The hall was silent. Those who could appear here were all high-ranking figures in Manzhou, yet they were all extremely reserved, not daring to utter a single word.
Tian Xiang's words were clearly directed at Gu Qiankun. One was the Divine Lord of the Ancient God Tribe, and the other was the Empress of the Myriad Demon Royal Court. Both wielded immense power, and others dared not interfere in their contest.
"Hmph, nothing but a clown. Even lions have their sleepy moments. Letting a monkey run rampant is but a temporary phase. When the lion awakens, all demons and monsters will bow before its might!"
Gu Qiankun spoke slowly, his tone icy, his words carrying a double meaning. He was undoubtedly telling Tian Xiang that Li Xiaotian was a mere clown, and the demon race were the demons and monsters!
"Heh heh!"
Tian Xiang did not respond to his words, only chuckling lightly before falling silent.
Gu Qiankun retracted his gaze and then looked at the assembled crowd in the hall. He spoke.
"You have all been invited to assist my Ancient God Tribe in hunting down Li Xiaotian. Perhaps in your minds, this is merely the Ancient God Tribe's affair, and you are here to help, not to fight with all your might!"
As soon as Gu Qiankun uttered these words, the expressions of many in the hall changed, for that was precisely their intention.
After all, Li Xiaotian's target was only the Ancient God Tribe, not them. They were only meant to cooperate with the powerhouses of the Ancient God Tribe. No one was willing to clash head-on with Li Xiaotian.
However, the Ancient God Tribe was the heavens of Manzhou, and they did not wish to incur the Ancient God Tribe's displeasure. Thus, they immediately spoke out, stating their positions.
"Divine Lord, you jest. Since we are willing to act, we will advance and retreat with the Ancient God Tribe and will never take advantage of the situation."
"Indeed, Divine Lord. Li Xiaotian, an outsider, acts presumptuously in our Manzhou. He provokes all of us in Manzhou. If he is not killed, where is Manzhou's dignity?"
"Divine Lord, rest assured, we will never be half-hearted in our efforts. If Li Xiaotian dares to provoke the Ancient God Tribe today, who can guarantee he won't use the same methods against other tribes tomorrow? He must die!"
"Manzhou will not tolerate an outsider's arrogance, especially someone from Yanzhou!"
Many in the hall spoke out, some sincerely, some falsely.
But Gu Qiankun merely smiled and raised his hand slightly. The crowd instantly fell silent.
"Everyone, do not be in a hurry to explain. Whatever your thoughts may be, this Divine Lord can understand."
Gu Qiankun said, then changed his tone.
"However, there is something this Divine Lord wishes for you all to understand."
With that, Gu Qiankun looked towards the outside of the palace and spoke.
"Divine Fire Boy, please show yourself!"
"Divine Fire Boy?"
"Who is it? He doesn't seem to be from Manzhou."
"Divine Fire Boy, that name sounds familiar."
In the hall, the powerful figures of Manzhou murmured amongst themselves, confused, instinctively looking towards the entrance of the hall.
"Buzz!"
A ball of flame suddenly appeared at the entrance of the hall, and then two figures emerged from the flames.
Leading the way was a young child, dressed in fiery red clothing, with a small braid on his head. However, his appearance gave off an aura of malevolence.
Behind the young child was an old man in grey robes, his body slightly hunched, following the child respectfully.
If Li Xiaotian were present at this moment, he would definitely recognize these two.
They were precisely the Fire Boy of the Blazing Fire Sect from Yanzhou and the Sect Master of the Blazing Fire Sect, Yan Song.
"It's him! Damn it, it's you!"
In the hall, someone instantly recognized the identity of the Fire Boy, a flicker of killing intent flashing in their eyes.
One must know that during the ancient invasion of Manzhou into the other three states, the Fire Boy had participated in the great battle and gained considerable notoriety.
"Fire Boy! You slaughtered thirty thousand of my clan's weaklings. Who gave you the audacity to come to our Manzhou?!"
Another roared, his face filled with rage. He was an elder, a powerhouse from the Xing Tian Tribe.
"Hmph! Ridiculous! In ancient times, your Manzhou invaded my Yanzhou and killed far more people. I merely enacted a small revenge, and your Xing Tian Tribe remembers it from antiquity! Ha!"
The Fire Boy, facing the scolding from the people in the hall, showed no fear, instead retorting with a hint of impatience.
But Yan Song, standing behind the Fire Boy, was currently pale with fear, his mind completely bewildered.
Hegemons! There were so many hegemons! Yanzhou only had three, and this hall before him had over a dozen!!!
He had never witnessed such a scene! Seeing the Fire Boy about to provoke these Manzhou people further, he wished he could pounce forward and cover the boy's mouth.
However, he dared not, and could only suffer inwardly.
"Heh heh, alright, everyone, quiet down. I invited the Divine Fire Boy here not for you to settle ancient grudges with him!"
Just as the Fire Boy was confronting those people, and some were about to make a move, Gu Qiankun spoke.
His voice was calm, unhurried, but it instantly made the powerful figures of Manzhou cease their words.
Seeing this, the Fire Boy smiled, cast a disdainful glance at those who held grudges against him, and then casually found a seat.
Upon witnessing the Fire Boy's provocative behavior, the powerhouse from the Xing Tian Tribe's eyes immediately turned red. He stared fixedly at the Fire Boy but could only do so. If he dared to attack, he would undoubtedly incur Gu Qiankun's wrath.
"Divine Lord, what is the connection between inviting the Fire Boy here and dealing with Li Xiaotian?"
Someone in the hall asked.
"What connection? Heh! You guys are just frogs in a well!"
Before Gu Qiankun could speak, the Fire Boy surprisingly took the initiative to speak, his tone filled with mockery.
"Li Xiaotian has been in your Manzhou for half a month, and you still have no information about him, yet you have the leisure to discuss how to deal with him! Heh heh, no wonder your Manzhou was sealed by the powerhouses of my three states!"
"Presumptuous!!!"
"Audacious!!!"
"Fire Boy, you are courting death!!"
Everyone in the palace was furious. Terrifying auras erupted from them. For a moment, the palace was filled with powerful pressure.
Gu Qiankun, seeing this, remained silent and showed no anger, merely watching quietly.
At this moment, Yan Song was so frightened that he almost collapsed to the ground. He couldn't help but secretly transmit a message to the Fire Boy, urging him to be more restrained, lest they lose their heads before Li Xiaotian was even killed.
Unexpectedly, the Fire Boy instantly shattered Yan Song's divine sense and gave him a cold glance.
With so many powerhouses present, a late-stage Emperor like him dared to transmit messages under everyone's noses. Was he afraid that these people wouldn't notice?
Yan Song's forehead was immediately covered in cold sweat. He obediently lowered his head, knowing that his attempt at transmission was a mistake.
The Fire Boy slowly took a sip of tea and then looked at the crowd in the palace, completely unfazed. He continued to speak mockingly.
"You think I'm insulting you? That you've lost face, and that's why you're enraged."
"Heh! If you knew that Li Xiaotian unified Yanzhou by himself, then spent half a month in Fozhou to annihilate half the powerhouses of the Blissful Buddhist Sect, forcing the Blissful Buddhist Sect to seal its gates, and then left at his leisure, you probably wouldn't be angry."
Upon hearing this, everyone in the hall was instantly shocked. Their expressions were filled with disbelief, and they couldn't help but refute.
"What?!!!"
"This is impossible!! Fire Boy, do you take us for a bunch of fools to believe your words?"
"Who does he, Li Xiaotian, think he is? Why would he unify Yanzhou? Are all the people of Yanzhou useless, letting him trample on them?"
"The Blissful Buddhist Sect is one of the four major sects of Fozhou. Moreover, the sects of Fozhou have always been united, and the Buddhist sects are extremely protective. By what means does Li Xiaotian achieve this?"