NOVEL NEXT Chapter 67: Players
Somewhere in the Tianzun region, Ye Qingxue sat silently across a round table. Around her, five others sat in complete silence—each draped in a different outfit.
These people weren't her subordinates. In fact, they could never be. Even though Ye Qingxue sat at the peak of mortal cultivation, so did they.
After all, they were the so-called rulers of this world. The patriarchs and matriarchs of the six great clans. All gathered under a frivolous roof of a normal countryside inn.
"I believe you all already know why I've called this meeting." A middle-aged man called out, his voice carrying a strange gentleness.
His eyes glittered in a bright emerald hue, similar to that of the Poison Palm warrior, but denser.
Furling his long, gray beard, the man swept his gaze across the table.
It was for the first time in several thousand years that they'd seen each other all at once. Even more so, to discuss something that immediately threatened their lives.
Though said to be beings that could directly interpret someone's fate and control nature as they pleased, their bodies couldn't help but tremble.
The suppression they had felt mere days ago still lingered with them like an ever-haunting ghost.
Three days ago, not just the Wuji Sword sect, but all of the six great clans trembled under an inexplicable feeling of pure suppression.
The world's only remaining Mahayana realm cultivators were forced to kneel by the statues left by their ancestors.
Although they were grateful to have received such a prophecy, they were also spiteful. To make them, the literal gods of this world kneel as their subjects laughed and mocked behind their backs.
"Regarding the prophecy," another middle-aged man called out, flinching others out of their deep thoughts.
"We, the Taiyan Formation Palace, would like to propose an emergency alliance to the Wuji Sword Sect, Myriad Poison Valley, Nine Resonance Palace, Heavenly Beast Gate, and Indestructible Buddha Sect." His mysterious teal eyes sparkled with a hint of fading aura, his voice stern and serious.
The others did not reply immediately. Silently, they pondered different possibilities.
'Is it truly necessary?'
'Do I really need to be in an alliance with them?'
'Or, is this some kind of plot to aim after me?'
Without realizing it, a portion of their Qi slipped out of their suppression and leaked. Their eyes swept across one another, glaring as their hidden intentions to kill emerged.
In an instant, the air nearby rippled violently, to the point where it could collapse at any second. The middle-aged man from the Taiyan Formation Palace, however, simply looked at their slowly emerging true natures.
'How disgusting,' he grimaced silently.
Although it was true that in the public eyes, the six great clans were but a part of an unbreakable alliance. However, internally, the story was far more twisted.
They all saw the world as a throne, something that they had been sharing since the beginning. But deep inside, they knew that a single throne cannot belong to more than one.
Thus, they had no choice but to stay on guard all the time. While it may be true that their strengths were matched equally, it was also true that they weren't confident in taking two at once.
And truthfully, what was the guarantee that their so-called allies won't betray them?
The road to Mahayana wasn't a children's walk. It was a throne for which millions of lives needed to be sacrificed. And to those who had reached the throne, normal lives did not matter.
Selfish, one might call them. However, that was the only truth.
"Calm down," his voice rang out, alerting everyone awake from their mindless rage towards one another. At the same time, the man twisted his hand and released an invisible barrier he had laid around them.
"If not for this barrier, this entire city could've been erased."
"Tch!" A few clicked their tongues in frustration, uncaring towards the man's remarks.
"I know what you are concerned about; however, I've not called you all to fool around." The man then slipped his hand into the side pockets of his robes and pulled out a piece of folded paper.
On the paper, a few letters were written in crimson.
He unfolded the paper and put it right in the middle of the table.
Everyone's eyes quickly followed, scanning the paper thoroughly.
'That—!!' Ye Qingxue slightly widened her eyes but almost instantly relaxed them.
She recognized the paper, or more precisely, the contents of the paper.
"Recently, during our search, we found quite interesting fellows. Fellows who claimed to be... What was it? Ah, yes." His lips stretched and curled into a devious smirk.
"Players."
"Or in other words, someone from a different planet. A different world."
Hearing his words, the others twisted their necks in a mix of confusion and shock.
They stared at the man for quite a long time before finally a feminine voice broke through the silence.
"Are you saying these 'Players' are somehow connected to the prophecy?"
"Perhaps." The man replied, curling his fingers through his long beard with confidence.
"According to our investigation, their stories match identically, almost as if their memories were altered simultaneously by a single man. Or..." He paused, then continued, "As if they truly belong to a different world."
"That on the paper is the language they originally spoke. They called it 'English.'" He pointed at the paper.
"And we are also positive that their numbers exceed just a handful. From what we've come to know, approximately 50 of them have entered this world."
The problem lay right before their eyes. And although the information came from a man they were normally on alert against, they had no choice but to accept it as the truth.
Taiyan Formation Palace was a sect made up of the world's finest scholars and formation masters. And this man right here, outwitted them all and achieved the throne of Mahayana by nothing but papers and pen.
"Alright," the same feminine voice followed, "My Nine Resonance Palace agrees to the alliance."
"My Myriad Poison Valley will help as well."
One after another, everyone began to respond positively. In the end, only Ye Qingxue remained silent. Everyone stared at her continuously, waiting to hear her stance.
Ye Qingxue, although terrified at their discoveries, understood that if she didn't join hands with them right now, it could alert them against her.
"My Wuji Sword Sect will join the alliance," she replied.