[Unedited Chapter]
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Wang Wei dismissed the Ma Clan people, had a brief chat with Yan Hai before returning to his mountain. Matriarch Xie Huan was already waiting for him. "Where is Wang Qi?"
"He's preparing for his Immortal King Tribulation," she replied.
"So, he finally listened to me and took his cultivation seriously?" Wang Wei muttered. "Follow me." He headed to his fishing pond and summoned the Fate Rod to test his luck. Wu Hong should still be reuniting with Maitreya, meaning he had some time.
"What do you need to report?"
"The first thing is about the Flame Blacksmith," Xie Huan said. "His memory was perfectly erased, and before he returned to the association, he left a note."
Wang Wei took the note. It was mainly about thanking him for everything he's done for him. The Flame Blacksmith also suggest their alliance continued and be expanded to their respective faction. "I wonder if you would feel this way if you knew the thing was in my hands."
He put the note away before asking: "What happened with copying the tablet?"
"I don't know, but Sir Wang Bo said to see him once you were out."
"I'll go see him in a while," Wang Wei nodded. "Continue."
"Three main events occurred during your retreat. The first one is about the increasing confrontation between the Demons and Innate Demon Gods. The Sacred Mountain publicly slaughtered all the Heaven Primarchs before accusing the temple of hiding traitors. Then, they launched a campaign to turn the world against the temple."
"Interesting. Did the temple kill their primarchs or fall into civil strife?" Wang Wei asked. He caught some rubbish material for Saint Tier cultivator, so he tried again.
"Internal strife," Xie Huan replied. "They refused to kill their Heaven Primachs, leading to infighting."
"How bad is it?"
"About 3000 Yuan Epochs ago, there was a full-scale battle between two Paragons and Heaven Primarchs in the temple, and someone had to stop them forcefully."
"And you're sure this was not a show to deceive the public?" Wang Wei asked.
"Our information indicated a 95% chance of this fight being real."
"What is the public's response to this campaign?" Wang Wei asked.
"The loose cultivators are in an uproar, but it's more because they see this as a chance for chaos and plunder. Many have even attacked the resource centers of the temple. The Limitless Exchange Hall has publicly denounced the actions of these people."
"The other Overlords?"
"That's where the second major event comes into play," Xie Huan replied. "The Tribal Sacred Mountains have called for a [Grand Assembly], calling for all the Overlords to discuss the possibility of the temple being a liability."
Wang Wei squinted. The Grand Assembly was a meeting of all the Overlords and lineages with a Primal Paragon. It can only happen when seven out of the thirteen Overlords agree.
"How many have agreed so far?"
"Five," Xie Huan replied. "Every few years, someone publicly announced their willingness to discuss this issue."
"So, they are trying to put pressure on the temple to deal with this matter internally," Wang Wei analyzed. "Have we said anything yet?"
"Not yet, but the demon race came and talked with Ancestor Yan Hai. However, I don't know what the final decision was."
Wang Wei took out his Primal Seed Token and accessed the Elder Council Communication Hall to check Yan Hai's decision on the matter. As expected, Wang Wei was right. The consensus is that it would be best for the temple to deal with this internally, but if necessary, a Grand Assembly will be held to discuss whether to intervene.
"A curse?" Xie Huan said. "How terrifying must it be for even Primals to have no solution?"
"It's indeed brilliant. As long as the oath is broken, the temple's entire Qi Luck will be instantly destroyed, and the backlash is enough to kill 70% of all their cultivators; moreover, the higher the cultivation, the greater the backlash.
"However, it's not foolproof."
"The Assembly?" Xie Huan asked.
"That's right. The demon's move was brilliant, but it also provided an opportunity for these Primals. If the Overlords can deem the Primarch a threat and decide to eradicate them, they only need to show slight resistance to fulfill their oath and acquire their freedom."
"That would explain their inaction," Xie Huan nodded. "But isn't this plan risky? They have a large population of Primarchs, and their death will weaken them."
"Maybe in their eyes, the Primarchs have always been a liability to the temple — a sickness to their control or the temple's prosperity. And something, it's best to cut off the cancerous part for the body to heal."
"Maybe you're right, but it seems too risky to me," Xie Huan said.
"That's because your thinking is too narrow," Wang Wei uttered. "A catastrophe where no one is safe. The last thing any faction wants or needs is liabilities or hindrances.
"While this move will weaken the temple against their enemy, the demons, it also has its upside. As long as they can buy enough until the catastrophe begins, the demon will not have the opportunity to take advantage of their plight."
"But no one knows when the catastrophe is coming. What if they make an error, and the demons do take advantage of their situation?"
"No plan is guaranteed success, and you seem to be operating under the notion that they must wait for the catastrophe to arrive."
"You mean they would forcefully bring it out?" Xie Huan asked in surprise. "Yes, if they are desperate, it's possible. But wouldn't that make them traitors?"
"Only if they are caught. Better yet, they only need to sacrifice someone to wash their hands of everything," Wang Wei sneered. There is also the fact that Heavenly Dao wants this catastrophe, meaning it could use the Innate Demon Gods' hands to do its dirty job.
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