Chapter 469: Full Confidence

"These young people are truly impressive. Five Celestial Experts, and another five Celestial Veterans who are very close to advancing," the old woman said, her gaze sweeping across the visiting group before settling on one disciple who stood out from the rest.

She couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. In her own sect, only Aella and Barak could be considered on the same level as those five strongest individuals. It seemed the All-Magic Apex Sect had gotten quite lucky with this generation—which explained why they’d come here so arrogantly, trying to intimidate them.

Although she knew Central Elder Saoro was deliberately trying to impress her, the old woman had to admit he’d succeeded.

"I wonder how the disciples you’ve recruited this time are doing. So far, I haven’t seen a single remarkable youngster," Saoro provoked.

It was a nasty question that he thought the old woman wouldn’t be able to answer. However, she smiled calmly. "Actually, you encountered the most remarkable disciple of my sect’s new generation on your way here."

"Oh? I don’t remember seeing anyone particularly impressive." Saoro frowned.

"I’m sure you formed quite a strong impression of him. He’s that rude fellow who blocked your entrance," she revealed.

"Him? You must be joking," Saoro sneered, thinking the old woman was trying to be funny.

"His name is Priam. You’ve certainly heard that name before... Think about it for a moment," she said softly, looking at him with a peculiar expression.

Saoro’s expression changed instantly. "Priam? The kid from the Ironweald Sect? What’s going on here?"

The old woman nodded without hesitation. "Exactly. He’s a disciple of both sects."

"Hahahaha... How ridiculous!" Saoro couldn’t hold back and burst into laughter.

"Has the Heavenly Elemental Body Sect really sunk this low? Accepting a disciple from another sect? This is the most absurd and disgraceful thing I’ve ever heard in my entire life!"

He laughed without the slightest restraint, causing the Central Elders of the Heavenly Elemental Body Sect to narrow their eyes and clench their fists.

"Hmph, if he’s the most important disciple here, I could wipe them all out with a wave of my hand. Looks like we came here for nothing," one of the disciples behind him muttered.

"Shut up! Who gave you permission to be so rude and butt in?" Saoro reprimanded him, abruptly cutting off his laughter. Turning toward the old woman, he continued, "I apologize. I haven’t disciplined my disciples enough. Please don’t take offense."

Despite his reprimanding tone, there wasn’t a shred of sincerity in his words. He was clearly trying to embarrass the entire sect: first laughing openly, then pretending to be polite.

"It’s no problem. I would never stoop to arguing with a child and risk losing my dignity," the old woman replied with a generous smile.

Saoro returned her smile, but he was boiling inside.

Her provocation directly referenced the fury Priam had stirred up in him earlier, making him lose his temper and roar across the sky. However, he couldn’t afford to lose control now, as that would be far too humiliating in front of his own disciples.

Taking a deep breath, Saoro adopted an indifferent tone. "Originally, I brought my disciples to the Heavenly Elemental Body Sect so they could exchange pointers with your youngsters, helping both sides grow stronger and gain experience. But now..."

He paused deliberately, shaking his head with a sigh. The message was obvious: the Heavenly Elemental Body Sect seemed far too weak.

The old woman merely commented without giving it much importance. "That’s true. On the surface, this new generation of disciples from my sect does seem rather weak."

Saoro had laid out the bait, but the old woman hadn’t even taken a nibble, leaving him perplexed. Since when had these muscleheads become so difficult to deal with?

He snorted inwardly. That old woman was famous for being extremely cunning, in addition to possessing devastating brute strength. It was no coincidence she’d become the Sect Leader. She had far more brains than the other combat-obsessed members of her sect.

In fact, this was a recurring pattern within the Heavenly Elemental Body Sect. Women usually ended up leading the sect, and they were always the most level-headed and powerful individuals of their generation.

Moreover, the old woman’s response wasn’t genuine self-deprecation. By emphasizing the phrase "on the surface," she was sending a warning that any experienced Sage or Mage would understand: judging things by appearances alone would eventually come at a steep price.

"Even with this apparent difference in power, exchanging experience is essential. After all, it benefits the disciples on both sides," Saoro insisted, realizing his silent provocation had been rejected.

"I don’t see the need. My disciples already make plenty of progress fighting among themselves all day," the old woman replied, shaking her head resolutely.

One of the disciples sneered and was about to provoke them, but Saoro silenced him with a murderous glare.

The old woman smiled inwardly.

"Sect Leader Arla, you’re far too modest. There are many exceptional youngsters among your disciples, and fighting only against their fellow sect members doesn’t always lead to significant breakthroughs," Saoro reasoned, carefully choosing his words.

Watching everything from a distance, Priam chuckled softly. After spouting so much nonsense, that man had managed to backtrack without even changing his expression. Priam had to admit, the man’s sheer shamelessness was impressive.

In the palace, the old woman continued stringing Saoro along for several more minutes.

Whenever the subject of the confrontation came up, she skillfully dodged it, leaving her rival on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

"Sect Leader Arla! I gathered the best of my sect with the goal of exchanging pointers and improving together in harmony! Are you really not going to show me even this small courtesy?" Saoro exploded, finally losing his patience completely. They had come here to fight, not to talk.

The old woman took a sip of her tea and didn’t respond. Her silence was already an answer in itself.

Saoro spoke coldly. "We’ve traveled such a long distance with great enthusiasm to help both sides. Don’t you think you’re going too far by refusing to show me even this small measure of respect? Besides, relations between the greatest sects in the universe must always remain stable. Otherwise, we’ll bring shame upon the Sovereigns during the most important missions. I don’t think it would be good for you if news of your refusal became public."

’What an idiot.’

Priam couldn’t help finding the whole thing childish and ridiculous. This Central Elder’s scheming ability was absolutely terrible. He had neither subtlety nor cunning. He was simply a fool who, having failed to achieve his goal, threw away all his dignity in an attempt to force the other side’s hand.

"I understand your frustration. But blades and fists have no eyes. Why would I risk my disciples’ lives for nothing? I’ve never had children of my own, but as the Sect Leader, I consider every member of this sect my child."

A pleasantly surprised look appeared in Saoro’s eyes, though he quickly concealed it.

He understood the implication behind her words. He then asked softly, "Then why don’t we make a wager? That would give this confrontation a greater purpose and make the risk worthwhile. No matter how large the wager is, my sect can match it."

"Oh? Then I’ll put the Spirit Stone Planet on the table. What do you think?" the old woman replied bluntly.

Saoro was stunned. That was one of the most valuable planets in the region, located just beyond the border between the western and northern regions. The All-Magic Apex Sect desperately wanted that territory.

Saoro quickly concluded that the old woman was trying to intimidate him. Thus, he declared, "It’s just a planet. It’s nothing to my sect. However, we don’t have any comparable planets available at the moment, so I’ll wager the Immortal Yin Lake Planet instead. Your sect doesn’t have many women who could make use of it, but it’s definitely no less valuable."

"The value is practically the same, but don’t you think this puts my sect at a serious disadvantage?" the old woman asked.

"What do you mean?"

She replied calmly, "We only have two Celestial Experts, while you brought five with you. Isn’t that a little unreasonable?"

Saoro immediately understood what she was getting at: she wanted him to raise the stakes.

"So you want..." He deliberately avoided making any definite statements at first, leaving himself room to maneuver.

"It’s very simple. This wager puts my sect at a disadvantage. Therefore, in addition to your Immortal Yin Lake Planet, I also want you to wager the Medicine Spirit Planet, the Yang Smelting Planet, the Flower Elemental Spirit Planet..."

The old woman listed more than ten valuable locations in one go, causing Saoro’s expression to darken immediately. He shouted furiously, "That’s completely unfair!"

Those locations were among the most prosperous and profitable territories belonging to his sect! Hearing the old woman list them all at once made Saoro feel as though he was being made a fool of.

"My disciples are at a disadvantage, so this challenge is fundamentally unfair," the old woman declared stubbornly, taking another sip of tea.

"I see," Saoro said coldly.

He thought he’d figured out her game. The old woman was deliberately making absurd demands to intimidate him and force the challenge to be canceled.

In his mind, this proved that the old woman had no hope of winning whatsoever—which was why she’d thrown so many stakes onto the table.

Under this proposal, the All-Magic Apex Sect would be wagering several times more than the Heavenly Elemental Body Sect. This infuriated Saoro, as he believed it was nothing more than a cowardly excuse.

"Since you believe this is the only way to make things fair, then we’ll proceed according to your conditions. My All-Magic Apex Sect is thriving, and we don’t care about such insignificant assets. This is merely to make things more exciting. If it makes you happy, my All-Magic Apex Sect will play along!" Saoro declared pompously.

A trace of shock appeared in the old woman’s eyes, but it quickly vanished. "Central Elder Saoro, think this through carefully. This isn’t a game."

The trace of panic in the usually calm old woman’s eyes didn’t escape Saoro’s notice. It further confirmed his suspicions, and he sneered inwardly.

"Of course I’ve thought it through. My Sect Leader personally gave me his creation essence mark, allowing me to act on his behalf. Sect Leader Arla, you’re not going to go back on your word, are you?" he asked with a sinister smile.

The old woman snorted coldly and waved her hand. A rune condensed in the air as she stared at Saoro with an icy gaze.

Saoro looked at the old woman and, with a mocking smile, took out another rune. The mark merged with hers, and both disappeared into thin air.

It was a spiritual contract bound by the laws of the world and sealed with the Sages’ creation essence.

Anyone who violated the agreement would be punished by the karma of the world’s laws—the worst curse imaginable. The consequences wouldn’t fall solely upon the Sage who had made the wager; their entire sect would also be implicated in the breach of the pact.

Neither side would dare violate it, as the outcome would determine the rise or fall of their respective sects.

After the contract was finalized, the old woman’s expression remained as calm as it had been at the beginning.

There was neither visible joy nor concern on her face, yet for some unknown reason, Saoro felt a slight chill of unease. However, the contract had been sealed, and there was no turning back now.

Besides, he had full confidence in his disciples. He was convinced they would win—and once that happened, the Heavenly Elemental Body Sect would suffer a devastating blow.

"All disciples of the central and inner sects, gather at the battle arena!" the old woman’s voice echoed across the entire planet.

"Oh, it’s time to get to work."

Priam stood up and brushed the dust off his clothes. He left the room and immediately appeared in the arena, which was already filling with disciples within moments.