Chapter 599 - 256: Coercion

Chapter 599: Chapter 256: Coercion

"Sect Leader Shadowless, why the rush? My Sect has never said we would forbid our peers from exploring the Grotto Heaven together. But within the Grotto Heaven, the Rules are vastly different, and it is filled with a great number of Demons. The dangers are immense. Exploring it together is fine, of course, but in such a treacherous place, if the disciples of each Sect were to fight on their own, wouldn’t they be completely disorganized? Not only would we fail to uncover the truth, but we would also suffer heavy casualties... Someone must take the lead. Only then can we coordinate the strengths of every Sect and get to the bottom of this."

On the Golden Rainbow Sword Sect’s Cloud Boat, a handsome, middle-aged man with a calm gaze spoke.

"Oh? Take the lead? Coordinate?"

Ji Wuying’s voice remained level. "Sect Leader Yan, when you say ’take the lead,’ do you mean your Golden Rainbow Sword Sect will be giving the orders and commanding the disciples of the Nine Sects? We are all well aware of the dangers within the Grotto Heaven. But it is precisely because of these dangers that we must pool our wisdom and allow each Sect to leverage its unique strengths."

"Your Golden Rainbow Sword Sect is certainly exceptional in the way of the sword, but when it comes to Array deduction, breaking restrictive formations, identifying Exotic Species, or even... methods of survival in certain special environments, can you claim to be superior to every other Sect present? I fear that a forced unification, rather than combining our strengths, would only become a hindrance."

His gaze slowly swept across the other Cloud Boats, pausing for a moment on those of the Bi Luo Cloud Palace, the Fuling Hidden Dragon Hall, and the recently arrived Heavenly Gang Wuji Sect.

"In my opinion, since our goals are aligned—to investigate the Grotto Heaven, eliminate the Demon infestation... and to search for possible traces of the Three Religions and the legacy of the Seventh Realm—then we should be open and honest with each other."

"Why don’t we share all known intelligence on the Grotto Heaven and then agree on a plan of action that all parties find acceptable? For example, each Sect could dispatch a team of elite disciples. They would operate independently but cooperate with one another, agreeing on communication methods and distress signals, dividing up general directions for exploration, and periodically sharing information... This way, we can avoid unnecessary conflict while maximizing the advantages of each Sect. As for ’taking the lead’... hehe, inside a place like the Grotto Heaven, with its lurking dangers and rapid changes, it’s really not necessary."

Yan Wufeng’s expression darkened. An Elder beside him, who seemed to have a fiery temper, couldn’t help but step forward, a flicker of Sword Aura in his eyes as he spoke.

"Sect Leader Ji, you can’t put it that way. This Grotto Heaven appeared within our Jinlan Prefecture. The Golden Rainbow Sword Sect was the first to discover it, the first to defend against it, and the first to explore it. Our disciples have already paid for it with their lives... By all rights, this exploration should be guided by our Sect’s decisions. Aren’t your words an attempt to erase all of our Sect’s prior contributions and sacrifices?"

"The contributions are naturally remembered, and the sacrifices are indeed heartbreaking."

A gentle voice spoke up, coming from another Cloud Boat adorned with patterns of blue-green waves and clouds.

The voice of a middle-aged man, calm and composed, said, "However, exploring the Grotto Heaven is not about rewarding merit; it is about addressing a hidden danger that could threaten all of Great Yu. We are grateful for your Sect’s contributions, and for that very reason, we should not let you bear this risk alone. Pooling the strength of the Nine Sects is the safest course. As for the specific plan... Sect Leader Ji’s proposal to divide areas, explore cooperatively, and share information will prevent chaos while respecting the strengths of each Sect... This method is excellent."

Clearly, this was someone from the Fuling Hidden Dragon Hall.

The members of the Golden Rainbow Sword Sect fell silent.

The Shadowless Sect was aggressive, while the Fuling Hidden Dragon Hall’s words were soft but piercing...

The other Sects had not explicitly stated their positions.

...But their silence was an attitude in itself.

Yan Wufeng’s eyes flickered, his handsome face showing a hint of anger that he forcibly suppressed.

Just then, Qin Fang suddenly noticed the faint aura of surging True Gang beside him.

A thought struck him. He turned his head and saw Master Xuan Qiong’s lips moving slightly, but no sound came out.

Realizing something, he looked over at the Golden Rainbow Sword Sect’s Cloud Boat and saw, as expected, a subtle shift in Yan Wufeng’s expression.

But after a moment, there was only silence again.

’Is Master trying to persuade him?’

A glint flashed in Qin Fang’s eyes.

’The situation is very clear now.’

’Everyone wants to explore the secrets of the Grotto Heaven, especially since it relates to the Seventh Realm.’

’But the Golden Rainbow Sword Sect isn’t willing to just hand over an opportunity that’s fallen into their lap.’

’But how could the other Great Powers, who are stuck at the Sixth Realm, possibly give up so easily?’

’The Shadowless Sect and Fuling Hidden Dragon Hall were the ones to stick their necks out.’

’But in reality, the other Sects... including my own Heavenly Gang Wuji Sect, are probably happy to see it happen.’

’The Golden Rainbow Sword Sect probably knows this all too well.’

’However...’

’Forcing their hand now is one thing.’

’But what happens after the decision is made and the Grotto Heaven has been explored... that’s another matter entirely.’

’If the opportunities found are ordinary, then it’ll be fine.’

’But if someone really obtains a great opportunity that could help them reach the Seventh Realm...’

’...then a conflict will likely be unavoidable.’

’Right now, the Shadowless Sect and Fuling Hidden Dragon Hall have clearly reached some sort of tacit understanding.’

’Although the other Sects haven’t spoken up, they must be making moves in secret.’

’The Heavenly Gang Wuji Sect and the Golden Rainbow Sword Sect are neighbors. They formed an offensive and defensive alliance long ago to deal with the Three Religions.’

’...Forming another alliance now...’

’...seems plausible, doesn’t it?’

Qin Fang’s eyes narrowed slightly, and his heart sank a little.

’...It seems that after this is all over...’

「At that moment.」

"Sect Leader Yan, we have all wasted several days here on this matter. Everyone’s time is precious. Who knows what trouble the Three Religions might have stirred up while we’ve been deliberating... Please, make a decision soon."

Ji Wuying spoke in a low voice, a note of impatience now clear in his tone.

All eyes turned to the Golden Rainbow Sword Sect.

After a long time, Yan Wufeng’s cold voice finally rang out, "Fine. Since you all insist, so be it. Each Sect will select an elite team to enter the Grotto Heaven. Decide your own numbers and your own leaders. Let’s not even talk about ’cooperative exploration.’ We’ll all just fight for ourselves."