and ascending to higher levels, about ending reincarnation—it's all nonsense he made up! His goal is to trick us into giving up on the Dao Fruit so the righteous path can monopolize the benefits!"

"Oh?" Yan Tianjin raised his eyes. "You have evidence?"

"This..." The Old Devil Bone Spirit choked for a moment, then said, "The Ten Ancestral Vein and the Dao Guardian are all on his side, so they might have been deceived by him! Besides, even if the Return to the Origin is true, and everyone benefits, it's the same as no one benefiting."

Your Majesty, think about it. Originally, we demonic cultivators could monopolize the Dao Fruit and be blessed with good fortune, suppressing the righteous path. Now that we've returned to the source, everyone's fortunes are rising together, which means we've actually lost out!

"A loss?" the Old Devil Yin Corpse said in a hoarse voice, "Old Bone, you're wrong about that."

Whether you can even snatch the Dao Fruit is another matter. With the Ten Ancestral Vein and the Dao Guardian present, even if you go all out, you might not be able to obtain the Dao Fruit.

What's the point of talking about losses when you can't get something?

"After Return to the Origin, the Spiritual Qi tripled, and our demonic path disciples cultivated much faster. Within a hundred years, it's not impossible for a few more Loose Immortal to emerge. In the long run, the benefits are considerable."

"Long-term?" The Old Devil Bone Spirit sneered. "You might not even be around a hundred years from now! You'd rather forgo the immediate benefits than wait for something uncertain a hundred years from now? Old cunning, are you getting senile?"

"You!"

That's enough.

Yan Tianjin coldly interrupted their argument.

He rubbed his temples, feeling extremely irritated.

Both sides have valid points.

Take a gamble, seize the Dao Fruit, and gain immense fortune, but you might die.

If you don't gamble, Return to the Origin peacefully and everyone can improve together, but you'll lose the opportunity to stand out from the crowd.

How to choose?

He had lived for ten thousand years and had never been so conflicted.

"Your Majesty!" The Devil General Blood Baleful Intent stepped forward and said in a deep voice, "This humble general believes that we cannot believe the nonsense of the righteous path! What Return to the Origin, what ascension, it's all just empty promises! The Dao Fruit is right before our eyes, why should we give it to them?"

"In my humble opinion, it would be better to launch a surprise attack when they reach the most crucial moment of their return to their Return to the Origin! Catch them off guard! By then, once we've seized the Dao Fruit, it will be too late for the Ten Ancestral Vein to react!"

"Nonsense!" The Old Devil Yin Corpse frowned. "Even if the ten Ancestral Vein joined forces, you might not be able to stop them. Making a rash move will only lead to your own destruction!"

"What's there to be afraid of?" the Old Devil Bone Spirit said sinisterly. "Aren't there still the Dao Guardian? The Dao Guardian aren't a monolithic group. As long as we offer them benefits, we might be able to win over one or two."

"The Dao Guardian are in charge of the origin, impartial and selfless, how could they possibly be won over?" The Old Devil Yin Corpse scoffed.

Nothing in this world is absolute.

The crowd started arguing amongst themselves.

Yan Tianjin grew even more irritated and waved his hand, "All of you, leave. Let me have some peace and quiet."

"Yes."

Everyone bowed and withdrew.

Inside the large tent, only Yan Tianjin remained.

He stood up, walked to the tent entrance, and gazed at the seven-colored light in the direction of the main hall, his eyes shifting uncertainly.

Dao Fruit... Power... Immortality...

A series of thoughts flashed through his mind.

Just then, an extremely faint aura appeared silently in the tent.

"Who?!"

Yan Tianjin turned around abruptly, his demonic energy surging, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes.

Suddenly, a gray-white figure appeared in the center of the tent.

Wearing the standard Daoist robes of Dao Guardian, his face was shrouded in a halo. He was slightly shorter than the white-haired old man at the head of the group, and his aura was obscure, making him seem to blend into the shadows as he stood there.

He was none other than one of the seven Dao Guardian of the Way.

"Dao Guardian?" Yan Tianjin's pupils contracted, alarm bells ringing in his mind. "What brings you here?"

Shouldn't those Dao Guardian stand with the righteous path? How could they have secretly infiltrated his tent?

The Dao Guardian spoke slowly, his voice low and somewhat hoarse:

"Yan Tianjin, I have come here to make a deal with you."

"A deal?" Yan Tianjin raised an eyebrow. "What kind of deal could I possibly make with you Dao Guardian?"

"Regarding the Dao Fruit," the Dao Guardian said calmly, "You wish to monopolize the Dao Fruit, yet fear being assimilated and perishing. I can help you with that."

Yan Tianjin was startled.

"What do you mean?" Yan Tianjin asked in a deep voice, his tone now tinged with wariness.

The literal meaning is: "The Way of the Dao Guardian," and the method of assimilation through the Dao Fruit is not without solution.

I have a way to allow you to absorb the power of the Dao Fruit without being assimilated by the origin.

"One can gain immense fortune, preserve one's life, and even have the opportunity to reach a higher realm."

Yan Tianjin's breathing suddenly became heavier.