Chapter 422: Doubt

"The Dan Saint Hall will be governed by the Secret Realm Lords themselves—"

Hua Changxi really dares to say that!

Huo Yunxiao didn’t even know what expression to put on. At that moment, he only had one thought: his master had underestimated Hua Changxi. She wasn’t a stone thrown into stagnant water to stir ripples; she was clearly a meteorite from beyond the heavens!

She had no interest in mere breezes and small waves—what Hua Changxi raised was a tsunami of monstrous proportions!

Meng Qingyao, Shen Qianfan, and Tong Zhou, seated in the main seats, were also stunned by Hua Changxi’s proposal.

Currently, the Dan Saint Hall was jointly run by the Spirit Mirror Pavilion, the Qihuang Pavilion, and the Nine Streets Hall. But according to Hua Changxi’s proposal, in the future the Qihuang Pavilion and the Nine Streets Hall would have to step back, giving precedence to the Spirit Mirror Pavilion.

And the Spirit Mirror Pavilion would no longer be under the Xia family’s say—it would become the stage of the Secret Realm Lords.

Something like 'a mayfly trying to shake a tree'...

Hua Changxi wasn’t trying to shake the tree—she clearly meant to uproot it entirely!

At that moment, all three of them felt regret.

They never should have let Hua Changxi attend the meeting!

Originally, they had only wanted to take the chance to verify the truth of the rumor that 'Hua Changxi is the Lord of the Lingguang Hall.'

Who would have thought that before the probing even started, Xia Zhen was forced by Hua Changxi to leave the meeting hall, and now she had thrown out a thunderbolt proposal like this, directly putting everyone on the spot.

The Secret Realm Lords who governed the secret realms were already somewhat disobedient to orders; with Hua Changxi stirring things up like this, they would probably be even less willing to cooperate with the Sacred Land’s directives in the future.

"Earlier, I thought the rumor that 'Hua Changxi is the Lord of the Lingguang Hall' would be somewhat detrimental to her. But now, I realize that if Hua Changxi is smart enough, she might be able to exploit the fox’s might to bully others and gain a lot of benefits."

Tang Yufeng transmitted his voice quietly to Gu Jinfan.

Gu Jinfan’s eyes flickered. Following his gaze to the main seat—Meng Qingyao and the other two had tense expressions, their eyes brimming with anger, yet none of them erupted, and their brows faintly revealed wariness.

"You sure pay close attention."

Tang Yufeng chuckled lightly: "Hua Changxi is trying to drive them off their thrones, yet they remain so calm. What do you think the reason is?"

Without waiting for Gu Jinfan to say anything, he eagerly continued: "They must be wary of the identity that 'Hua Changxi might be the Lord of the Lingguang Hall.'"

"If Hua Changxi were just a minor peak lord, not to mention the Xia family, even the imperial family would step in to teach her some manners."

After hearing this, Gu Jinfan made no comment.

Tang Yufeng rubbed his chin: "Do you think Hua Changxi is acting so arrogantly today precisely because the outside world can’t confirm whether she is the Lord of the Lingguang Hall, and she’s deliberately pretending to borrow the fox’s might?"

Gu Jinfan’s expression was indifferent: "Hua Changxi has always been arrogant. It’s not like she only started today."

Tang Yufeng shook his head: "No, there’s still a difference. Seeing Hua Changxi again this time, I find her even more emboldened."

"Did you notice the contemptuous look in her eyes when she swept her gaze over everyone?"

"She truly didn’t regard anyone present!"

Gu Jinfan moved his lips but ultimately said nothing.

Tang Yufeng continued: "Do you think Hua Changxi’s proposal can succeed?"

Gu Jinfan looked around at the Secret Realm Lords present: "...It depends on whether the other Secret Realm Lords can handle it."

All the attendees had risen to their positions by relying on the Spirit Mirror Pavilion, the Qihuang Pavilion, and the Nine Streets Hall. Now, to overthrow the tripartite governance and let the Secret Realm Lords manage the Sacred Land’s affairs—this actually went against the interests of the vast majority.

Therefore, although Hua Changxi’s proposal stirred up huge waves in everyone’s hearts, it did not spark an intense discussion.

"Cough, cough~"

This time, the Nine Streets Hall was presiding over the meeting. Seeing that Meng Qingyao and Shen Qianfan were both silent, Tong Zhou had to step up and speak: "We have all heard Peak Lord Hua’s proposal."

"Does anyone else have anything to say?"

The crowd whispered among themselves but refused to take a stand.

Seeing no one speak, Tong Zhou looked at Wen Shouren, but seeing that he too was hesitant and wavering, Tong Zhou could only proceed according to his own judgment.

He was not very in favor of directly letting the Secret Realm Lords take charge.

The reason was simple: the Sacred Land was rife with factional strife and complicated relationships. Although the Secret Realm Lords controlled resources and had some power, if they rose to power and formed a new power structure, the ensuing battles between new and old forces would be inevitable.

This situation would certainly not benefit the Sacred Land’s development and could easily lead to turmoil.

"I know that Peak Master Hua, as well as the other Secret Realm Masters and Pavilion Masters who raised objections today, all have the Sacred Land's best interests at heart."

"But the issues of participation qualifications and task assignments are indeed too significant to be decided hastily; they require careful deliberation."

"I propose that as soon as we handle the matter of seeking medical treatment from Lingguang Hall, we immediately establish a provisional council, composed of Secret Realm Masters, Pavilion Masters, and key personnel from the three departments, specifically to discuss the issues of participation qualifications and task assignments."

"At that time, we will draft a proposal for these two issues, publish it in the Sacred Land, and solicit opinions from all disciples."

"What does everyone think?"

Hua Changxi glanced at Tong Zhou, snorted, and said nothing. She had already charged to the front and played the role of the most unpleasant person. If she had to handle everything else herself, the mess of the Alchemy Saint Hall could just stay rotten.

Huo Yunxiao spoke first: "I don't think much of it. We've already discussed it this far, and now we have to wait for the next time? Hall Master Tong, I think you're deliberately stalling." After speaking, he looked at the other Secret Realm Masters, signaling them to state their positions quickly.

Yan Qianying of Xuanhuang Peak was the first to respond: "Peak Master Hua's proposal, I think, is very reasonable."

Then Mu Qingying, Yuan Tianchou, and Wen Lanzhou: "We also agree with Peak Master Hua's proposal."

The people from the four great mansions—East, South, West, and North—exchanged glances and then voiced their agreement: "We are all willing to contribute to the development of the Alchemy Saint Hall."

Of the eighteen secret realms, eight Secret Realm Masters had agreed to the proposal.

The remaining ones—Gu Xing, Meng Qingyao, Shen Qianfan, and the five protector families of Xia, Bai, Wu, Zhu, and Long—had not expressed their stance.

Just as Tong Zhou was about to end the topic with the excuse that less than half of the Secret Realm Masters had agreed, he saw Gu Xing walking into the council hall with his cane.

Gu Xing's arrival made everyone present perk up.

However, the moods of Meng Qingyao and Shen Qianfan, seated in the main seats, simultaneously sank.

Gu Xing stood at the entrance for a moment, looked around the hall at the people present, then walked straight to the seat beneath Wen Shouren—the same seat where Xia Zhen had sat before.

Just as he was about to sit down, Wen Shouren stood up: "Elder Gu, take my seat."

Gu Xing glanced at him, then at Hua Changxi across the room. Without declining, he sat in the primary seat on the right and directly stated his position: "I also agree with Peak Master Hua's proposal."

"However, for a Secret Realm Master to govern the Sacred Land, there must be specific regulations."

"Since the proposal was made by Peak Master Hua, why don't you share the specific regulations with everyone as well?"

Hua Changxi stared at Gu Xing, utterly speechless: "Senior Gu, Guardian Gu, are you here to pick a fight?"

"Isn't it enough that I made the proposal? Now I have to come up with the specific regulations too? Is the entire Sacred Land just mine alone? Are the others just freeloaders?"

"If I have to do everything myself, why should I be a Peak Master? I might as well just become the Hall Master of the Alchemy Saint Hall!"

After hearing this, Gu Xing nodded seriously: "If you want to be Hall Master, you can, as long as you can shoulder the heavy responsibility of the Sacred Land."

Hua Changxi was amused to the point of anger. If it weren't for his age, she would have cursed outright: "I can't be bothered with you."

Gu Xing looked at Hua Changxi: "Fine, let's set aside the specific regulations for now. After the Secret Realm Masters take charge of the Sacred Land, how will the Qihuang Pavilion and the Jiujie Hall be arranged?"

Hua Changxi was truly exasperated: "Stop staring at me! Look at the other Secret Realm Masters and Pavilion Masters. Don't you think highly of them?"

"I'm telling you, this mindset of yours is really unacceptable. The Sacred Land belongs to everyone, not to one person or one group. Everyone has to participate."

The Secret Realm Masters and Pavilion Masters, who were innocently caught in the crossfire: "......"

Gu Xing did indeed look at the Secret Realm Masters and Pavilion Masters, but soon his gaze returned to Hua Changxi: "Because you are the one who made the proposal, that's why I'm asking you."

"If there are no follow-up regulations and no thought has been given to the arrangements for the Jiujie Hall and the Qihuang Pavilion, then isn't your proposal just a whim?"

"Your whim would cause the entire Sacred Land to change. Isn't that very irresponsible of you?"

Hua Changxi was utterly speechless: "That's quite the accusation you're making! If I follow your way of thinking, I won't dare to make any proposals in the future."

Gu Xing's expression was calm: "When you make a proposal, you should be prepared to be questioned and denied."