NOVPUBChapter 243
Jiang Chen raised his head slightly, his eyes calm, and a warm smile hung on his face, making him look energetic and full of vitality, like a ray of sunshine, making people feel as if they were basking in the spring breeze.
However, this simple smile made everyone present fall silent in fear, their hearts trembling, and their scalps tingling.
Especially the Vermilion Bird Saintess, who was at the forefront, felt a chill rise from her feet to the top of her head, sending shivers through her body. She knew that the young man in front of her was capable of such feats.
In the past, the Golden Crow Clan was wiped out by this young man. If he truly intended to destroy an entire race, not even the ancient imperial clans could stop him.
Although the ancient imperial clans were allied, when a real situation arose, they would still prioritize their own survival and would not give their all, especially when it came to a special existence like Jiang Chen.
Once the Heavenly Tribulation was triggered, no amount of alliance from the ancient imperial clans would be useful. When the tribulation descended, they wouldn’t dare to intervene, unless they used an Emperor Weapon.
But the problem was, Jiang Chen had no shortage of Emperor Weapons, which placed both sides in a very awkward position.
Moreover, Jiang Chen’s tribulation was regional. If it occurred in their territory, even an Emperor Weapon might not be enough to protect them.
If all the forces deployed Emperor Weapons to protect the Vermilion Bird Clan, what about the other ancient imperial clans?
This was a deadlock with almost no solution, unless Jiang Chen was killed before the tribulation was triggered, which might be a possibility.
However, Jiang Chen was the Holy Son of the Primordial Holy Land, protected by peerless guardians and shielded by Emperor Weapons. Killing him would be far more difficult than killing a Great Saint or even a Quasi-Emperor.
If they had known that this youth possessed a supreme physique in the past, they would have long given up hope and dismissed any such thoughts.
To some extent, Jiang Chen had now become a taboo existence among all forces, someone who could not be provoked easily.
The Vermilion Bird Saintess also understood that if they truly offended the Holy Son of the Primordial Holy Land over such a trivial matter, once word got out, even she, as the Saintess, would likely have to bow her head, or worse, lose her status.
“Why?” The Vermilion Bird Saintess stared at Jiang Chen, filled with frustration.
If the black-haired girl in front of her had been a human or from the Primordial Holy Land, she wouldn’t have felt this way. But the other party was from the Heavenly Fox Clan, not a human.
Yet, Jiang Chen was willing to protect her, even at the risk of opposing them. This left the Vermilion Bird Saintess utterly perplexed.
However, she quickly thought of a possibility. Jiang Chen might be protecting this Heavenly Fox girl to draw the Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox Clan into the Primordial Holy Land. This was likely a gesture of goodwill toward the Heavenly Fox Clan.
For the sake of a Heavenly Fox girl, even the Holy Son of the Primordial Holy Land was willing to break ties with the ancient imperial clans and even threaten them. Didn’t this show a determination to protect the Heavenly Fox Clan?
The more the Vermilion Bird Saintess thought about it, the more it made sense to her.
“It must be like this. I’ve heard rumors that the Primordial Holy Land wants to draw the Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox Clan into its fold,” she muttered, her eyes flashing with deep meaning.
“I didn’t believe it at first, but now, seeing the actions of the Holy Son, I have no choice but to believe it.”
Upon hearing this, everyone was startled and began to feel that it made sense.
The Holy Son of the Primordial Holy Land had no reason to offend the Vermilion Bird Saintess over a Heavenly Fox girl. Such a trade didn’t seem worthwhile at all. Besides, the Heavenly Fox girl didn’t appear to be all that extraordinary.
If it had been the legendary Tian Mingyue, they might have understood. But could the rumors be true?
The rumors had always been there, but few had believed them. After all, because of the difference in races, it was possible for them to cooperate on certain matters, but forming an alliance was almost impossible.
Except for the ancient emperor’s joint effort to exterminate the demons, no such alliance had ever been made.
“This is impossible! The Vermilion Bird Saintess is trying to frame our clan!” Tian Mingyue’s heart sank slightly, her gaze sharp as she stared at the Vermilion Bird Saintess.
Indeed, they had considered the possibility, but due to the racial difference, once they joined the Primordial Holy Land, they would be left with no retreat.
This had always made the Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox Clan hesitant to commit fully to the Primordial Holy Land, as the cost would be too great and their future survival would be at stake.
One wrong step could lead to endless mistakes. Once the decision was made, the Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox Clan would have no place to go among the myriad races. If the humans oppressed them, they would have no choice but to submit.
This had kept them from considering the alliance. The same reasoning applied to many other forces. They believed that the Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox Clan had never shown favor to the Primordial Holy Land because they had foreseen the consequences.
But now, with these events unfolding, the situation was different. Rumors could be more harmful than a thousand soldiers.
Once the news spread, and suspicion took root among the ancient imperial clans, the Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox Clan would find it hard to maintain their current stance, as the ancient imperial clans would inevitably press them for a decision.
“This Vermilion Bird Saintess is truly malicious!” Tian Mingyue’s anger flared. If not for her words, the Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox Clan could have continued to stall and negotiate with the ancient imperial clans.
But now, with her statement, the Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox Clan found themselves in an awkward position, forced to make a choice—something Tian Mingyue did not want to see.
Furthermore, Jiang Chen’s next words would heavily influence the future direction of the Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox Clan. If he was willing to accept them, they might still have a way out. If not, they would have no choice but to submit to the ancient imperial clans’ alliance.
Between the two, Tian Mingyue leaned slightly more toward the Primordial Holy Land, as it was far stronger than the ancient imperial clans in every respect.
However, the racial difference made her worried that the Primordial Holy Land would oppress the Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox Clan.
At this moment, everyone’s eyes were fixed on Jiang Chen, waiting for his response. His reply was crucial, as it could represent the will of the Primordial Holy Land and potentially shift the balance of power in the Nine Heavens Realm.
“Although I don’t know where you heard this rumor, I don’t mind the Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox Clan joining our Primordial Holy Land.”
Jiang Chen smiled faintly and said, “Of course, if the Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox Clan does join us in the future, we will have you, Vermilion Bird Saintess, to thank.”
“After all, it was you who pushed the Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox Clan to us.”
Although he wasn’t sure if the Vermilion Bird Saintess had overthought things, believing that by saving the Heavenly Fox Clan, he was trying to recruit them, her actions had certainly brought unexpected results.
Of course, Jiang Chen indeed had this idea, but he needed the right opportunity to express it. The Vermilion Bird Saintess had clearly given him the perfect chance, one that Jiang Chen wasn’t about to miss.
Whether the Vermilion Bird Saintess was venting her frustration because the Heavenly Fox Empress belonged to the Heavenly Fox Clan or for some other reason, Jiang Chen didn’t know, and he didn’t care.
Her actions aligned perfectly with his intentions, giving him the opportunity to signal to the Heavenly Fox Clan that the Primordial Holy Land was willing to accept them.
This gave the Heavenly Fox Clan enough time to consider their options, and in an indirect way, it forced the Vermilion Bird Clan to push the Heavenly Fox Clan toward them.
To some extent, Jiang Chen even felt like rewarding the Vermilion Bird Saintess. She was playing the perfect role, almost as if she were an actor he had hired.
At that moment, the Vermilion Bird Saintess seemed to realize what was happening, and her expression darkened instantly. Especially when she saw the smile on Jiang Chen’s face, she immediately understood that she had misspoken.
