The Sims: I Open the Immortal Path for All Beings

Chapter 1506: Chapters 1454-1455: The Wager, The Bait Chapter 1506: Chapters 1454-1455: The Wager, The Bait The Southern Pole Imperial Palace had a grand scheme in preparation, a matter of such significance that it warranted the attention of all parties involved and was inevitably shrouded in secrecy.

Yet Lu Bing managed to obtain this information without much effort, simply because Pang Hong had deliberately allowed him to discover it.

“Indeed, as the elder predicted, the Jade Emperor’s treacherous heart persists,” whispered Pang Hong, a trace of severity flashing in his eyes as he spoke to Yu Zhenzi.

It was well known that over the years, although the lineage of the Jade Emperor and the Shenxiao Lineage had lost the closeness they once shared, the two remained at peace, keeping to their own affairs without interfering with each other.

Consequently, when they were ready to act this time, Pang Hong hadn’t considered the lineage of the Jade Emperor as part of the potential plans.

In his view, the current situation was satisfactory; they were not friends, yet not enemies either, needing no help from one another and causing no troubles.

However, as he held these thoughts, Yu Zhenzi interjected, cautioning him that one must always be on guard, fearing not the ten thousand possibilities but the one that materializes, as their actions this time were of paramount importance and could not afford any slip-ups.

With Pang Hong’s power growing over the years, he increasingly resembled Pei Xuanjing, dedicating more energy to cultivation, since the development of the Shenxiao Sect was thriving and required little concern on his part.

Thus, many matters of the sect fell to Yu Zhenzi and a few other elders to handle.

Pang Hong was out of touch with the current dynamics and had been negligent, but how could Yu Zhenzi and the others overlook these matters?

They were well aware that in these years, the Jade Emperor had been scheming to reclaim his authority, leading to countless conflicts with several Imperial Honors, even waging great battles in the Chaos Void.

Had it not been for the adversary’s fear of the Longevity Taoist Monarch’s presence, they might have long since dragged them into the fray, preventing the present state in which the Southern Pole Imperial Palace and the Shenxiao Lineage existed in splendid isolation, peacefully developing their power.

Yet this was merely the current state of affairs. As for the Jade Emperor, reclaiming his authority was an unwavering intent; hence, the authority held by the Southern Pole Imperial Palace could not be easily relinquished, signifying that, unless one party changed its will, direct confrontation would inevitably ensue.

If they were to be enemies and opponents, then there should be no holding back–one must strike first, smothering the threat in its cradle, denying the foe any chance to catch a breath.

This was Yu Zhenzi’s philosophy of survival; he was never one to let enemies rise and await their challenge.

Perhaps the Longevity Taoist Monarch possessed such magnanimity and breadth of spirit, unconcerned by anyone’s challenge or the threat to their existence.

But this was not Yu Zhenzi’s choice; if you were an enemy, you were to be eliminated.

As a part of the Shenxiao Sect, his every glory stemmed from the sect and from the Longevity Taoist Monarch. Since the Taoist Monarch was great and luminous, Yu Zhenzi did not mind being the darkness behind the light, cutting out all threats and rivals to safeguard the sect’s honor.

So when Pang Hong overlooked the existence of the Jade Emperor, Yu Zhenzi and the others took the initiative, highlighting the threat posed by the Jade Emperor and persuading Pang Hong to quash it.

Initially, Pang Hong was naturally reluctant to comply, even knowing that these elder uncles were loyal to the Shenxiao Lineage and posed no threat to the sect.

For if even Yu Zhenzi and others who rose with their master and the sect and owed a debt of instruction could develop rebellious hearts against the sect,

Then Pang Hong would have to contemplate what failings he had shown them, forcing them to fall to such a level of decision-making.

However, trusting their loyalty to Shen Xiao and executing their advice without doubt were two different matters.

At least to Pang Hong at that moment, having had no conflicts with the lineage of the Jade Emperor for thousands of years, it seemed unnecessary to stir up disputes; it was better to let each other live in peace.

Pang Hong considered their worries about the Jade Emperor to be unnecessary. After all, with their absolute advantage, it was already gracious not to trouble the Jade Emperor; could it be that the Jade Emperor, not satisfied from the last defeat, dared to cause them trouble and harbor malicious intentions against them?

The reason why the Jade Emperor hadn’t dared to trouble them for thousands of years was due to the intense counterattacks from the Shenxiao Lineage when the Jade Emperor had once attempted to encroach on their authority. The rebuke had left the Jade Emperor in a sorry state, losing significant advantages.

And after that instance, the Jade Emperor thoroughly recognized the power of the Shenxiao Lineage and understood that they would not tolerate him unconditionally. Thus, he remained well-behaved for thousands of years.

From Pang Hong’s perspective, considering the Jade Emperor’s nature, having endured such a lesson, the Jade Emperor would surely not fancy the idea of usurping the power from the hands of the Great Southern Pole Emperor without absolute certainty–at least not before reasserting control over the other Imperial Honors’ authority.

What they needed to do was simply to manipulate the situation by supporting selectively the Imperial Honors to maintain a balance with the Jade Emperor, thereby securing their undisturbed peace.