C1446 Convince
C1446 Convince
Yang Mao had anticipated their dismayed reactions, and he shared in their sorrow. Yet, he remembered his mission. Rallying his spirits, he continued, "I am here on the orders of the Hall Master to extend an offer to the entire Purple Cauldron Sect..."
"What? The Hall Master? You've already..." Tan Gaoyi interjected before Yang Mao could finish.
"Yes," Yang Mao confirmed, his voice heavy with the weight of his words. "I have indeed pledged allegiance to Senior Lin. I am prepared, and all disciples from Purple Peak will join Senior Lin's Tianyuan Palace."
Yang Mao's response was direct and unapologetic. There was no point in concealing the truth any longer.
"You... Have you forgotten our Master and Martial Uncle's dying wishes? Have you forgotten the oath you swore before the ancestral tablets when you joined our sect?!" Tan Gaoyi was livid, pointing at Yang Mao with a face reddened by anger, his body shaking uncontrollably.
Yang Mao bowed his head slightly, unable to meet Tan Gaoyi's gaze, but he still responded, "I haven't forgotten. How could I possibly forget? You've known me for hundreds of years, Senior Brother. Don't you know who I am? But what choice do I have now?"
"Senior Brother, are you aware of what befell the East Saint Sect? Sun Yan merely attempted to negotiate with the Palace Master, and for that, the Palace Master obliterated the East Saint Sect's protective formation with a single punch. He decreed the eradication of Sun Yan's lineage within the sect. Cornered, Sun Yan tried to self-destruct, but to no avail. The Palace Master crushed him with a palm strike, and his attempt at self-detonation didn't even scratch the Palace Master. In the end, led by Wei Zhengzhen, the East Saint Sect capitulated to the Palace Master. They are now a subordinate hall under Tianyuan Palace!"
The East Saint Sect is now a thing of the past!
I've been gradually relaying news back as I traveled.
Senior Brother, you must be aware of all this, right?"
"I don't want you to meet the same fate as Sun Yan, nor do I want our Purple Cauldron Sect to suffer the same fate as the East Saint Sect!"
"With Senior Lin's presence, Tianyuan Palace's dominance is unchallenged and irresistible!
I'm left with no other choice!
All I want is to safeguard our entire Purple Cauldron Sect. I'm determined to protect the lives of our brothers, disciples, relatives, and the countless members of our sect!"
Yang Mao's voice grew louder and more resonant.
His words struck Tan Gaoyi and the others like a drumbeat in their ears.
Gradually, Tan Gaoyi and the others fell silent, their anger fading away to be replaced by a sense of mourning.
Truth be told, they didn't need Yang Mao to spell it out for them; they already understood.
As one of the six most formidable powers on the Dongyuan Continent, the leadership of the Purple Cauldron Sect was renowned for their intelligence and wisdom.
Yang Mao and his companions had kept them informed of everything they had encountered on their journey.
They were well aware.
How could they be oblivious to the current state of affairs for the Purple Cauldron Sect, and indeed, the entire Dongyuan Continent?
They were simply feigning ignorance, unwilling to face the reality.
Whether it was for the sake of their sect's legacy or the status and resources that came with being a top power on the continent.
They did not want to capitulate.
But the reality of the situation was overwhelming.
In the face of such a vast disparity in power, all their schemes and ploys were as insubstantial as bubbles.
If they refused to submit, facing a fate similar to the East Saint Sect's would be considered merciful.
Their greater fear was to follow in the footsteps of the Devil Cloud Sect, to be utterly destroyed and erased from the Dongyuan Continent forever.
Nevertheless, Tan Gaoyi and the others remained mute.
Their silence was not just a stalling tactic; they were also hesitant to commit to a decision.
Observing their reaction, Yang Mao's gaze flickered.
With a swift motion, he retrieved a palm-sized, intricately crafted formation plate radiating the power of the Emperor Level.
The formation plate, a pale purple hue, seamlessly connected to the sect's protective barrier, appearing to be an extension of it.
"Senior Brother, the Hall Master didn't grant me much time. If you're hesitant, then allow me to make the decision for us." Yang Mao's voice was grave as he gripped the light purple formation plate.
Tan Gaoyi's face paled at the sight of the plate, which resonated with the sect's protective array. He blurted out, "That's the secondary command for our sect's protective grand array! It grants temporary control over part of the array and should only be used in dire emergencies. Junior Brother, what are you doing...?!"
The leadership within the Purple Cauldron Sect was more cohesive than that of the East Saint Sect, striving to avoid discord. To manage the sect's protective grand array, control was split between a primary and a secondary command, each held by a peak Emperor Level practitioner. However, strict rules governed their use. The secondary command was not to be invoked lightly. If faced with a life-or-death crisis while away from the sect, the holder must destroy the secondary command to prevent its misuse by enemies. The command itself was an Emperor Level Spirit weapon, bound to the life force of its holder, who could destroy it with a mere thought if the bond was not severed.
What Tan Gaoyi and the others hadn't anticipated was Yang Mao producing the secondary command at this juncture, signaling that he was acting of his own volition. His intentions, with the command in hand, were clear.
"Senior Brother, as you know, the command should not be used unless we face an extreme crisis. But right now, the very existence of our sect, the lives of our hundreds of thousands of martial artists, and millions of souls depend on it. Doesn't that constitute an extreme crisis?" Yang Mao spoke with a weighty seriousness.
"The Purple Cauldron Sect didn't start as one of the six great powers on the Dongyuan Continent; we fought our way up. Throughout that time, we've wiped out and absorbed countless other forces and families. Now, facing our own downfall is merely the turn of the Heavenly Dao." His tone grew more composed as he continued.
It seemed as though he was trying to convince himself to come to terms with his predicament.
Upon encountering Tan Gaoyi and his companions, he remained indecisive.
Yang Mao produced yet another object.
At first glance, the item appeared quite mundane—a mere fragment of a robe.
But as Tan Gaoyi and the others sensed the energy it held, their faces shifted, and they were seized by a violent trembling.
"This... This is... Could this possibly be...?!"
Their words faltered, barely coherent.
"Indeed," Yang Mao confirmed with a nod.
"This is a piece of Sun Yan's robe from the East Saint Sect, the only remnant after his self-destruction.
I realize the fate of Sun Yan's self-detonation might be hard for you to accept.
That's why I brought this piece here.
If you continue to resist surrender, you may very well be next."
"Senior Brother, I'll give you one final minute to think it over.
If you're still unable to decide, don't hold it against me for using the deputy command to forcibly take over the protective grand array of the sect.
I'm doing this for the sake of my kin, my disciples, and the lives of the hundreds of thousands of martial artists connected to my Purple Cauldron Peak.
I ask for your understanding!"