Everyone present held their smiles, seemingly unmoved by Pei Xuanjing's words, quietly waiting for him to continue.
However, after listening to what Pei Xuanjing had to say next, their nonchalant expressions changed.
"All of you must have heard something about the past of the Shenxiao Sect and may have speculated," Pei Xuanjing surveyed the crowd gravely, "Today, I can tell you that those speculations are true!"
Murmurs of shock!
Of the remaining fourteen present, everyone, except for a few from the Taoist School, Zhu Yousong, the Prince of Xiang who still represents the Great Ming imperial court, Zi Tianxiong, and Tie Qianshan, looked visibly surprised with incredulous expressions directed towards Pei Xuanjing.
Those from the Taoist School, as well as Bai Xiaosheng and Zhu Yousong, had already understood what Pei Xuanjing was referring to and remained unmoved.
However, both Zi Tianxiong and Tie Qianshan had expressions of surprise flash across their faces. They were clueless about what Pei Xuanjing was talking about that had stunned the others in such a way.
This was the gap in the depth of their understanding. Even though Zi Tianxiong and Tie Qianshan were extremely powerful, they had recently risen to prominence and were not well-informed about certain things.
Anymore, the strategy planned by the Shenxiao Sect back then was highly confidential. Even the longstanding family factions, the Buddhism School, the Demonic Cult, could only speculate what it was about in the absence of any concrete evidence.
So, now they were somewhat curious. What could it be that was causing such shock and awe among everyone present?
"Pei, you better not be joking."
Even the usually calm and composed Zhao Baiyang seemed a bit shocked at this point and asked solemnly.
"Are you willing to believe it, or do you think I am joking?" Pei Xuanjing responded calmly.
Zhao Baiyang remained silent.
How could he possibly hope that these matters were untrue?
"What is this matter, Zhao?" Tie Qianshan asked.
He had already agreed to collaborate with Zhao Baiyang. Although he hadn't officially joined the Outlander Alliance yet, they were already strategic partners.
Zi Tianxiong also turned his gaze toward Zhao Baiyang. Both of them had a mutual understanding, even if they hadn't collaborated before, but under the current circumstances, they could consider a temporary alliance.
Zhao Baiyang remained silent and before he could answer, Xue Wuheng chimed in, "Have the two of you ever heard of the 'Divine Dynasty on Earth'?"
"Hm?" Tie Qianshan and Zi Tianxiong looked at each other, becoming even more puzzled.
Seeing this, Xue Wuheng had no choice but to explain, "The Divine Dynasty on Earth refers to a plan initiated by the founder of Shenxiao Sect, Jinmen's Feather Guest. In simple terms, it's about utilizing the Qi Luck of the empire to establish a Godly Dynasty on Earth. Not only will it greatly increase one's strength, but the most important thing is that it can lead to Immortality."
Immortality!
Tie Qianshan and Zi Tianxiong were shocked at hearing this. They couldn't believe such a thing existed since they had never heard of it before.
Pei Xuanjing interrupted Xue Wuheng with a laugh, "Master Xue is slightly exaggerating. It's just about being granted the Divine Position, so cultivators can enjoy a longer lifespan. It is certainly not literal Immortality. After all, the notion of Immortality is too vague. Even during the prosperous Tang Dynasty, the countless powerful beings were never able to achieve Immortality, so how could the Divine Dynasty Plan accomplish this?"
"We always thought that the Divine Dynasty on Earth was merely a rumor. Who would have thought…" an old member of the Pei Family sighed.
"Indeed, even extending one's lifespan is a rather lofty goal. After all, even the first-grade practitioners can't enter the Spirit Realm and their lifespan does not exceed four cycles of 60 years," an old member of the Li Family said.
Wu Xiang of the North Zen Sect also couldn't help but speak up, "Grandmaster Pei, did you invite us here today for the matter of the Divine Dynasty on Earth?"
"Yes," Pei Xuanjing nodded, "Now that Heaven and Earth are revived, the chains are gone, and everyone is free to pursue Cultivation. This should be something worth celebrating, yet Immortality remains elusive. Countless heroes from ancient times till now have striven and suffered in the pursuit of Immortality but failed. Today, I invited everyone to discuss the possibility of joining this plan for the pursuit of shared Immortality."
Shared pursuit of Immortality!
Such grand claims had everyone present shaking in anticipation, even the Blood Demon Sect's Blood Slaughter Sovereign who wasn't particularly fond of Pei Xuanjing couldn't help but be moved.
Immortality is hard to achieve, countless heroes throughout history have fallen in the pursuit of this tantalizing goal.
Now that Pei Xuanjing was willing to candidly discuss this plan with them, it was undoubtedly a shocking revelation.
"However, Immortality is difficult to achieve. Do you have any evidence to support this, Grandmaster Pei?" Zi Tianxiong inquired.
The matter that Pei Xuanjing had just mentioned was too grand, even the well-experienced Zi Tianxiong was stunned.
But as the founder of Heavenly King's Pavilion, he was not so easily influenced. He wanted to see some evidence, he didn¹t just want to take someone's word for it!"
Hearing his question, everyone else didn't speak up but turned their attention to Pei Xuanjing.
Indeed, they couldn't just take his word for it.
Under the intense scrutiny of the crowd, Pei Xuanjing chuckled softly, shaking his head, "No."
No!
The initially fervent gaze of the crowd seemed to dim. They felt a bit disgruntled, thinking that Pei Xuanjing was playing tricks on them.
Taoist Qingxu raised his eyebrows as though he wanted to say something.
He was stopped by Bai Xiaosheng who shook his head at Qingxu, signaling him to be patient.
Taoist Qingxu couldn't understand why. During the removal of Heaven and Earth's seal on Taihe Mountain, the two elders of Zhenwu Sect had their chance to be consecrated as gods, which was an irrefutable piece of evidence. Revealing that would certainly convince the crowd. He wondered why these two weren't volunteering that information.
However, since neither of them were willing to disclose anything, he had no choice but to keep that information to himself for the time being.
The old celestial master, who was in on the secret, didn't say anything and just kept a mysterious smile on his face.
Zi Tianxiong was silently assessing the situation: One would assume that if someone proposed such a plan, they would have considered this situation. But when he voiced his doubts, Pei Xuanjing was not able to provide any evidence.
Could it be that he was lying?
But that just wouldn't make any sense!
Others also seemed to think along these lines, unable to understand.
Despite the suspicion in their eyes, Pei Xuanjing remained unbothered and unhurried.
"As for this plan, I don't have any evidence, so whether you want to join this initiative or not is entirely up to all of you. If you are not willing, I won't force it," Pei Xuanjing said, scanning everyone with a nonchalant gaze.
Even though he had decided to give up a part of the profits to gain their cooperation, he was not without bottom lines, nor was he going to demean himself by begging.
Sometimes, when you give something away for free, people may not care about or value it. Only when they've expended resources for it, will they not discard it lightly.
Restarting the enfeoffment!
Although this proposal may seem like regression to many and has led to numerous debates, it has ultimately been approved.
Moreover, the Divine Dynasty's plans for the Earth have already been discussed among a small circle within the imperial court. At least the elder statesmen are well aware of this and understand the true motive of the upcoming military expedition.
Therefore, for the success of the Divine Dynasty on Earth and for their own longevity, they have chosen to compromise and agree to this proposal.
After all, it is said that every brave warrior require an appropriate reward.
For centuries of peace, if you want to motivate soldiers to risk their lives, you need to offer something substantial.
They believe it's worth it.
Of course, these individuals also harbor hopes that after the Divine Dynasty becomes more powerful, there may be opportunities to recapture what has been given up.
After all, in the illustrious annals of history, the act of granting and then rescinding landholdings is not unprecedented. It's no big deal. This is just a temporary compromise.
Some of the astute individuals present also considered this point, but they were not concerned about it.
Who knows what the future holds?
As long as you possess both form and substance, everything can be preserved.
The case of Grandmaster Pei retrieving Shenxiao Sect from the Great Ming court is a living example of this.
"So…" Zi Tianxiong quietly contemplated.
He was forced to admit that he was intrigued by this plan.
Because regardless of what others may think, for him, possessing a manor outside the border would be purely advantageous.
He worked his way up from nothing to establish the foundation of the Heavenly King's Pavilion and originally considered his power to be on par with the top forces in the world. The only difference was heritage.
Yet who could have imagined that after the resurrection of heaven and earth, despite using this opportunity to further enhance the power of the Heavenly King's Pavilion, the gap between it and these top alliances actually grew larger instead of narrowing.
What was even more awkward was that after years of development, the Heavenly King's Pavilion had reached a bottleneck. After the smaller and medium-sized forces around him submitted, the Heavenly King's Pavilion began to border the top forces.
At this moment, the Heavenly King's Pavilion has temporarily fallen into a dilemma. All of the forces around him are top-tier entities and regardless of which direction he chooses to expand, there would inevitably be friction with these huge forces.
If this had taken place prior to the revival of Heaven and Earth, he would naturally not fear it. However, now, these top forces joining hands has made him exceptionally wary.
But if he could use this opportunity to break free from the confines and establish a based outside the border, it would undoubtedly be a massive leap for the Heavenly King's Pavilion.
Not only Zi Tianxiong, but Zhao Baiyang is also interested in this.
As the initiator of the joint assassination of the Emperor by all parties in Tiandu, although he succeeded afterwards, the power of the Mire Sect undoubtedly suffered a severe blow. Countless strongholds were removed, causing huge losses to him.
Furthermore, through this experience, he recognized an issue. To truly implement his plans, he must either have a power that rivals Pei Xuanjing's, capable of suppressing the entire world, or have the capability to resist the Great Ming court on his own. Otherwise, all his plans are but empty talk, and replacing one emperor has absolutely no meaning whatsoever.
Moreover, with the current collaboration between the Taoist School and the Great Ming court, they will certainly not allow him to continue to be disruptive in the Central Plains. If he insists on his own way, he will inevitably face the Taoist School's strike.
"However, if I can take advantage of this opportunity to infiltrate the areas outside the border, then while the newly opened territory is not yet fully controlled by the Great Ming, if I seize it, it might be a great opportunity for me," Zhao Baiyang calculated in his heart.
In conclusion, when this plan was proposed, everyone present began to calculate what they need to give and what they can gain from the upcoming expedition.
No one refused, because according to everyone, it's a foregone conclusion.
The original Great Ming court had absolute overwhelming power against the remnants of the Former Yuan outside the borders. It was just because some people believed that the bitterly cold land beyond the borders wasn't worth occupying!
Now that those lands are valuable, all objections have vanished.
With the support of the millions of troops from the Great Ming court, combined with the assistance of their own respective forces, it's almost certain that the campaign will be victorious.
"If any of you have any questions regarding this, feel free to ask. I will not withhold anything," Zhu Yousong said with a smile.
Having personally visited the two enshrined deities at Taihe Mountain, he had no remaining doubts about the establishment of the Divine Dynasty on Earth.
As a protector of the Great Ming royal family, he naturally wishes to see the Great Ming empire last forever. To achieve this goal, giving up a few things is a small price to pay.
He believes that regardless of the royal family member, none would have the slightest hesitation.
"Can I inquire who the commander of this war will be?"
A incompetent commander can lead to the downfall of an entire army. Even with a war that looks certain to win, if led by a foolish commander, it could easily turn into a defeat.
Many of those present pondered this point: after all, there exists such live examples in the Great Ming. Everyone hopes not to repeat the failures of the past. If a disaster like Tumu Fortress happens again, there will be a lot to deal with.
Although these people did not explicitly express it, how could Zhu Yousong not guess their thoughts? Such questions made his expression slightly stiff. Although it was a blunder committed by his ancestor, he still felt it was disgraceful, but he couldn't voice it out.
Managing his expression, he responded, "The commander of this expedition will be Wang Boan, who quelled the rebellion of the Ning King. I trust this should put all your minds at ease."
After Emperor Jiajing ascended to the throne and confirmed the intention to attack territories outside the borders, he naturally wouldn't ignore a military expert like Wang Boan.
How he was able to pacify the rebellion of the Ning King, with merely tens of thousands of soldiers against the hundreds of thousands of Ning King's troops in a short amount of time, demonstrated his outstanding military capabilities. Clearly, such talent could not be wasted.
Although initially, the former emperor, out of jealousy, treated Wang Boan indifferently for stealing his limelight, offered no rewards for his massive contributions, and even forced him to resign, Wang Boan was somewhat left with a sense of disappointment.
But ultimately, those who read the 'Sage Book' understand principles, and Emperor Jiajing now is not the previous emperor, so after showering Wang Boan with rewards and honors, Wang Boan accepted the position and once again entered the court as an official.
Although it hasn't been announced yet, everyone knows that the commander of this expedition must be Wang Boan.
"If that's the case, then the matter is as good as settled!"
With the credentails of pacifying the rebellion of the Ning King, no one can question Wang Boan's military prowess. Some even believe that Wang Boan is the number one commander of today, on par with the commanders of the founding era.
Therefore, since Wang Boan is the commander for the expedition, no one would have any objections.
Upon hearing this name, Pei Xuanjing wasn't surprised, but he transmitted a message to Bai Xiaosheng: "Do you think he's broken through the Spirit Realm?"
Though he never clashed with Wang Bo'an in the first-grade realm, Pei Xuanjing could feel that the latter's strength was formidable.
Bai Xiaosheng responded, "Hard to say. Wang Bo'an has always been training soldiers alongside Minister Wang Qiong of the War Department and hasn't had the time for seclusion. Logically, he shouldn't have the opportunity to make a breakthrough. But…"
However, Wang Bo'an was initially thought by everyone to be merely a scholar who was engrossed in officialdom. No one anticipated his outstanding power.
If it weren't for Ning King's rebellion and Wang Bo'an's successful defense against the assassins sent by the dark forces, nobody would be aware of his true strength.
Therefore, even Bai Xiaosheng had doubts at the moment and wasn't so sure anymore.
He noted it for now and then heard someone inquire.
"How should we distribute the captured spoils?"
Pei Xuanjing responded with a smile, "I wonder, how does Sect Leader Tie think it should be distributed?"
Tie Qianshan did not bother being polite and said, "Naturally, whoever gets it, keeps it."
Before Pei Xuanjing could say anything, Qingxu, a Taoist standing nearby, asked: "What if someone harms their own people?"
No one could ensure that such things wouldn't happen. There were deep-seated grievances amongst those present and it was already quite difficult for them to cooperate as is.
If profits were to entice someone, it wouldn't be impossible for the recklessly ambitious to risk everything.
With a serious expression, Pei Xuanjing said resolutely, "If someone harms their own in secret and it's confirmed, they will be executed on the spot!"
At this moment, Pei Xuanjing didn't ask for anyone's opinion and expressed his decision directly.
None present opposed Pei Xuanjing's demand. After all, it was only fair. They all understood how fragile the alliance between them was. If they ended up turning against each other, it would be utterly embarrassing.
In the end, they decided to jointly send their elites to form a law enforcement team. Anyone who broke the rules would either be captured if the offense was minor or killed on the spot if it was serious.
Today, at the rear mountain of Shenxiao, these fifteen Spirit Realm powerhouses had settled the matter and gained a unified consciousness and purpose. Next, they would have to inform the remaining forces.
The world ultimately respected strength. No matter what status they held before Heaven and Earth's revival, if they hadn't produced a Spirit Realm powerhouse by the time Heaven and Earth revived, they would all be left one step behind.
For those forces without a Spirit Realm powerhouse, they had no say in such decisions. They could only passively accept or reject.
However, if they were to reject the decision made by these forces, they would probably be seen as deviating from the mainstream of the world.
Zi Tianxiong and Tie Qianshan looked at each other, feeling relieved. If they hadn't taken the opportunity to make a breakthrough, they might have wound up just like those other forces, left waiting for decisions without the right to express their opinions or access such secrets.
The two were clear that sometimes a single step could result in a chain reaction. These forces without a Spirit Realm powerhouse might be completely left behind by them if no powerhouse emerged in the future.
Just when everyone thought the day's proceedings were over, Zhao Baiyang suddenly spoke up:
"Now that the official business is done, there's something else I'd like to discuss with Brother Pei."
Raising an eyebrow, Pei Xuanjing wondered what he had planned: "You may speak."
Zhao Baiyang stood up and laughed: "The last time I traded blows with Brother Pei benefitted me greatly. Now that I've broken through to the Spirit Realm, Brother Pei's strength must have increased by another notch. As these discussions have been called by Brother Pei today, I'd like to take advantage of this opportunity to learn from you and see how much I still need to grow to match the world's strongest."
Zhao Baiyang wants to challenge Pei Xuanjing!
Everyone present was immediately struck with this idea.
No matter how courteous or humble Zhao Baiyang's words were, his intention to challenge Pei Xuanjing could not be disguised.
Their eyes flickered, their expressions varied, each of them keeping their thoughts to themselves.
Even Tie Qianshan couldn't help but wonder. He had previously asked Zhao Baiyang if he had any assurance of defeating Pei Xuanjing, to which Zhao Baiyang had said no.
If not, why would he choose to challenge Pei Xuanjing on this day, without even notifying his ally of his decision?
"Would Brother Pei be willing to oblige!" Zhao Baiyang smiled while looking at Pei Xuanjing, his eyes not showing any signs of retreating or avoiding.
Indeed, he wasn't on the same level as Pei Xuanjing, a fact he didn't deny.
But Zhao Baiyang still chose to challenge him. He wanted to see exactly how strong the current Pei Xuanjing was, and to have a clear awareness of the gap between them.
In his heart, he had already considered the other as his greatest opponent and friend on his cultivation path.
He wanted to see just how much of a gap there was between himself and this friend.
Zhao Baiyang wasn't afraid of powerful opponents, only his own fear. He was afraid of losing his relentless spirit of Dao-seeking amidst hardships.
"Sure!"
Pei Xuanjing's gaze met Zhao Baiyang's, and he instantly understood the latter's thoughts.
At this moment, Zhao Baiyang was not the leader of the Mire Sect or the leader of the heterodox alliance. He had no titles, just a simple Tao-seeker.
Pei Xuanjing had initially thought that Zhao Baiyang's heart was filled with ambition and scheming already. But he didn't expect to see such a pure Dao-heart in him.
At this moment, he felt that calling Zhao Baiyang a Taoist friend was appropriate.
"Taoist friend, please!" Pei Xuanjing stood up, one hand behind his back and the other gesturing a welcome.
"Hahaha, Brother Pei, you're too kind." Joy appeared on Zhao Baiyang's face, with no intention of hiding it: "Please!"
He could sense a change in Pei Xuanjing's attitude towards him. Although he didn't know why, he knew that Pei Xuanjing saw him as a competitor and friend at that moment.
Seeing that the two had reconciled, the rest naturally had no objections.
Even a few of them had eager expressions. After all, they had rarely had the chance to spar with others since their break through to the Spirit Realm. Now, having a chance to practice with the world's number one, how could they not feel joy?
Pei Xuanjing gave a light smile and stepped out into the void, reaching several miles away in the blink of an eye.
Spirit Realm powerhouses can borrow the power of Heaven and Earth, so crossing the void isn't much. But such a carefree action made the heroes present deeply shocked.
Many of them could not match Pei Xuanjing's move alone.
Zhao Baiyang laughed and stomped his feet. A tumultuous flow of air swirled up from his feet, heading directly for the sky, and towards Pei Xuanjing.