Starting as the heir of a marquis's mansion, I gained access to a summoning system.

Everyone's here.

Qing Xuanzi stood up, his grey-white Taoist robe fluttering slightly in the sea breeze. He clasped his hands together and bowed to each of the four directions, his movements fluid and graceful, carrying a composure cultivated over decades.

"I am deeply honored that you have come from afar."

His voice wasn't loud, but it reached the ears of everyone present with crystal clarity—it was a transmission of true energy, effortless and effortless.

"Today's alliance meeting is for the sake of a century-long plan for the East China Sea. The rules set thirty years ago are no longer appropriate. The division of sea areas, the management of pirates, and the passage of merchant ships—every single one of these matters needs to be re-discussed."

As soon as he finished speaking, a murmur arose around the round table. Some nodded, some frowned, and some twirled their teacups expressionlessly.

— Renegotiate? Easier said than done. Every rule set thirty years ago was written in blood. To change it, blood must be shed.

But no one dared to say it aloud.

Everyone nodded in agreement, except for a cold laugh that came from the east side of the round table.

Li Tianxiao crossed his arms, a smirk playing on his lips, as if listening to a joke. He dared not confront Qing Xuanzi—he couldn't afford to offend the people of Penglai Island. So he turned his gaze to the south side of the round table, to the person in black robes who sat motionless.

"Discuss?"

Li Tianxiao's voice was like sandpaper rubbing against sheet metal, harsh and provocative: "Easy for you to say. First, let's redistribute the Sea Sand Gang's territory! What right does an outsider like the Underworld have to monopolize the salt transport route?"

He emphasized the words "outsider" as if he wanted to nail them into the ears of everyone present.

The Five Poisons Master gave a dry laugh, a hoarse and unpleasant sound as if it were squeezed out from deep in his throat: "Brother Li, what's the rush? We're here today to discuss this."

He offered words of advice, but his withered face showed no sign of reconciliation. His deep-set eyes swept over Ouyang Feiying once, then slowly closed again.

"Discuss?"

Li Tianxiao slammed his hand on the stone table, causing the teacups to rattle and clatter. He abruptly stood up, his imposing figure casting a large shadow in the sunlight.

"I, Li Tianxiao, have been making a living in the East China Sea for thirty years. The territory of the Sea Sand Gang has always been shared by everyone. An outsider from the Underworld, coming here and trying to hog all the spoils—do you think we're nobody in the East China Sea?"

Although his tone was sharp, he never showed the slightest disrespect to Qing Xuanzi. He didn't even glance towards the due north direction.

Everyone present understood that Penglai Island was unfathomable. Although Li Tianxiao was a Grandmaster at the second level, he might not even be able to defeat Qing Xuanzi, let alone the legendary reclusive powerhouse behind Penglai Island. Even if he had ten times the courage, he wouldn't dare to bare his teeth at Penglai Island.

But the underworld?

A force that has only emerged for less than two months, a "nouveau riche" with no foundation, no background, and no century of heritage—if we don't take action against it, who should we take action against?

All eyes turned to Ouyang Feiying.

There was curiosity, schadenfreude, indifference, and a hint of unspoken expectation in those eyes.

Ouyang Feiying sat motionless, expressionless.

The tea in his cup had gone cold, but he didn't drink it or even glance at it. His gaze was fixed on the stone tabletop, as if there was something on it worth studying.

Qingxuanzi frowned slightly and gently twirled the whisk in his hand.

He didn't rush to speak. Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at Whale Roar Master and Five Poisons Master—these two Grandmasters at the third level of the Heavenly Realm, both of whom were calm at the moment. One was leisurely sipping tea, and the other was closing his eyes to rest, showing no intention of stopping Li Tianxiao.

Qingxuanzi understood this perfectly.

—Li Tianxiao's sudden emergence today is undoubtedly due to someone pushing him from behind. The three giant islands are happy to use the thirteen great bandits to test the depths of the Underworld. If they succeed, the Underworld will be weakened, and the lucrative salt transport route can be brought back to the table; if they fail, the loss is merely a pawn that can be discarded at any time.

Qingxuanzi lowered his eyes, rested his whisk on his arm, and remained silent.

acquiescence.

"rule?"

Seeing that no one was stopping him, Li Tianxiao grew even bolder. He kicked aside the stone bench behind him and strode to the open space in the center of the round table, his voice booming like thunder.

"Might makes right!"

He extended a thick finger and pointed it directly at Ouyang Feiying: "King Qin Guang, you killed Sha Tongtian, and I, Li Tianxiao, won't fight you for that. But a 30% tax on the salt transport route—your appetite is far too big!"

As soon as he finished speaking, his aura exploded.

The oppressive aura of a Grandmaster at the second level swept across the entire area like a raging storm. Invisible true energy surged in the air, causing the teacups on the stone table to tremble violently, spilling tea and forming a small puddle on the table.

Many leaders of smaller factions turned pale, and some even involuntarily took a half-step back. Under such pressure, even breathing became difficult for cultivators at the early to mid-stages of the Grandmaster realm.

"so what?"

Ouyang Feiying finally raised his eyelids and glanced at him.

That glance was indifferent, like looking at a barking stray dog ​​on the roadside.

"so--"

Li Tianxiao took a step forward, and the rock beneath his feet cracked open with a loud "crack," sending fragments flying. His voice carried an almost manic excitement:

"I, Li Tianxiao, will test your mettle!"

Only then did Master Whale Roar slowly speak.

His voice, like muffled thunder rolling across the sky, was unhurried and deliberate: "Li Tianxiao, today is an alliance meeting, not a martial arts arena."

Despite saying that, he made no move to stop them. He didn't even get up; he simply put his teacup on the table, shifted to a more comfortable position, and leaned back in his chair—like a spectator on a stage, waiting for the show to begin.

The Five Poisons Master added in a sinister tone, his voice like a snake flicking its tongue:

"However, since Brother Li is interested, it would be good to broaden everyone's horizons."

He opened his dead fish-like eyes, licked Ouyang Feiying's body once, and then closed them again.

Qingxuanzi remained silent.

The whisk rested on his arm, motionless.

Ouyang Feiying took in all of this.

His gaze shifted from Whale Roar Master to Five Poisons Master, then to Qing Xuanzi, and finally settled on the menacing Li Tianxiao in the center of the round table.

He got it.

Li Tianxiao was a pebble thrown to test the waters.

And it was the three giant islands that threw this stone.

"it is good."

Ouyang Feiying stood up.

He rose slowly, as if deliberately putting pressure on the other person. His black robe slipped off the stone bench and unfurled in the wind like a black battle flag.

"If you're going to weigh it, then weigh it clearly."