"This..."
The Sect Leader and Supreme Elders of the Liuyun Sect felt a chill in their hearts upon hearing Di Shitian's words and seeing the twisted expression on his face, worried that he might lose control.
The Sect Leader really wanted to persuade Di Shitian not to be too impulsive and to avoid rushing into the outside world; the dark chaos there was terrifying at the moment, with God Realm experts completely lacking the ability to resist against those demon-like monsters.
Even with Di Shitian's strength at the Peak of the Eighth Layer of the Divinity Transformation Realm, facing those demons, it was estimated that he would have no chance of fighting back.
However, the Sect Leader wanted to persuade him but also feared that Di Shitian wouldn't listen. Instead, he might even lash out at them, accusing them of not helping him and then sever ties with the Liuyun Sect. That would mean they, who had placed all their bets on him, would be at a total loss, wouldn't it?
While the Sect Leader was struggling to find the right words, Di Shitian, who seemed like he was about to lose control in his fury, suddenly had a halt in his momentum, and he calmed down.
Di Shitian was a man of great affairs with excellent emotional control. He knew he had lost his last kin and couldn't afford to act rashly anymore, lest his Imperial family be completely annihilated!
Di Shitian constrained himself; his face gloomy as still water, he spoke, "Sect Leader, you said earlier that there is dark chaos outside. What exactly is the situation?"
Hearing this, the Sect Leader hurriedly informed him of the chaotic state of the world he had witnessed, "In short, the outside world is very chaotic now, probably plagued by demons for about three months? There should barely be any people left alive globally. The enemies who killed Di Yin might very well be dead already. Perhaps you can wait a while longer before going out to look around?"
Di Shitian's eyes calmly observed the Sect Leader, seeing the lingering fear in his expression as he described the scene of demons' rampage, knowing the Sect Leader likely wasn't deceiving him on this matter.
Moreover, he recalled that upon leaving his seclusion earlier, he saw several key Elders missing; they must have perished while following the Sect Leader to inquire about Di Yin's situation, just as the Sect Leader had explained!
If that were the case...
Di Shitian thought he might as well wait a little longer before venturing out. If Dragon King Hall wasn't annihilated by then, it wouldn't be too late for him to take action!
Di Shitian calmed down, pushing down the deep hatred brought by the death of Di Yin, and said hoarsely, "Alright, then I'll wait until after the Four Sects Martial Meeting is over before going out again."
"Good, good, good..." The Sect Leader and the Supreme Elders, seeing that Di Shitian was reasonable, immediately agreed with him, pleased.
Di Shitian said, "Rest assured, since I agreed to your conditions and grew up with the help of the Liuyun Sect's cultivation resources, I will definitely help Liuyun Sect rise. Before that, I will put aside my national grief and family hatred!"
The Sect Leader and Supreme Elders, upon hearing this, didn't know quite what to say.
Indeed, they were very worried that after rising with the help of the Liuyun Sect's cultivation resources, Di Shitian would not help them compete for the Yan Kingdom's resources to boost the Liuyun Sect but instead run off to pursue his revenge first.
Now that Di Shitian had said this, they felt somewhat relieved but also a little embarrassed, thinking they had been overly suspicious.
Di Shitian's tone suddenly turned cold again as he said, "Alright, the weakest among the Four Sects of Yan Kingdom is Mingyue Valley. I'll first go out and probe the situation and take the opportunity to eliminate a few of their talented disciples, preparing for us to annihilate Mingyue Valley and take its place."
With these words, he turned and strode away, his figure swiftly soaring towards the direction of Mingyue Valley.
Di Shitian repressed the pain and hatred in his heart; he needed to unleash a massacre to vent the frustration and unwillingness pent up inside...
But he couldn't possibly turn his hand against his fellow sect members of the Liuyun Sect. Fortunately, the Liuyun Sect's plan was to replace a certain sect and participate in the Four Sects Martial Meeting of Yan Kingdom to distribute cultivation resources. Sooner or later, they would take action against Mingyue Valley, so his killing near Mingyue Valley now would not cause any harm!
Watching as Di Shitian's silhouette disappeared from view, the Sect Leader and Supreme Elders each let out a sigh.
"Alas, Di Shitian has had a hard time," they lamented.
"He's very level-headed, but he also lives a harder life," said another. "Honestly, I was thinking earlier that maybe we should just drop the Four Sects Martial Meeting and let him go seek revenge. Suppressing his feelings like this, I'm afraid it might lead to trouble."
"But are we really going to give up on a plan we have been plotting for over twenty years?"
"We've come this far, Di Shitian must understand the gravity of the situation, he can't possibly give up now!"
"Sigh..."
The Sect Leader also let out a long sigh, anxious about the stakes involved for Di Shitian and their Liuyun Sect's gamble.
Liuyun Sect had indeed placed all their bets on Di Shitian, and the tragic death of Di Yin left Di Shitian emotionally unstable. They were uncertain whether they could reclaim their entire investment, or even make a considerable profit.
Or would they lose everything?
As for why these Sect Leaders and Supreme Elders, with their Cultivation levels clearly at the seventh or eighth level of the God Realm, not inferior to that of the Four Great Sects, would still bet everything on Di Shitian?
That's a long story.
More than twenty years ago, Liuyun Sect was just a small Sect, but they stumbled across a remarkable opportunity in the tomb of a powerful being, obtaining countless Cultivation Resources that allowed them to leap from a small Sect to a mid-sized one!
However, they feared that if word of their windfall leaked out, the Four Sects of Yan Kingdom would discover their fortune and crush them in their infancy, so for the first decade, they kept a low profile and dared not draw attention...
Until ten years ago, these Elders and Sect Leaders, relying on the majority of the Cultivation Resources, finally reached the seventh or eighth level of the God Realm.
They were full of ambition and desired to reveal their strength, shake Yan Kingdom to its core, and alter the balance of power, elevating Liuyun Sect as the fifth Great Sect!
But at the time of the Four Sects Martial Meeting, investigations revealed that the Cultivation Resources in Yan Kingdom were scarce, hence the four Sects used the Martial Meeting to distribute resources.
It's not that once you, Liuyun Sect, have the equivalent strength, you can turn the Four Sects Martial Meeting into a Five Sects Martial Meeting and share the resources. That's not how it works!
They would unite and directly obliterate the newly risen fifth Sect, ensuring the Four Sects Martial Meeting continued without disruption.
To change the status quo, you'd need to follow Blood Sword Sect's approach. Back then, the Four Sects of Yan Kingdom did not include Blood Sword Sect; it only became one of the four because it silently obliterated a certain Sect, and since Blood Sword Sect was powerful, the other three would suffer heavy losses if they confronted it directly.
Consequently, the other Three Sects weighed the pros and cons, and given that it would still be Four Sects, there was no need to avenge the destroyed Sect at the cost of their own strength, so they tacitly accepted Blood Sword Sect as the new one among the Four Great Sects.
Having understood this situation, they began to contemplate emulating Blood Sword Sect's strategy—eradicate a particular Sect, take its place, and then participate in the Four Sects Martial Meeting to divide Yan Kingdom's Cultivation Resources, thereby gradually consolidating Liuyun Sect's strength.
However, the Four Sects Martial Meeting is about the strength of the younger generation.
Those who participate cannot be over fifty years of age...
These Sect Leaders and Supreme Elders, although they attained a certain realm thanks to those vast resources, were too old to take part in the Four Sects Martial Meeting.
Since Liuyun Sect was a minor Sect, there were too few promising youths, and the remaining resources were hardly sufficient to cultivate new disciples...
If they had preemptively destroyed a Sect back then, they wouldn't be able to participate in the Martial Meeting to claim resources. Another ten years would pass, only to find themselves continually falling behind the other three Sects, so they needed to continue to bide their time and nurture a disciple capable of competing.
It so happened that they encountered Di Shitian, who had fled from another country in a panic, and decided to give him their last resources, placing all their bets on him.
Ten years passed, and Di Shitian lived up to expectations, finally reaching the Peak Eighth Level of the Divine Realm, on the verge of advancing to the Ninth Layer at any moment.
With such strength unmatched in the Four Great Sects of Yan Kingdom, once revealed, Liuyun Sect would secure the lion's share of the Cultivation Resources distributed during the Four Sects Martial Meeting. In the long run, Liuyun Sect would surely become the foremost among the Four Great Sects!
But unfortunately...
The death of Di Yin's people outside could potentially affect Di Shitian's condition, possibly foiling their initial step of obliterating Mingyue Valley...