Chapter 530 - 343: Weighing
It was the Donghua Martial Artists, led by Yi Beidou.
"My apologies for keeping you waiting."
Yi Beidou’s gaze swept across the faces of the God-Sealing Alliance members.
The seven-colored, ethereal light suffusing the sky trembled slightly, as if on the verge of shattering.
Carlos, one of the most distinguished Celestial Generals, found himself instinctively averting his gaze when Yi Beidou looked his way. He dared not meet the man’s eyes. He quickly snapped out of it and glanced at those around him, only to find that the other Divine Sealers had done the same. Some had even bowed their heads reflexively under Yi Beidou’s stare.
’This formless pressure, so terrifying and domineering... It’s simply inconceivable. Just how powerful is this man?’
"Welcome, Mr. Yi and everyone from Donghua. Please follow me to the conference room to discuss important matters."
Long Yichen stepped forward, smiled at Yi Beidou and the others, and made an inviting gesture.
Yi Beidou, however, didn’t move. He remained rooted to the spot, his expression serene, his gaze fixed on the five leaders of the Five Divine Sealing Veins.
For a moment, the air seemed to congeal. Even the scenery appeared to warp slightly. An almost tangible pressure filled the space, causing everyone present to tense up instantly.
"The discussion can wait. On my way here, I heard some people wanted to size me up. As it happens, I’d like to size them up as well—to see if they’re even qualified to work with me. Once that’s settled, it won’t be too late to discuss everything else."
Yi Beidou said coolly.
The expressions of the many Divine Sealers present changed at his words.
’We’re treating him with courtesy, so why this attitude? Is he really here to cooperate, or does he have some other agenda?’
Yi Beidou’s disrespectful behavior instantly ignited the anger of many Divine Sealers, their auras flaring up subtly.
For a moment, the scent of gunpowder seemed to hang in the silent air.
The Divine Sealers were a proud group. Once their anger was kindled, it was not easily extinguished.
"You certainly have guts, young man. But this is unnecessary. Our abilities aren’t like yours; they cannot be used lightly, only at the most critical of moments. To do otherwise would be disrespectful to our ancestors."
Amidst the silence, the elderly gentleman holding a cane chuckled softly, as if he had seen through Yi Beidou’s intentions.
’He’s trying to provoke us. He wants to use the collective anger of our people to force our hands, to make us go all out so we can’t hold anything back. That way, he can witness our true capabilities.’
’Just as the intel suggested, his methods are aggressive and audacious. He holds nothing sacred.’
Upon hearing the elderly gentleman’s words, the other Divine Sealing Leaders understood as well. The looks they gave Yi Beidou became somewhat complicated.
However, despite the elderly gentleman’s words, the seeds of anger had already been sown in the hearts of the crowd, and they couldn’t be quelled so easily with a few words.
If they truly did nothing in response, the other Divine Sealers would likely grow resentful.
The elderly gentleman sighed at the sight. He reached into his pocket and seemed to fiddle with something.
In an instant, the look of anger in the eyes of the other Divine Sealers—everyone except the five leaders—miraculously vanished.
For a disorienting moment, it seemed to Yi Beidou that the expressions on everyone’s faces were identical to how they’d been before his provocative words.
It was as if he had never spoken those words at all.
Silently, without a sound or trace, the elderly gentleman had apparently done something.
Yi Beidou’s eyes narrowed. ’What kind of ability is this? It seems similar to Ding Huiyuan’s True Word Technique, which affects the subconscious.’
This made him even more curious about the abilities of the other Divine Sealing Leaders.
Long Yichen’s "Dragon Essence" alone was proof that the abilities of the Divine Sealing Leaders were anything but ordinary.
"Very well. Everyone, please follow me."
Acting as if nothing had happened, the elderly gentleman turned and headed into Kunca Mansion.
The other four Divine Sealing Leaders and the other Divine Sealers followed close behind.
This time, however, the elderly gentleman didn’t lead them to the conference room. Instead, he guided the group toward an underground area of Kunca Mansion.
"Is Mr. Durand taking us to the training grounds? I thought the plan was to go to the conference room first. It feels like I’m missing something."
A hint of confusion touched Qin Yuan’s delicate features.
"It’s Mr. Durand’s ’Stopwatch.’ It seems something unpleasant happened a moment ago."
Carlos’s expression shifted slightly, as if he understood something.
Fortunately, few people knew about Mr. Durand’s ability. The others, though somewhat confused, saw that the leaders said nothing and simply assumed it was a pre-planned change.
Soon, the group arrived in the basement of Kunca Mansion. It was a vast, open underground space with ceilings at least twenty meters high. All four walls were made of metal and looked incredibly solid. It was likely a super-bunker, engineered to withstand a direct nuclear strike.
The two sides stood facing each other.
"Mr. Yi, since you’re so interested in a preliminary spar, we certainly won’t be spoilsports. I presume you’ve already had a taste of Dragon Leader’s Divine Power. In that case, the remaining four of us will now test our skills against you, one by one."
Mr. Durand said with a smile.
"Durand, you talk too much."
Just then, an aged voice cut Durand off. The stooped, gauze-bandaged old man stepped forward to stand before the crowd.
"Kid, some things can’t be so easily forgotten, even if Durand has used ’Retrospect’ on them. You’d best be prepared to pay the price."