85: The quarrel at the Divine Craft Workshop

Upon first hearing this news, many forces that had long-standing grudges with the Shadow Pavilion, or had even been plotted against by them, could not help but feel a flicker of delight.

This assassin organization, which lurked in the shadows like a dreaded venomous snake, had finally met its end.

However, this flicker of delight was instantly replaced by a deeper, heavier chill.

Too fast, too ruthless, too thorough!

From the mountain-protecting array being mysteriously breached, to the core combat power being crushed and cleared, to the Pavilion Master being killed on the spot and the Vice Pavilion Master surrendering with all their assets... the entire process was crisp and decisive; almost overnight, a transcendent power with a long Legacy and deep Foundation was declared abolished.

The precise intelligence, formidable strength, and ruthless methods displayed within this process left all who heard of it trembling with fear.

Especially since the one who acted was not some established Alliance, but that rising Chu Ye, whose core was said to only come from the "Frontier" Great Chu Empire!

"First the Guanghan Immortal Palace... and now the Shadow Pavilion."

Many power-holders put down the intelligence Jade Slips in their hands, their fingertips cold. "The former was personally 'disciplined' by him, while this one was directly uprooted... This youth truly seeks vengeance for the smallest grievance and strikes without mercy."

The feeling of interdependence, like a dark cloud, weighed heavily on the hearts of all the forces that had participated in or secretly supported the siege of the Great Chu Empire.

The Myriad Dao Alliance, the Divine Craft Workshop, and especially the several houses that had sent elites to directly participate in the battle, were even more jittery.

Divine Craft Workshop, the main headquarters "Tiangong City," the core secret hall.

The interior of the hall was not the imagined scene of roaring furnace fires and clanging hammers; instead, it was exceptionally clean and solemn. The walls and floor were all paved with "Quiet Heart Profound Jade," which could absorb noise and stabilize Spiritual Qi.

Only a few floating miniature models of precision Magical Artifacts rotated slowly, shimmering with a cold metallic luster.

At this moment, the hall was packed.

The Workshop Master, Vice Workshop Master, Chief Elders of each hall, and the Elder Statesmen of the Enshrinement Hall... almost all the high-level officials who held real power and decided the direction of the Divine Craft Workshop were present.

Everyone's expression was grave, and the air was thick with suppression and unease.

"Gentlemen, the situation is clear." The Vice Workshop Master presiding over the meeting, an elderly man with a lean face and eyes as sharp as an eagle's, spoke with a dry voice, "The cautionary tale of the Shadow Pavilion is right before our eyes. What should our Divine Craft Workshop do?"

The silence lasted only a moment before it was broken by a heated argument.

"What to do? Should we learn from that spineless Shadow Pavilion Vice Pavilion Master, kneeling to beg for surrender and having a slave mark engraved?"

An Elder from the Weapon Casting Hall, whose body was covered in knotted muscles and whose skin was as red as copper, suddenly slammed the table and stood up, his voice like a great bell. "Our Divine Craft Workshop has stood in the Middle Region for tens of thousands of years, relying on our divine Sharp Weapons and our irreplaceable Artifact Refining capabilities!"

"When have we ever bowed our heads to anyone? Chu Ye, though fierce, has a shallow Foundation. How can his background compare to the many powerhouses of our Middle Region?"

"In my opinion, we should immediately contact the Myriad Dao Alliance, the Dragon Clan, and even other forces that have not yet clarified their stance to discuss a grand plan, form an Alliance, and strangle him while his wings are not yet fully grown!"

"Our workshop can go all out to supply war equipment. If we win this battle, the status of our Divine Craft Workshop will rise to the next level!"

"Strangle? Strangle him with what?"

Another white-haired Elder with an elegant temperament, responsible for array diagram research, retorted coldly, "What kind of person is Palace Master Li Yue of the Guanghan Immortal Palace? A half-step True Immortal, holding an immortal zither, yet... her whereabouts are still unknown, and rumors say she has fallen into his hands."

"The Shadow Pavilion Master, whose stealth and assassination techniques were unrivaled in the world, was turned to ash in public, his Divine Soul utterly destroyed!"

"Do you know that under Chu Ye's command, there is now a True Immortal presiding openly, and more than one at the Peak of the Immortal Dao! Not to mention those mysterious and unpredictable poisonous mists, illusions, and sound attacks... form an Alliance?"

"Who can guarantee we won't be the next Shadow Pavilion to be picked off one by one? Supply war equipment? If we provoke him, the next place to be 'precisely breached' from the inside out will be our Tiangong City!"

"Should we beg for mercy just because of fear?"

The crimson Elder glared.

"It's not fear, but assessing the situation!"

The elegant Elder did not back down an inch. "What is the root of our Divine Craft Workshop? It is the art of Artifact Refining, being needed by others! No matter who becomes the Dominator of the Middle Region, will they not need Sharp Weapons, mountain-protecting arrays, flying boats for travel, or communication Magical Artifacts?"

"As long as our skills are irreplaceable, we will always have a place to stand! Clashing head-on with Chu Ye is gambling our workshop's tens of thousands of years of Foundation and the lives of countless Disciples on an uncertain future!"

"But if we proactively seek friendship, even at some cost, to exchange for peace and time for development, with our workshop's capabilities, why worry about not occupying a seat in the new order? This is the true way of survival, the basis for our continuation!"

The two viewpoints clashed fiercely. Those supporting a hardline confrontation were mostly old-school figures with fiery tempers who took pride in their craft.

Those advocating for friendship and compromise were mostly the pragmatists who managed practical affairs, were skilled in calculation, and focused on the continuation of the Legacy.

The argument lasted for nearly an hour.

Ultimately, more and more Elders, under the weight of cold reality, leaned toward the latter.

The destruction of the Shadow Pavilion was too shocking, and the strength and ruthlessness Chu Ye displayed were too clear.

Although the Divine Craft Workshop was wealthy, it did not excel in direct combat; although it had allies, who could guarantee they wouldn't flee when disaster struck?"

The voices of the pro-war faction gradually faded.

The Vice Workshop Master looked around at everyone, and seeing that a basic consensus had been reached, he slowly spoke: "In that case, the tone will be set as... proactive contact, attempting to ease the relationship, and even establishing cooperation."

The hall fell silent for a moment.

The next question followed immediately, making everyone feel a sense of difficulty and embarrassment.

"Then... how should we make contact? What gift should we bring to move that person?"

An Elder responsible for foreign affairs asked hesitantly.

The hall fell into silence again, but this time, the silence had a completely different meaning.

Everyone knew that Chu Ye's cultivation was unfathomable, his actions were domineering, and he didn't seem to lack resources; ordinary treasures would likely fail to catch his eye. As for his greatest, almost public "hobby"... countless gazes, whether overt or covert, glanced toward the Chief Elder of the "Heavenly Fragrance Hall," who had been sitting in the corner without speaking.

The Heavenly Fragrance Hall was not a department for refining offensive weapons, but a "side branch" specializing in refining Magical Artifacts, spices, and Ni Chang that aided cultivation, preserved youthful looks, or even had special charm effects. The Disciples in the hall were also mostly beautiful and clever women.

That Heavenly Fragrance Hall Elder was a beautiful woman who looked to be in her thirties and still possessed great charm. Feeling everyone's gaze, her expression changed slightly, and a trace of undetectable humiliation and helplessness flashed in her eyes.

The Vice Workshop Master gave a dry cough, his tone becoming somewhat subtle: "I have heard... that Fellow Daoist Chu Ye has many... beautiful confidantes by his side, and every one of them is a paragon among people, possessing peerless beauty."

"Although our Divine Craft Workshop establishes itself through Artifact Refining, within the workshop... there is no shortage of junior Disciples who possess both talent and beauty, as well as clever minds."

"Perhaps... we could select one or two from among them, cultivate them carefully, and have them carry the 'specialty' items meticulously refined by our workshop to represent us in a visit and exchange..."

The words were spoken euphemistically, but the meaning could not be clearer.

Cater to his hobbies, and use beauties to pave the way.

The hall was deathly silent; no one refuted, and no one echoed the sentiment.

The air was filled with an indescribable heaviness and a hint of absurdity.

Once upon a time, they, these high and mighty giants of the Middle Region, actually needed to use such an "unpresentable" method to curry favor and fawn over an "upstart" from the Frontier?

But this was reality.