Chapter 234: Chapter 209: Asking for Pointers
In a meeting room at the Martial Arts Association Headquarters.
After Zhao Xuanqi emerged from his closed-door cultivation, the Three Elders immediately called a meeting.
To be frank, Zhao Xuanqi’s week-long seclusion at such a critical time had a significant impact. His absence led people to believe something had happened to him, and now, many rumors were circulating.
Therefore, everyone was extremely concerned about his condition after the seclusion.
Inside the meeting room, the Three Elders sat at the head of the table. Below them were Zhao Xuanqi, Zhao Yuan, Xiang Ji, the Seven General Stars, and several other key experts from the Martial Arts Association.
Everyone was studying Zhao Xuanqi, but no one seemed to be able to sense anything different about him.
Even the Three Elders couldn’t discern anything and could only ask, "How did your seclusion go?"
"It went well. I had some breakthroughs. I’m sorry for the delay I caused. What is the current situation in Jinmen?"
Zhao Xuanqi asked. Although advancing to the Harmony realm by completely liberating his will was a monumental event, it felt like a natural progression to him, so he didn’t elaborate. He was far more concerned about the current state of the Martial Arts Association.
’I’m now a key figure in the Jinmen Martial Arts Association. Its channels and influence are far beyond what the Zhen Nan Chamber of Commerce ever had. No matter what, I can’t let anything happen to the Jinmen Martial Arts Association.’
"For now, the major Warlords are holding their positions. Neon and the Great Powers have also temporarily ceased their activities. We’ve reclaimed the channels and interests that were originally ours, and even expanded on them. After that last battle, the Martial Arts Association has gained significant momentum, and our reputation has spread throughout all corners of the Divine Land. It won’t be easy for the major powers to move against us, so we have a grace period. Recently, the Beidou Sect has sent representatives several times to negotiate, but we haven’t reached an agreement. The Vermilion Bird Sect also wants to ransom back Hong Luan. But since you’re the one who captured her, you get to set the terms," the Human Elder explained to Zhao Xuanqi.
"Hong Luan?"
Zhao Xuanqi nodded slightly. ’Now that I’ve made a breakthrough, I’m in desperate need of resources, especially special Rare Beast Materials. Hong Luan will be the perfect bargaining chip to extort a hefty price from the Vermilion Bird Sect.’
"However, this calm is temporary. Once the Warlords and other powers are prepared, they could move against us at any moment. We cannot let our guard down. We must use this grace period to expand the Martial Arts Association’s influence and unite the forces of the civilian Martial Arts Realm across the Divine Land. This is what we’ve been working on lately," Zhao Yuan, sitting to one side, added.
"Exactly. The successful conclusion of the Martial Arts Tournament and the defeat of those Neon scoundrels was a cause for worldwide celebration. We were supposed to hold a grand victory banquet to bolster the Martial Arts Association’s prestige, but the plan was postponed due to your sudden seclusion. However, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. We’ve used this time to extend invitations to major Schools from the civilian Martial Arts Realm. We’re preparing to turn this victory banquet into a summit for Martial Arts Experts from all regions, uniting various Schools to face the current situation together," the Earth Elder said with a nod.
"These Martial Arts Schools are willing to ally with us? During the World Martial Arts Tournament, most civilian Martial Arts Schools didn’t even send experts to compete, citing the Warlords’ ban."
Zhao Xuanqi frowned slightly.
’The World Martial Arts Tournament... though it had the word ’World’ in its name, in reality, less than thirty percent of the civilian Martial Arts Schools in the entire Divine Land actually participated. Top-tier experts were even rarer. The Jinmen Martial Arts Association had to carry most of the weight, which was why the tournament was such a struggle.’
’In truth, there are plenty of real experts in the civilian Martial Arts Realm of the Divine Land. It’s just that most of them either have ties to the Warlords, depend on them for resources, or were propped up by them in the first place. The whole situation is incredibly complex.’
"Before the World Martial Arts Tournament, of course no major School was willing to wade into these muddy waters. A School’s interests and very survival were at stake; they had to be cautious. But now that we’ve won, our prestige has soared, and we’ve managed to thwart the Warlords. That’s given some Schools a glimmer of hope. It’s a well-known fact that the Warlords are aggressive and want to completely absorb the Divine Land’s civilian Martial Arts Realm into their system. If the civilian Martial Arts Realm unites, its combined power would be enough to make even the Warlords wary. Plus, each School could maintain its own legacy. Our Jinmen Martial Arts Association has now earned the right to lead, so naturally, some are willing to place their bets on us."
"In recent days, thanks to our efforts, no fewer than a hundred Schools have contacted us, either openly or in secret, or have come to visit. All of them have shown an inclination to side with us. This includes many renowned major Schools, with five being the most powerful among them."
"The Sanmei Sect from the Northern Territory, the Great Wilderness Sect from the West Desert, the Spirit Seal Sect from Tibet, the Three Section Sect from Dian Nan, and the Bichao Sect from the South Sea have all sent their strongest experts to show their considerable sincerity," the Heavenly Elder said.
Hearing this, Zhao Xuanqi immediately understood.
’Under the Warlords’ immense pressure, the civilian Martial Arts Realm is hardly unified. Every School is waiting on the sidelines, looking for a way out. Now that the Martial Arts Association has won, some Schools are willing to bet on us to secure their future. But, judging by what the Three Elders said, most of these stronger Schools are located in the border regions of the Divine Land, near foreign territories, where the Warlords’ grip is weaker.’
’Meanwhile, the major Schools deep in the Warlords’ heartlands have remained silent. Even if they’re interested, they don’t dare make a move. It just goes to show that the Martial Arts Association isn’t yet strong enough for them to feel they’d be truly protected.’
"The strongest experts from these five great Schools are all top-tier figures in the Divine Land’s civilian Martial Arts Realm. They’ve been famous for a long time and have reached the Half-Step Harmony realm. Their Fist Techniques have aged like fine wine, growing more potent over time. Their power and influence cannot be underestimated. This is a good start."
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