Chapter 422: Doubts

The Pill Saint Hall shall be governed by the Realm Masters—

Hua Changxi truly dares to speak her mind!

Huo Yunxiao did not know what expression to make; at this moment, he had only one thought: his master had still underestimated Hua Changxi. This was no mere stone tossed into stagnant water to stir ripples; it was clearly a meteorite from beyond the heavens!

Minor waves were beneath her notice; what Hua Changxi had unleashed was a tsunami of towering, terrifying waves!

Meng Qingyao, Shen Qianfan, and Tong Zhou, seated in the positions of honor, were also stunned by Hua Changxi's proposal.

Currently, the Pill Saint Hall was jointly administered by the Spirit Realm Pavilion, the Qihuang Pavilion, and the Nine Streets Hall, but according to Hua Changxi's proposal, the Qihuang Pavilion and the Nine Streets Hall would henceforth take a back seat, with the Spirit Realm Pavilion holding supreme authority.

Furthermore, the Spirit Realm Pavilion would no longer be dictated by the Xia family, but would become the domain of the collective Realm Masters.

What mayfly could possibly shake a tree...

Hua Changxi did not intend merely to shake the tree; she clearly meant to uproot it entirely!

At this moment, all three felt a surge of regret.

They should never have allowed Hua Changxi to attend the meeting!

Originally, they had intended to use this opportunity to verify the credibility of the rumor that 'Hua Changxi is the Hall Master of the Lingguang Hall'.

Who could have expected that before their probing had even begun, Xia Zhen was forced by Hua Changxi to leave the council hall, and now she had dropped such an explosive proposal, effectively putting everyone on the spot.

The Realm Masters, who already tended to disregard orders, would likely become even less obedient to the Sacred Land's directives after Hua Changxi's uproar.

"Previously, I thought the rumor that 'Hua Changxi is the Hall Master of the Lingguang Hall' would be somewhat disadvantageous to her. But now, I realize that if Hua Changxi is clever, she might just use the tiger's might to bully the fox and secure considerable benefits."

Tang Yufeng whispered to Gu Jinfan via voice transmission.

Gu Jinfan's eyes flickered; following his gaze toward the seat of honor, she saw that Meng Qingyao and the other two wore tense expressions, their eyes filled with rage, yet none dared to act, their brows and eyes subtly revealing apprehension.

"You observe quite carefully."

Tang Yufeng chuckled softly: "Hua Changxi intends to drive them from power, yet they remain so calm; why do you suppose that is?"

Before Gu Jinfan could say anything, he eagerly continued: "It must be because they fear the possibility that 'Hua Changxi might be the Hall Master of the Lingguang Hall'."

"If Hua Changxi were merely a minor Peak Master, let alone the Xia family, even the Imperial Court would step forward to teach her a lesson in humility."

Upon hearing this, Gu Jinfan neither agreed nor disagreed.

Tang Yufeng stroked his chin: "Do you think Hua Changxi's audacity today stems from the fact that the outside world cannot verify whether she truly is the Hall Master of the Lingguang Hall, leading her to deliberately borrow authority to intimidate others?"

Gu Jinfan's expression remained indifferent: "Hua Changxi has always been arrogant; this is nothing new."

Tang Yufeng shook his head: "No, there is still some difference. Seeing Hua Changxi again this time, I find her confidence even stronger."

"Did you notice the disdain in her eyes as she swept her gaze across the crowd?"

"She truly does not regard anyone present with the slightest respect!"

Gu Jinfan moved her lips but ultimately said nothing.

Tang Yufeng continued asking: "Do you think Hua Changxi's proposal will succeed?"

Gu Jinfan glanced around at the Realm Masters present: "...It depends on whether the other Realm Masters can handle it."

The attendees present had all risen to their positions by relying on the Spirit Realm Pavilion, the Qihuang Pavilion, and the Nine Streets Hall; now, to overturn the tripartite governance and hand control of the Sacred Land's affairs to the Realm Masters actually contradicted the interests of the vast majority.

Therefore, although Hua Changxi's proposal stirred tremendous waves in everyone's hearts, it did not spark intense discussion.

"Ahem~"

Since the Nine Streets Hall was presiding over the meeting this time, and seeing that neither Meng Qingyao nor Shen Qianfan spoke, Tong Zhou had no choice but to step forward: "We have all heard Peak Master Hua's proposal."

"Does anyone else have anything to add?"

The crowd whispered among themselves, engaging in hushed deliberation, yet no one stated their position outright.

Seeing no one speak, Tong Zhou looked toward Wen Shouren, but finding him equally indecisive, he could only proceed according to his own judgment.

He was not particularly in favor of directly handing control to the Realm Masters.

It was simply that the Sacred Land was fraught with factions and complex relationships; although the Realm Masters controlled resources and possessed some influence, elevating them would create a new power structure, inevitably leading to conflict between old and new forces.

Such a situation would certainly be detrimental to the development of the Sacred Land and could easily trigger unrest.

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

"However, the issues regarding qualification to attend meetings and the assignment of tasks are indeed too significant and require careful consideration over time."

"I propose that once the matter of the Lingguang Hall seeking medical aid is resolved, we immediately establish a provisional council, comprising Realm Masters, Pavilion Masters, and key personnel from the three departments, dedicated to discussing the issues of meeting qualifications and task assignments."

"At that time, a draft proposal regarding these two issues will be formulated and posted publicly within the Sacred Land to solicit the opinions of all disciples."

"What does everyone think?"

Hua Changxi glanced at Tong Zhou, snorted, and remained silent; she had already rushed to the forefront and played the role of the villain, and if further matters required her involvement, then let this mess of the Pill Saint Hall continue to rot.

Huo Yunxiao was the first to speak: "I think that won't do at all; we have discussed this to such an extent, yet you still want to wait for another time. Hall Master Tong, I believe you are deliberately stalling." Having said this, he looked toward the other Realm Masters, signaling them to state their positions quickly.

Yan Qianying of the Xuanhuang Peak was the first to respond: "I believe Peak Master Hua's proposal makes a great deal of sense."

Next came Mu Qingying, Yuan Tianchou, and Wen Lanzhou: "We also support Peak Master Hua's proposal."

The representatives from the four Prince Estates of Dong, Nan, Xi, and Bei exchanged glances and then stated their position: "We are all willing to contribute our strength to the development of the Pill Saint Hall."

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

The remaining Gu Xing, along with Meng Qingyao, Shen Qianfan, and the members of the five Dao-Protecting families—Xia, Bai, Wu, Zhu, and Long—had not yet stated their positions.

Just as Tong Zhou was about to end the discussion on the grounds that fewer than half of the Realm Masters supported the proposal, he saw Gu Xing, leaning on his cane, walk into the council hall.

Gu Xing's arrival caused everyone present to perk up.

However, the moods of Meng Qingyao and Shen Qianfan, seated in the positions of honor, simultaneously sank.

Gu Xing stood at the entrance for a moment, surveyed the people in the hall, and then walked directly to the seat below Wen Shouren, which was precisely where Xia Zhen had been sitting earlier.

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

Gu Xing glanced at him, then looked across at Hua Changxi, and without refusing, sat in the first seat on the right, getting straight to the point: "I also agree with Peak Master Hua's proposal."

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

"Since the proposal was put forth by Peak Master Hua, perhaps Peak Master Hua could also explain the specific regulations to everyone."

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

"Is it not enough that I made a proposal? Now I must also draft the specific regulations? Do you feel the entire Sacred Land belongs to me alone, and everyone else is just eating free rice?"

"If I have to do everything, what kind of Peak Master am I? I might as well become the Hall Master of the Dansheng Hall directly!"

Hearing this, Gu Xing nodded seriously: "If you wish to take that role, you may, provided you can shoulder the heavy responsibilities of the Sacred Land."

Hua Changxi was so angry she laughed; had he not been so old, she would have cursed outright: "I can't be bothered with you."

Gu Xing looked at Hua Changxi: "Very well, let us set aside the specific regulations for now. After the Secret Realm Masters take charge of the Sacred Land, how should the Qihuang Pavilion and Nine Streets Hall be arranged?"

Hua Changxi was truly at a loss for words: "Stop looking only at me. Look at the other Secret Realm Masters and Pavilion Masters. Do you think so little of them?"

"Let me tell you, this mindset of yours is highly problematic. The Sacred Land belongs to everyone, not to any single individual or group; everyone must participate."

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

Gu Xing did indeed glance at the assembled Secret Realm Masters and Pavilion Masters, but soon fixed his gaze back on Hua Changxi: "Because you are the one who made the proposal, old man is asking you."

"With no follow-up regulations and no thought given to the arrangement of the Nine Streets Hall or the Qihuang Pavilion, was your proposal merely a whim?"

"Your whim forces the entire Sacred Land to change. Do you realize how irresponsible that is?"

Hua Changxi was completely speechless: "That is quite a heavy label you are placing on me. Following your logic, I wouldn't dare make any proposals in the future."

Gu Xing's expression remained calm: "The moment you voice a proposal, you should be prepared to be questioned and rejected."