The Qin Emperor watched as people from various factions in the venue argued fiercely, their faces flushed, finding it rather amusing. Were these the proud, arrogant ancient powerhouses he knew?
Just a few hours ago, they were locked in fierce confrontation, filled with animosity, ready to fight at the slightest disagreement. Now, they were scrambling to offer their cultivation techniques and personnel. The shift in attitude was astonishingly rapid.
However, the Qin Emperor felt a sense of joy. He knew that the prosperity of Great Qin was imminent, and under his leadership, Great Qin would reach new heights.
The meeting concluded quickly, and the people from various factions hurried to leave. They needed to make preparations, aiming to be involved before Great Qin made its move to maximize their benefits.
Meanwhile, the outside world had been closely monitoring this conference, which concerned all of humanity in Yanzhou. When news spread that some sects, like the Desolate Hall, left the capital with grim expressions, countless people felt a pang of anxiety. Had the talks broken down? Did the various factions not recognize Great Qin? Would the people of Great Qin never return to their former glory? Many felt a wave of despair. Only those who had endured the hardships of being ruled by ancient powers truly understood the value of Great Qin's past.
But that afternoon, people from various factions departed the capital with joyful countenances. Upon their return, they began to evacuate their personnel from their cities in a grand fashion. Many at that moment realized that the Great Qin conference had likely been a success.
When Great Qin announced the results on its official website, the entire nation erupted in excitement. "Tomorrow, Great Qin will take over the cities and restore all order. Fellow citizens of Great Qin, we can go home!" Someone posted online, their tone filled with exhilaration. In reality, they were dancing with joy.
"Establish martial artist academies, everyone is equal. This is wonderful. As expected of Great Qin, they haven't forgotten us!"
"From now on, we ordinary people no longer have to worry about dying at any moment or our loved ones being bullied."
"Great Qin is mighty! Looking across the globe, people in other countries are in dire straits, but we, the people of Great Qin, have escaped danger!"
"Haha, from now on, we can go wherever we please. As long as Great Qin stands, we don't have to worry about anything. It's life as it should be, just like before."
The internet was filled with joyous chatter. The sects that had left, like the Desolate Hall, witnessed this scene, but they merely sneered, believing these ants were too easily fooled and would regret it later.
"Send people to contact some of the sects that stayed behind and tell them that if they surrender to our sect, we will offer them protection!"
The Desolate Hall and other factions acted accordingly, believing that as long as they extended an olive branch, the weaker sects would undoubtedly submit without hesitation. However, when their envoys contacted those sects, they were met with refusal. Some sects even acted unusually, forcibly driving away the people from the Desolate Hall and other factions.
"We contacted sixteen sects, but not a single one dared to meet us. They must have been intimidated by Li Xiaotian!" In the Desolate Hall, Huang Wudi received the news, his brow furrowed. He couldn't understand why these small sects dared to refuse their overtures. Did they fear Li Xiaotian less than the Desolate Hall? After all, the Desolate Hall was a hegemonic sect with terrifying foundations.
"Hmph! Those fools will regret it sooner or later. Great Qin will devour them like a ravenous wolf!" some powerful figures scoffed, mocking the sects that had refused them.
"Something is wrong. I have a bad feeling about this. It's one thing for other sects to refuse us, but why have the Battle Sect and Miao Sect also refused us? Do they also fear Li Xiaotian?" someone murmured, finding the situation extremely strange but unable to fathom the reason.
"What happened after we left the capital? How did Li Xiaotian manage to make all the factions submit? Moreover, those who remained gave me the impression that they were very willing to submit to Great Qin."
"How is this possible? Are they crazy? Or have they lost their minds? Submitting to Great Qin, a modern force, are they abandoning their ancient pride?" The Desolate Hall and a few other sects felt something was deeply amiss. The behavior of the other sects was too abnormal. Furthermore, no one from the sects that remained was willing to disclose the details of the final meeting. Of course, even if they knew, they probably wouldn't believe it without having personally participated.
"Li Xiaotian is brutal and bloodthirsty, intent on forcibly unifying Yanzhou and compelling the major factions to submit. My Desolate Hall cannot bear to see fellow ancient Dao companions suffer under his oppression, nor can we bear to see the people of Yanzhou persecuted by Great Qin!"
"Effective immediately, the Desolate Hall will open its doors to everyone. Any person or sect that enters the territory of the Desolate Hall will receive its protection!" The Desolate Hall suddenly declared its stance to the entire Yanzhou, becoming the first to openly oppose Great Qin. This immediately shocked countless ordinary people. Was the Desolate Hall completely falling out with Great Qin?
"The Yan Huo Sect is also willing to provide protection to the world, shielding them from Great Qin's future oppression!"
"Great Qin seeks to rule Yanzhou, and our Divine Sect is the first to disagree. Great Qin wishes to disrupt the current peace in Yanzhou and incite internal strife among humanity. We ancient sects will never allow Great Qin's scheme to succeed!"
The Desolate Hall, Yan Huo Sect, Divine Sect, and several other sects that had left the capital voiced their strong opposition, projecting an image of defiance against power. The ordinary people of Yanzhou became agitated, wondering if Great Qin had indeed changed for the worse.
As for the members of many ancient sects, they were bewildered. In what way had Great Qin oppressed them? And when had they incited internal strife? Their words made it seem as if those sects preparing to cooperate with Great Qin were being forced at knifepoint.
"Desolate Hall, Divine Sect, do not disgrace us ancient people. While Great Qin is a modern force, it does not deserve to be smeared by you in such a manner!" At this moment, the Battle Sect spoke out. Zhan Tianxia personally appeared to counter the Desolate Hall and other factions.
"Indeed, Great Qin's unification of Yanzhou benefits everyone and every force. This is a good thing for strengthening Yanzhou's power!" Another powerful individual chimed in, not directly challenging the Desolate Hall and other factions, but refuting their statements.
"Our sects willingly cooperate with Great Qin, not to submit to it, nor have we been oppressed. Great Qin acts with humanity in mind, and you should not insult it in this way!"
"Restoring order, establishing martial artist academies, separating martial forces from the secular world – how can this possibly incite internal strife? Do some top sects take the current generation for fools? By speaking such high-sounding words, are you insulting the world, or Great Qin?!"
In an instant, dozens of sects spoke out in rebuttal to the Desolate Hall and other factions, leaving Huang Wudi and the others stunned and enraged. They were furious at the sects' nonsensical claims and even more so at their audacity in openly opposing them. Were they not afraid of their sects being annihilated?