190: Chapter 189 I'll Lead the Way

Xuanyuan Yao looked at him coldly, his tone suddenly turning harsh.

"Old Ghost Jiuyao, you truly have a lot of nerve! Taking advantage of my absence to oppress my Xuanyuan Clan."

He took a step forward, and his Middle Stage Emperor pressure bore down like a massive mountain.

"Are you tired of living?"

Ancestor Jiuyao was forced back half a step by this pressure, his Face turning pale and then ashen.

His cultivation was a Realm lower than Xuanyuan Yao's. He had dared to be so arrogant before because he was certain Xuanyuan Yao was long dead.

Now that the man himself was standing right in front of him, all his schemes instantly evaporated.

But what truly made him unwilling to accept this was something else.

He stared at Xuanyuan Yao:

"How is it possible for you to be back? Weren't you captured by the Taixuan Sect? Even if you didn't die, how could you possibly return?"

The Elders behind Xuanyuan Yao heard this, and their expressions instantly became quite colorful.

The one at the lead immediately stepped forward, his voice so loud that the entire mountain gate buzzed.

His posture was even more smug than when Xuanyuan Yao had acted personally just now:

"What do you know! Our Old Ancestor was favored by the Immortal Lord Taixuan long ago and is now a member of the Taixuan Immortal Sect! What is your Jiuyao Divine Palace supposed to be? You aren't even worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as our Old Ancestor!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire area fell silent.

On the Jiuyao Divine Palace's side, several Elders looked at each other, their Faces full of disbelief.

Below in the Xuanyuan ancestral lands, things erupted even more. The clansmen looked up at their Old Ancestor, filled with both shock and joy.

They thought the Old Ancestor had been killed by the Taixuan Sect, but it turned out he was not only alive but had also joined the Immortal Sect?

Ancestor Jiuyao's expression changed completely.

Xuanyuan Yao had caused trouble at the Taixuan Sect and yet still managed to be favored by the Immortal Sect!

Did this even make sense?

But if that weren't the case, how else could this guy have returned?

Thoughts raced through Ancestor Jiuyao's mind.

With incredible speed, his Face broke into an extremely warm and enthusiastic smile:

"Oh! So that's how it is! Brother Xuanyuan, this is truly a case of the flood washing away the Dragon King's Temple!"

He smiled as he stepped forward to greet him, his tone as earnest as if he were meeting a long-lost brother.

"Our Jiuyao Divine Palace has long been preparing to submit to the Immortal Sect! To be honest, just before coming here, I already sent an envoy to Tianyin City to pay respects to Elder Immortal Qing Li! The declaration of surrender has already been submitted!"

"What happened just now was all a misunderstanding, a massive misunderstanding!"

Xuanyuan Yao looked at him expressionlessly:

"A misunderstanding? Weren't you just about to flatten my Xuanyuan Clan?"

"Nonsense!"

Ancestor Jiuyao beat his chest, looking pained and remorseful.

"Brother, you don't know. A while ago, someone reported to me that your Xuanyuan Clan's mountain-protecting array had fallen into disrepair and its defensive power was not what it used to be."

"I was worried for you! So, I specifically brought people over to help you test it out."

"Look, after that palm strike just now, your array truly does need repairs!"

He spoke with such conviction, as if he really had come to do a good deed.

Xuanyuan Yao's lip twitched. This guy's skin was practically thicker than his own.

But he knew very well that although he was a Realm higher than the other man,

if an Early Stage Emperor truly wanted to run, he wouldn't necessarily be able to keep him here easily.

Moreover, this old thing was also planning to submit to the Sect.

Killing him directly would make it difficult to explain to the Sect.

But letting him go just like that was truly hard to swallow.

He kept his hands behind his back, waiting until Ancestor Jiuyao's smile was about to freeze on his Face before slowly speaking:

"Since it's a misunderstanding, I won't hold it against you. However, the mineral veins you occupied while I was away, the subordinate forces you snatched, and the injuries to my Clan's Disciples—there must be an accounting for those."

Ancestor Jiuyao understood immediately. He beat his chest and declared that he would return everything he had swallowed within three days and prepare an extra generous gift to show his sincerity.

Only then did Xuanyuan Yao nod. Ancestor Jiuyao felt as if he had been granted a grand amnesty and led the people of the Jiuyao Divine Palace away immediately.

Once the people from the Jiuyao Divine Palace were far away, several Elders of the Xuanyuan Clan gathered around. One of the most impatient ones held it in for a long time before finally being unable to resist speaking up:

"Old Ancestor, although that old thing promised compensation, it's still too easy on him. He bullied us for so long while you were away; just paying back some things is enough?"

Another Elder beside him also nodded in agreement:

"Indeed, Old Ancestor. Although that Old Ghost Jiuyao said he would submit, with your current standing in the Immortal Sect, what would it matter even if you killed him? Why give him this Face?"

Xuanyuan Yao's lip twitched; he almost couldn't keep his composure.

He knew his actual situation in the Sect all too well.

Just as he was wondering how to explain it to these Elders, another Elder spoke up for him.

"What do you know? The Jiuyao Divine Palace has already announced its submission and sent out an envoy. If we killed him over this bit of friction, how would outsiders see us?"

"They would only think our Immortal Sect is petty and narrow-minded. The Old Ancestor endured this for the sake of the Immortal Sect's overall plan to unify the Desolate Ancient. It's to show those forces still watching that those who take the initiative to submit to the Taixuan Sect will have their past grievances forgiven and be treated with magnanimity!"

"When the Immortal Master finds out, he will surely praise our Old Ancestor. At that time, the Old Ancestor's weight in the Immortal Sect will be even greater."

That Elder's reasoning was sound and logical.

The other Elders suddenly understood and nodded in agreement, their respect for Xuanyuan Yao deepening by several degrees.

Xuanyuan Yao nodded with a serious expression. His gaze fell on the Elder who had bailed him out, and he marveled inwardly.

How had he not noticed before that this kid was so silver-tongued?

On the other side, the Grand Elder of the Wanxiang Divine Palace arrived very quickly.

After quietly leaving the Wanxiang Divine Palace with a group of trusted aides, he headed straight for Tianyin City, not daring to delay for a moment along the way.

At this moment, he stood before the main hall of the office, looking at the plaque that read "Taixuan Sect Tianyin Province Office," feeling a wave of emotion in his heart.

Outside the office, envoys sent by various forces were already lined up. A young Disciple from the Lianyun Sect was busy beyond belief.

While registering the names of the arrivals, he asked without looking up, "Which force? What is your name?"

The Grand Elder took a deep breath and stepped forward to report his name.

People from the Wanxiang Divine Palace had also come. The envoys in the surrounding queue all turned to look, their gazes filled with curiosity.

Wan Zhongshan straightened his robes and followed the guiding Disciple into the hall.

Immortal Qing Li was sitting in the main seat.

She was flipping through the declarations of surrender submitted by various parties.

He stepped forward and bowed deeply:

"Wan Zhongshan, Grand Elder of the Wanxiang Divine Palace, pays respects to High Immortal Qing Li."

Immortal Qing Li looked up at him and signaled for him to continue.

Wan Zhongshan reported the situation within the Wanxiang Divine Palace in detail.

Great Emperor Wanxiang was hell-bent on opposing the Immortal Sect. His own advice had been fruitless, so he could only lead the faction willing to submit away from the Wanxiang Divine Palace to surrender.

Immortal Qing Li said indifferently:

"You have done well. From now on, you are the new Palace Master of the Wanxiang Divine Palace."

Hearing this, the massive stone that had been hanging in Wan Zhongshan's heart finally fell. He bowed again, unable to hide his excitement:

"Thank you, Elder Qingli! This subordinate is willing to lead the remaining Disciples of the Wanxiang Divine Palace to serve the Taixuan Immortal Sect for generations!"

Immortal Qing Li's tone suddenly turned cold:

"As for that Great Emperor Wanxiang, I see no reason for him to remain alive."

She stood up, already having a plan—since Great Emperor Wanxiang was determined to be the example of non-submission, she would use him to show the other forces in the Central Region exactly what the consequences of not submitting were.

Just as she was about to move, Jiang Wuji stood up, and Lu Qingshuang followed suit.

Jiang Wuji cupped his hands toward Immortal Qing Li:

"There is no need for Elder Qingli to act personally for a mere Great Emperor Wanxiang. Elder Lu and I will simply make a trip."

Lu Qingshuang nodded slightly: "It's a good chance to stretch my limbs."

Immortal Qing Li glanced at the two and smiled: "Fine, then you two go."

Wan Zhongshan, who was nearby, hurriedly stepped forward and bowed:

"I am willing to lead the way for the two Fellow Daoists!"

Jiang Wuji patted his shoulder and said, "Lead the way."

The three of them left the main hall, their figures flickering and vanishing into the horizon.

(The intention of these chapters was to write small side plots for other forces. If you feel it's dragging the pace, we'll move through them quickly.)