Chapter 192: A Message from the Imperial Extreme Heavenly Palace
Promptly, all attendees took their seats within the grandeur of the Holy Land Grand Hall.
Without beating around the bush, Ji Mingxiu directly sought Jiang Chen's viewpoint on exploiting the Nether Qi Extraction Secrets for gaining advantages from the other two Holy Land-tier factions, and whether they should ask for the corpses of the demonic beasts.
In response, Jiang Chen proposed consulting the two great powerhouses at the Void Tribulation realm before making a decision.
Utilizing the Nether Qi Extraction Secrets to aid the people of Purple Heaven Holy Land could, in some ways, be seen as a charitable deed.
Given the personalities of Nangong Wan and Shangguan Ning, this approach seemed fitting.
However, using it to extract benefits would only serve Jiang Chen's interests.
Taking the lead in this matter felt somewhat unseemly.
This was a crucial time to earn the trust of Nangong Wan and Shangguan Ning, and Jiang Chen wasn't going to take it lightly.
Upon hearing Jiang Chen's careful reply, Ji Mingxiu and the rest nodded in understanding.
In their perspective, engaging with the two great powerhouses at the Void Tribulation realm called for the highest level of discretion, irrespective of how minor the issue!
Shortly thereafter, the meeting addressed the two formidable powers, the Jade Lake Heavenly Temple and the Imperial Extreme Heavenly Palace, along with some nearby forces that warranted surveillance.
This was part of laying the groundwork for Jiang Chen, the prospective new Holy Lord.
As moments gradually passed, the upper echelon meeting of the Purple Heaven Holy Land was approaching its end.
But at that moment, Ji Mingxiu received a communication from the Imperial Extreme Heavenly Palace.
Sweeping it with his divine sense, his gaze subtly altered.
"Holy Lord?"
The countenances of Mo Yu and the rest progressively hardened.
'A significant development might be underway!'
Jiang Chen's eyes slightly constricted, thinking to himself, 'Just as predicted, the demonic beast tide is merely a prologue; the main spectacle is yet to unfold!'
"The message is from the Imperial Extreme Heavenly Palace."
"Dong Yuanzheng suspects that the massive surge of the Nether Demon Spiritual Qi is peculiar and potentially conceals even graver threats."
"Hence, they wish to invite the high-ranking members of our Purple Heaven Holy Land to convene and investigate the source of this anomaly."
"They've already reached out to the Jade Lake Heavenly Temple, who have given their consent."
"..."
Ji Mingxiu announced slowly as he stored the transmission jade token.
"The venerable palace lord of the Imperial Extreme Heavenly Palace, Dong Yuanzheng?"
Mo Yu mused, "Indeed, he is a man of profound vision, and his concerns hold weight."
The Purple Heaven Holy Land, the Imperial Extreme Heavenly Palace, and the Jade Lake Heavenly Temple together maintained a tripartite equilibrium, inherently interwoven, and naturally, they experienced friction amongst themselves.
"Given that the Jade Lake Heavenly Temple has given their assent."
"We, representing the Purple Heaven Holy Land, should also venture forth."
Sha An concurred, "If we can unravel the cause of this demonic beast tide, we might, to a certain degree, put an end to this calamity once and for all."
Upon hearing this, Si Zhangjian, Yao Zong, along with Xie Zhen, Liu Xiong, and other Dao Comprehension elders, exhibited slight nods of agreement.
However, Jiang Chen was plunged into deep contemplation.
'A gathering?'
"Your words do hold merit."
"But please pardon my frankness, this demonic beast tide is already an anomaly, so it seems plausible that the Imperial Extreme Heavenly Palace is treating it with increased seriousness."
A Dao Comprehension Elder known for his forthrightness bowed and spoke.
"So."
"Master, Senior Mo Yu, have you considered marshaling the strength of the three major forces to delve into the root cause of the demonic beast tide?"
Jiang Chen nodded, then posed the question.
"Well..."
"We haven't, as yet."
Ji Mingxiu and the others shook their heads, their eyes wide in surprise.
Indeed, they had contemplated probing into the origin of the demonic beast tide, but the idea of rallying the three major forces for a joint investigation had not occurred to them.
Compared to this, the Imperial Extreme Heavenly Palace indeed seemed somewhat dubious.
Then.
"Additionally..."
Jiang Chen continued, "I suspect that this abrupt onslaught of the demonic beast tide might have ties to the Imperial Extreme Heavenly Palace."
Upon hearing this, Ji Mingxiu and the others exchanged surprised glances.
"Holy Son, isn't that a touch too precautious?"
"In this demonic beast tide, the Imperial Extreme Heavenly Palace was also assaulted."
"Furthermore, these demonic beasts were tainted by the Nether Demon Spiritual Qi, prompting their erratic behavior. It seems unlikely that the Imperial Extreme Heavenly Palace possesses the capability to manipulate the Nether Demon Spiritual Qi, right?"
Si Zhangjian mused aloud, "I agree that the Imperial Extreme Heavenly Palace may have ulterior motives, but suggesting that they are linked to the outbreak of the demonic beast tide seems somewhat far-fetched."
His remarks echoed the sentiments of Ji Mingxiu and the others.
If one suggested that the Imperial Extreme Heavenly Palace was seizing this opportunity to deal with the Purple Heaven Holy Land, it might carry some weight.
However, implying that the Imperial Extreme Heavenly Palace was the orchestrator of the demonic beast tide seemed too far-fetched.
"Perhaps I'm overthinking it."
"Regardless, if Master and the elders are attending, I implore you to exercise utmost caution!"
Jiang Chen stroked his chin, voicing his thoughts slowly.
His conjecture was predicated on the existence of the protagonist, Fang Yuan.
Given the sway of Fang Yuan's Heavenly Fate Value, any potential mishaps should be evaluated on a larger scale.
However, Ji Mingxiu and the others were completely oblivious to Fang Yuan's status as the protagonist, causing Jiang Chen's suspicions to appear somewhat exaggerated, even outrageous.
From the perspective of Ji Mingxiu and the others, it was quite unlikely for the Imperial Extreme Heavenly Palace to engage in underhanded tactics.
As for Fang Yuan's protagonist status, Jiang Chen couldn't clarify it either.
Hence, Jiang Chen could only prompt everyone to exercise caution in all matters.
Additionally, considering the Fate Value of Ji Mingxiu and the others, they shouldn't face peril in the near future. This was also the reason why Jiang Chen didn't vehemently discourage their participation.
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