Thousands of disciples silently watched Zhang and the other Supreme Elders, their expressions anxious, expectant, yet uneasy.
Zhang, accompanied by Master Pang and others, walked to the podium, glancing around.
Seated in the adjacent spectator seats were Taiyin Fairy and other Golden Immortals; most of them did not have voting rights, but given their special status, they could listen in.
Yuan Xiaoniao stood beside the podium with a stern expression, her voice no longer as lively as before:
"The first emergency meeting of the Jiushan Sect begins. Eleven Supreme Elders were expected to attend, ten are present."
"Eighty-nine thousand three hundred and thirty-six cultivators were expected, and indeed eighty-nine thousand three hundred and thirty-six are present."
"The meeting starts!"
All the disciples looked towards Zhang on the podium.
"Fellow Jiushan members, this emergency meeting has been convened by the Supreme Committee to address the current Xuanwei and Ten Thousand Worlds situation."
"As you all know, the situation is critical. The Emperor is using our Divine Dao Inspection system to verify his path to Primordial."
"Once he attains this path, our Nine Mountain Heavenly Rules will become mere waste paper."
"Our Nine Mountains Immortal Court will also cease to exist."
The disciples in the hall understood this point.
They had all witnessed the changes in the Land God Temple after the Emperor’s path, and naturally knew that the Emperor and Jiushan Sect were not aligned.
The system of the Immortal Court, which devolves power to all cultivators, would never be tolerated by the Emperor.
"Currently, the Emperor is using Zheng Fa to manipulate the Judiciary Clock, arbitrarily erasing the Nine Mountain Heavenly Rules, greatly impacting the Immortal Court. Therefore, the Supreme Elder Council proposes to remove Zheng Fa from the position of Sect Leader of Jiushan Sect."
"We ask everyone to vote."
Taiyin Fairy and others were startled and immediately understood that Zhang intended to cut the Emperor’s power to disrupt his path.
A low hum of voices rose from the disciples in the hall.
"But Zheng Fa is still in their hands."
Taiyin Fairy couldn’t help but speak.
Everyone fell silent.
Zhang’s eyelids twitched.
Some disciples didn’t know that Zheng Fa could use One Qi Transforms Three Pure Ones to resurrect.
Even those who knew this realized that with Lu Yao’s influence over the Fusang Wood, the effectiveness of One Qi Transforms Three Pure Ones was questionable.
Thus, everyone felt that once the Nine Mountains Immortal Court took such action, the Emperor would act against Zheng Fa.
At this moment, everyone fully understood why the Emperor wanted to keep Zheng Fa alive—for the Jiushan Sect founded by Zheng Fa, the Sect Leader’s safety was a crucial matter.
In many Xuanwei sects, if something happened to the Sect Leader, internal chaos or even destruction would surely follow.
Most notably, the Tianhe Sect.
Zhang pressed her lips together under the gaze of tens of thousands of disciples before finally speaking:
"This proposal was put forth by Zheng Fa."
A low murmur rose again in the hall.
Zhang stood up and said loudly, "He was unwilling to attend this meeting because he did not want everyone’s emotions regarding him to interfere with your judgment."
"He told me that if the Emperor verifies his path, he might survive, but the Nine Mountains Immortal Court will surely perish."
"One person versus millions, which is lighter and which is heavier, I hope everyone can discern clearly."
Everyone knew these were not exaggerated words.
It seemed the Emperor did not intend to kill Zheng Fa, and perhaps even had some intention of entrusting him with great responsibilities.
But on the other hand, given the Emperor’s path of supreme self-respect, the Nine Mountains Immortal Court and Great Leiyin Temple could not be tolerated by him.
If the Emperor truly achieved the Primordial path, Zheng Fa might survive.
But the Nine Mountains Immortal Court and Great Leiyin Temple he spent so many years building would inevitably face destruction.
Zhang seemed unfazed by the hesitation in everyone’s eyes, firmly urging:
"Time is short, please vote."
Everyone stood frozen for a long while, and finally, someone moved.
One person, two people, and soon, the voting result was out.
"Forty-six thousand two hundred and twelve in favor, thirty-one thousand one hundred and twenty-one abstained... proposal passed."
No one spoke a word.
"The second proposal is for Zhang Wuyi to temporarily take over the position of Sect Leader of Jiushan Sect, managing Jiushan Sect affairs until the next general election."
"... proposal passed!"
"The third proposal is to elect Mu Qingyan as Supreme Elder."
At these words, Taiyin Fairy’s eyes showed slight fluctuations.
At this moment, Mu Qingyan’s entry into the Supreme Elder Council was crucial.
On one hand, she was Zheng Fa’s second disciple, and along with Zhang Wuyi and Gu Chang, the eldest disciple, they were Zheng Fa’s loyal followers by nature.
This would slightly stabilize the morale within Jiushan Sect.
On the other hand, Zhang Wuyi wanted to win over those from the Turquoise Pool to further stabilize the situation.
But while she was close to the Jiushan Sect, the problem lay with the other Golden Immortals!
Currently, the external Golden Immortal influence within the Nine Mountains Immortal Court was too great, especially the Supreme Nine Sons, nine Golden Immortals that no one besides Zheng Fa could suppress.
One Mu Qingyan would find it difficult to win them over completely.
Thinking of this, Taiyin Fairy glanced at the restless Xuan Chengzi, only to find him gazing down, seeming calm and without any intentions.
"Proposal passed!"
The new acting Sect Leader of Jiushan Sect, Zhang Wuyi, stood up and issued her first Sect Leader Order since taking office:
"Remove Heavenly Emperor Body from all positions within the Divine Dao Inspection Institute and nullify his Divine Talisman."
At her words, the Watch Clocks in the Land God Temples of the northeastern two continents rang out with a thunderous sound, and the incense on the bell bodies dimmed.
The Sun and Moon Clock in the sky let out a humming sound, as if wailing in grief.
The Heavenly Emperor Body sitting beside the Sun and Moon Clock, with eyes closed, saw his momentum fall drastically, even facing the risk of dropping from the Golden Immortal Rank.
Zhang looked up at the Heavenly Emperor Body, then lowered her head to speak to the others in the hall, her tone calm:
"The Nine Mountains Immortal Court is rooted in all beings, with the Nine Mountain Heavenly Rules as its guidelines."
"Those who harm all beings and break the heavenly rules, regardless of who they are or why, will not be tolerated by the Immortal Court."
"Today Zheng Fa is like this, and tomorrow if I am controlled by the Emperor, I hope you will be the same."
Her voice carried no emotion, but a hidden pathos could not be masked.
Everyone knew she had decided to protect the Immortal Court system, irrespective of Zheng Fa, and regardless of herself.
The Jiushan Sect’s tens of thousands of disciples loudly replied:
"Acknowledged!"
At this moment, the long-browed elder beside them spoke up: "The Ancestor Master communicated to us: obey the Immortal Court’s orders."
Taiyin Fairy felt a tremor in her heart, and even Zhang’s expression showed joy.
The Daoist Venerable’s support was now crucial.
This was, after all, a Taiyi combat force.
More importantly, it was about the Supreme Nine Sons.
The Nine Mountains Immortal Court’s internal stability was temporarily assured.
"The meeting is adjourned, please return to your respective posts, soothe the populace, and guard your gates tightly."
Everyone knew the situation was urgent and left the conference hall one after the other.
When Master Pang and others were leaving, they glanced back at Zhang.
They saw Zhang still sitting on the podium, not moving for a long time.
"Senior Sister, are you alright?"
Yuan Xiaoniao brought her head closer and whispered a question.
The decision to abandon Zheng Fa was hardest to accept for this invincible, almost all-sustaining Senior Sister.
Zhang’s face abruptly collapsed; she closed her eyes, leaning her head against Yuan Xiaoniao’s chest.
Yuan Xiaoniao felt Senior Sister trembling.
"Don’t be afraid." Yuan Xiaoniao had never seen Senior Sister like this and gently wrapped an arm around her shoulder, saying softly, "Senior Sister, don’t be afraid."
Yuan Xiaoniao held Senior Sister, looking at the figure of the Emperor amidst the chaos, feeling nothing but pity for her.
For Senior Sister, the Nine Mountains Immortal Court wasn’t that important, and neither were the Nine Mountain Heavenly Rules.
If Senior Sister had to choose, she’d probably stop at nothing to preserve Zheng Fa’s life.
But she understood Junior Brother, and Senior Sister knew Junior Brother even better.
Junior Brother showed his disdain for the old Xuanwei from the moment he joined.
He painstakingly shaped the Nine Mountains Immortal Court into what it was now.
This time, it wasn’t Senior Sister’s choice; it was Junior Brother’s.
...
Amid the chaos, the three Maitreya figures began to dissipate, with the Emperor’s figure and Hongmeng Purple Qi growing closer, seemingly about to merge.
Suddenly, the incense from Xuanwei snapped abruptly.
The formerly docile Hongmeng Purple Qi struggled violently like an unruly divine dragon!
The Emperor looked towards Zheng Fa.
"It’s you!"