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Han Shuang stared calmly back. “Elder Zhen Junior, you’ve sworn not to share our conversation with a third party or divulge my secrets. You can’t obstruct me in any shape or form, correct?”

“Indeed!” Jiang Chen nodded solemnly. “Don’t worry, my word is my bond.”

“What do you know about the Heavenly Crimson Lake?” asked the sectmistress quietly.

“Isn’t it but a volcanic lake? Only, it’s dense in fire elements, so it’s beneficial for cultivation. Nothing else of note comes to mind.” That was the extent of his knowledge.

“Heh, so you don’t know all that much about it.” Han Shuang smirked.

“Is there a secret I’m unaware of?” Jiang Chen inquired. It didn’t seem all that possible, given the considerable information at his disposal. Wouldn’t that imply the tidbit had been unknown even to his father back then?

Han Shuang nodded lightly. Though a little hesitant, she added, “Elder Zhen, do you remember when we talked about the endless dance of celestial emperors?”

Jiang Chen naturally recalled that discussion. It had taken place before the competition.

“I do. If memory serves correctly, you said you hoped for a strong celestial emperor to take over Taiyuan Plane. Is that what you’re referring to?”

“Exactly,” she emphasized with a heavy nod. “Elder Zhen Junior, how long did you stay in Taiyuan Plane before?”

It seemed irrelevant to the topic at hand, yet the young lord didn’t rush her. Instead, he answered thoughtfully, “Not all that long. I’ve been wandering on foreign soil for most of my life.”

“And why did you stay away? Isn’t it because Taiyuan is too much of a mess?” she continued

Jiang Chen smiled. “You can put it that way. A new celestial emperor’s always popping out of nowhere, so who knows what tomorrow will bring?”

Han Shuang eased off a little, carefully gauging him as she slowly spoke. “It seems we’re of one mind on this matter. I’m sure most cultivators on Taiyuan Plane share our opinion.”

“Hm?”

“We all hope to find stability, to see a strong emperor rule for a long time. It’s the only way to restore order and reestablish the law. We urgently need peace and justice, but you can see the current situation as clearly as me.

“Sects like White Drake run amok with no fear of consequences, but it’s nothing compared to the unrest in the other regions. It’s a dog eat dog world out there. Far from the utopia the legends speak of, we’re living in a waking nightmare. Such a world will be abandoned sooner or later by the supreme dao!”

Han Shuang was so distraught that she’d sprung to her feet.

“You’re right on the money, Sectmistress, but what does it have to do with a trivial lake?”

“A lot!” Han Shuang almost shouted.

“Ah? Why can’t I see it? Please do share.” Jiang Chen chuckled.

“Let’s put that aside for now and go back to the Taiyuan Plane. There are currently a mere fifty-something godkings in existence, compared to more than a hundred and eight before the collapse of order. After hundreds of millennia, Taiyuan’s chaos is starting to take its toll on the fabric of its being. More than half its strength has been eroded away, and this disaster is still ongoing!”

She was beside herself with anger. “I wasn’t born during the initial coup, but I’ve studied that piece of history. After someone deliberately toppled Celestial Emperor Taiyuan’s reign, the plane’s been on a continuous decline. Today, we’re staring right into the abyss of its destruction.”

Her reasoning was sound enough, but these matters seemed far too distant from someone of her status and cultivation.

“Sectmistress, what are you trying to say?” His sharp eyes bore into her.

“My point is, no following eras can compare to Celestial Emperor Taiyuan’s reign. Then why don’t we simply go back? Why not reinstate him? He’s the only godking acknowledged by creation, the only one the people can adhere to.

“In the past, the godkings thought he’d transgressed the will of the heavens by refining the Sun Moon Pill and tampering with the preordained cycle of life and death. That’s why, instigated by someone, they all called for his destitution and imprisonment. The result? Even with him gone, Taiyuan continues to deteriorate. It’s proof he’s not the one bringing misfortune to our world. Rather, it’s the knave acting behind the scenes!”

Throwing caution to the wind, Han Shuang’s angry tirade seemed neverending.

This sectmistress turns out to be my father’s staunch supporter? How unexpected.

Jiang Chen smiled gently. “Celestial Emperor Taiyuan is a figure from an age long gone. It’s quite a surprise to see people still yearning for his return to this day.”

“Elder Zhen Junior, do you think I’m the only one to think so? Wrong! You can ask around. Out of ten people, at least seven or eight will admit that his era was Taiyuan’s golden age. Whether or not they’ve witnessed it in person, every cultivator pines for that glorious past. Taiyuan was at its most powerful and prosperous back then!”

As she’d said, it was an irrefutable truth that Taiyuan had been weakening step by step after the celestial emperor’s removal.

“What? Elder Zhen Junior, do you disagree?” Eyes blazing, the little spitfire seemed ready to fight to the death if he dared say yes.

Jiang Chen sighed. “I don’t. But, my dear lady, other than grumbling about it, what can people like us do?”