The Totem Dragon Clanâs Clan Chief felt a strong urge to smash the face of the Seven Realms Sacred Mansionâs Mansion Master into meat paste, but he didnât do so. He didnât even lose his temper. Instead, he pushed his rage deep down.
With a voice as controlled as possible, he replied, âAre you suggesting that our clan serve the Seven Realms Sacred Mansion?â
âYou can say so,â the Seven Realms Sacred Mansionâs Mansion Master replied candidly.
âWhat if I disagree?â the Totem Dragon Clanâs Clan Chief asked.
âCalm down, Totem Dragon Clanâs Clan Chief. We have known each other for many years, and we have the closest ties among the major powerhouses. I wouldnât do anything even if you turned me down. Itâs just that⦠I wouldnât have any reason to intervene if other powers make a move. You should be aware of whatâs going on. A fight is inevitable, and not everyone is privileged to come under our Seven Realms Sacred Mansionâs protection.
âGive it some thought. Is your clanâs reputation as a galaxy overlord more important than its survival? Besides, your Totem Dragon Clan will still be managing the Totem Galaxy even after our Seven Realms Sacred Mansion unites the world of cultivation. You have nothing to lose.
âI know that it might be hard for you to take this in the heat of a moment, but Iâd like to clarify that this isnât a threat. I am offering you a helping hand here. This is a benefit I am offering to you out of goodwill. Give it some thought. Feel free to contact me when you have made up your mind. However, I advise you to do it as soon as possible. It might be too late once other powers make a move on you,â the Seven Realms Sacred Mansionâs Mansion Master said.
âYou make it sound like our Totem Dragon Clan will only benefit from coming under the Seven Realms Sacred Mansionâs wing. You should try saying the same words to the Immortal Sea Fish Clan, Divine Body Heavenly Mansion, and the Heavenly Dome Immortal Sect. Youâd be able to conquer the entire world of cultivation without resorting to war then!â
The words of the Totem Dragon Clanâs Clan Chief were dripping with sarcasm even though he didnât lose his temper.
âHahaha!â
The Seven Realms Sacred Mansionâs Mansion Master burst into hearty laughter, though his laughter sounded a little awkward. He might have thought that he had gone overboard too.
He opened up his palm and revealed an iridescent stone that seemed to harness seven different powers.
Weng!
Spirit power flowed from the palm of the Seven Realms Sacred Mansionâs Mansion Master into the stone and swiftly manifested into a formation.
He then turned to the Totem Dragon Clanâs Clan Chief and said, âI concede that I have slipped up on the assimilation formation, and I am deeply apologetic for that. However, the avatar armor your juniors have obtained from the assimilation formation is indeed beneficial to their bloodline. Have Chengyu, Muxi, and the others cultivate inside this formation. Itâll aid them in assimilating that avatar armor into their bloodline. This is my compensation to you.â
The Seven Realms Sacred Mansionâs Mansion Master proceeded to pass the formation to the Totem Dragon Clanâs Clan Chief. The latter didnât accept it right away, so the Seven Realms Sacred Mansionâs Mansion Master stuffed it into the latterâs hands.
âBrother Long, you are only slightly younger than me. We have conquered many ancient remnants together, which makes us comrades who have braved life and death together. But think about itâwhen have we fought for ourselves? It has always been for our clans.
âI know that youâre displeased by my earlier words, but I donât always have the ultimate say in the Seven Realms Sacred Mansion. I can at least promise you that I wonât make things difficult for you even if you turn down my offer. Weâll be the same as before. Unless your Totem Dragon Clan wages war on my Seven Realms Sacred Mansion, weâll never raise our blades against you. However⦠I canât say the same for the other powers.
âI advise you to carefully think through it. If you work out the pros and cons, you should see that my offer is truly beneficial for your Totem Dragon Clan,â the Seven Realms Sacred Mansionâs Mansion Master spoke with a much more amicable tone than before.
He took another look at the Totem Dragon Clanâs Clan Chief, but the latter didnât respond. In the end, he bowed and said, âIâll be taking my leave first, Totem Dragon Clanâs Clan Chief.â
He waved his sleeves, and the surroundings instantaneously disappeared.
The Totem Dragon Clanâs Clan Chief was left alone in mid-air. He stood still for a long time, his thoughts unbeknownst to others. It was a long time later before he lowered his head to look at the formation the Seven Realms Sacred Mansionâs Mansion Master had given him.
By then, his emotions had finally calmed down. He made his way back to the warship.
âFather, how was it?â
Long Chengyu, Long Xu, and the others quickly crowded over.
âCheck this formation for any detrimental energies.â The Totem Dragon Clanâs Clan Chief first tossed the formation to one of the honorary world spiritist elders before turning to Long Xu and the others. âElder Long Xu, Chengyu, and Muxi, come with me.â
He brought them over to the hall and told them everything about his discussions with the Seven Realms Sacred Mansionâs Mansion Master. He also indicated that he was inclined to think that the Seven Realms Sacred Mansionâs Mansion Master wasnât lying about the matter.
Long Chengyu, Long Xu, and the others agreed with his viewpoint. While they did harbor doubts regarding the matter, it hardly mattered at all in the larger scheme of things.
It was unlikely that the Totem Dragon Clan could defeat the Seven Realms Sacred Mansion should they wage war against them, especially since the latter had the Totem Phoenix Clan and the Blood-eyed Qilin Clan on their side.
Those two races used to be powerhouses with the strength to shake the Totem Dragon Clanâs position in the past! Their strength was not to be undermined even if they werenât as strong as before.
Even dealing with the Seven Realms Sacred Mansion by itself was a nightmare. The sheer number of known experts they had was enough to send shudders down their spine, and there were rumors abound that they were concealing their true powersâ¦
It was not without reason the Seven Realms Sacred Mansion was so widely feared in the world of cultivation. That was why the Totem Dragon Clanâs Clan Chief had held back his temper when dealing with the Seven Realms Sacred Mansionâs Mansion Master earlier on.
That being said, he refrained from telling Long Xu and the others about the Seven Realms Sacred Mansionâs intention to devour their clan. That matter was simply so shocking that he needed time to process it before communicating it to the others.
Soon, the honorary world spiritist elders knocked on the doors and entered the hall.
âLord Clan Chief, we have confirmed that there are no detrimental energies hidden in the formation. The formation was constructed with a treasure from the Seven Realms Sacred Mansion. Cultivating in the formation will help the Totem Dragon Clanâs juniors assimilate the avatar armor into their bloodline.â
âFather, the avatar armor around us can be used to enhance our bloodline?â Long Chengyu asked in excitement.
They were still cloaked in the avatar armor even though they had left the assimilation formation, but they thought that it was useless now. This was a huge disappointment to them, especially since they could sense how beneficial the avatar armor was to them. If only they could take in the avatar armor, they might be able to undergo metamorphosis.
âItâs a gift from the Seven Realms Sacred Mansion. He said that it would be beneficial to you. Gather all of the juniors and get them to cultivate in the formation,â the Totem Dragon Clanâs Clan Chief said.
The guest world spiritist elders activated the palm-sized formation in the hall, and it immediately expanded to over a thousand meters in radius.
Long Chengyu and the others stepped into the formation to cultivate, and their avatar armor began seeping into their bodies.
This left the Totem Dragon Clanâs Clan Chief even more perplexed.
Just from this formation itself, he could feel the Seven Realms Sacred Mansionâs Mansion Masterâs goodwill toward them. The latter knew that Long Chengyu and the others would benefit greatly from assimilating the avatar armor into their bloodlines, but he helped them anyway.
This made the Totem Dragon Clanâs Clan Chief a bit more inclined to believe the Seven Realms Sacred Mansionâs Mansion Master.
This formation was clearly made out of an invaluable treasure, and there was no need for the Seven Realms Sacred Mansionâs Mansion Master to go this far to help them if he intended to harm them.
â¦
Meanwhile, Chu Feng continued advancing on the path.
He was so exhausted that every step was an arduous challenge to him, but he persevered. Eventually, he arrived at the end of the path, where a brilliant spirit formation gate awaited him.