It's Our Own Business to Manage

The Council Hall.

Li Yingling's soft questioning voice now rang like thunder in everyone's ears.

All eyes involuntarily fell upon the jade tablet inscribed with the words "Tianyan" on the table.

Naturally, many gazes still carried a trace of skepticism.

First, they knew all too well the temperament of the major sects from the Central Continent.

Second, none of them were fools, nor would they blindly believe anything presented without proof.

The burden of proof lay with the one presenting the evidence, not with them to verify its authenticity.

Thus, their gazes converged on Li Yingling in silent unison, no one daring to speak first.

Li Yingling wasted no time. With a light tap, she channeled a wisp of spiritual energy into the jade tablet.

Instantly, the tablet radiated a brilliant light, and the emblem of the Tianyan Sect materialized within it.

An indescribably profound aura spread through the entire council hall.

With a wave of her hand, Li Yingling withdrew the light, and the tablet dimmed once more.

As the proof was laid bare, the atmosphere in the hall shifted dramatically.

What had been tense and somber now buzzed with fervor.

Almost immediately, representatives from other sects began showering her with flattery:

"From the very beginning, I could tell that you and the esteemed cultivators beside you—"

Li Yingling raised a hand, cutting off the praise, and calmly turned her gaze back to the middle-aged man who had spoken earlier, repeating her question:

"What did you just say?"

The man hastily plastered on a smile. "I merely suggested there’s no need to look far! Our sect is right here, ready to cooperate fully. Just give the order, and we’ll follow through without question."

The moment these words left his mouth, mocking glances shot his way from all directions.

Li Yingling slowly took her seat, her tone still composed.

"I don’t believe in forcing anyone. If you’re unwilling, you may decline."

The man hurriedly assured her, "How could we refuse? This is a battle for the fate of our race! As humans, we cannot stand idly by!"

"Truly no coercion?"

"None whatsoever!"

"I haven’t pressured you."

"Senior, what are you saying? Before I came, our sect’s Elder Patriarch made it clear—this time, he insists on taking part personally!"

Li Yingling nodded in satisfaction, her gaze sweeping across the room. "And the rest of you?"

"Of course, it’s only right."

"We cultivators must dedicate ourselves fully to this cause."

Voices of agreement rose from all sides.

Li Yingling said nothing more, her eyes settling on Zhao Chun, who was struggling to conceal his astonishment.

She signaled for him to continue.

Cui Hao, standing behind her, whispered, "Senior Sister, you’re incredible!"

"Just average," Li Yingling replied just as quietly.

Now she understood just how satisfying her master must have felt in the past.

Though their exchange was hushed, everyone present—aside from those from Chu Xingchen’s sect—was at least at the Golden Core realm.

They heard every word.

Yet, all chose to pretend otherwise.

Zhao Chun, too, could no longer maintain his composure, his eyes fixed in shock on the jade tablet Li Yingling had placed before him.

Before arriving, the emperor had given no details, only instructing him to foster good relations.

Zhao Chun had been puzzled—until he saw Chu Xingchen.

The young man’s appearance and unfathomable cultivation instantly dispelled his doubts.

Such a peerless expert was naturally worth courting.

Still, Zhao Chun had wondered—could a backwater like Xuanwu Kingdom truly produce such a talent?

But the moment Li Yingling placed that jade tablet on the table, its presence undeniable, he realized his perspective had been too narrow.

Next time, he’d dare to think bigger.

From then on, the proceedings advanced with startling speed. Every task Zhao Chun assigned was accepted without protest.

In the past, sect delegations would haggle endlessly over responsibilities.

This time, not a single objection arose.

Most eyes weren’t on Zhao Chun, the alliance leader making the assignments, but on Li Yingling, their glances cautious and reverent.

The planning proceeded so smoothly that Zhao Chun almost felt he was dreaming.

He’d originally set aside an entire week for negotiations, expecting to bargain hard to minimize losses.

But with Li Yingling’s sudden revelation of the Tianyan Sect’s jade tablet, everything changed.

Relaxed and gratified, Zhao Chun made the final arrangement, using his spiritual energy to adjust a small flag on the strategic map.

"The Cloud Soaring Sect will advance from the west, cutting off the demonic forces’ retreat."

He then looked around the room.

"Are there any points I’ve failed to clarify?"

A brief silence followed.

Zhao Chun sighed inwardly. As expected, every person here was a seasoned schemer.

The question of why the Tianyan Sect had intervened wouldn’t be so easily dodged.

After a pause, he decisively concluded,

"Then let it be settled. Our first phase—the initial campaign to reclaim our lands—begins in seven days."

"Fellow cultivators, you may now prepare. Should any concerns arise, you may seek me for further discussion."

Just as he prepared to leave, he noticed no one else moved to depart.

This time, however, the silence didn’t last long.

An elderly man with white hair and beard on his right spoke up gently,

"The arrangements are more than satisfactory. However… might this young friend enlighten us? This tiger demon’s uprising in the Forsaken Ridge—does it have ties to the Central Continent’s demonic forces?"

Zhao Chun’s heart sank.

They hadn’t escaped the question after all.

The Central Continent remained as it always had—uninvolved unless the crisis originated from its own lands.

For years, this had been the norm. Thus, when the Central Continent intervened, it was assumed the matter was already linked to it.

Especially for a remote kingdom like Xuanwu, a minor demonic disturbance in some hills might seem catastrophic—but to the Central Continent, it was trivial.

For something so insignificant, the Tianyan Sect—one of the Central Continent’s Eighteen Immortal Sects—had appeared.

It was like using a divine artifact to peel an apple—absurd.

And behind absurdity, there was always an even more absurd reason.

Coupled with the inexplicable scale of the Forsaken Ridge’s uprising, suspicions of a hidden orchestrator were inevitable.

With the jade tablet’s appearance, the question shifted from whether there was a hidden hand to—which Central Continent power was pulling the strings.

For a life-and-death matter like this, even if the Tianyan Sect demanded their service, they had a right to know the full picture.

What if a demon sovereign at the Divine Transformation realm was involved? Did the Tianyan Sect have countermeasures?

It was a perfectly reasonable demand.

Now, Zhao Chun could only remain silent, his gaze fixed on Li Yingling’s unreadable expression, hoping her words would quell the doubts.

Under the gaze of the crowd, Li Yingling spoke in a calm and steady voice:

"This matter is not for the Tianyan Sect to intervene—it is for the sects of Xuanwu Kingdom to handle ourselves!"