"Joe Di, please remain calm for now." Before Joe Di could summon the Destiny Bell, a gentle voice stopped him.
The one who stopped Joe Di was a scholar, tall and refined, with jade-like features and an elegant demeanor. Dao resonance swirled around him—he was clearly another Fifth Step Paragon.
"Lucas Ling." Joe Di had already stopped and cupped his fists in greeting, his earlier anger seemingly vanished. The Destiny Bell hovered above his head, but he did not strike.
In truth, even if no one had stopped him, Joe Di would not have acted before the Redlin Patriarch arrived. He already knew of Joe Di's strength—attacking would be courting death.
The surroundings grew even quieter. At least three Fifth Step Paragons were present: Lucas Ling of the Coldmoon Clan, Joe Di of the Redlin Clan, and Stanley Fang of the Cloud Clan.
Lucas Ling smiled faintly and sent a voice transmission, "Joe Di, I just received news that before we arrived, this man had already killed Peter Fan of the Blood Clan..."
He did not need to finish. Peter Fan's strength surpassed that of both Joe Di and Lucas Ling. Now that Peter Fan had been killed by Joe Di, if Joe Di charged forward, it would be a death wish.
Seeing Joe Di forcibly suppress his urge to attack, Joe Di was considering whether to deal with Joe Di now or head straight to the Redlin Clan.
"Haha, congratulations, Daoist Joe, your strength has reached new heights!" A hearty laugh rang out as James Wan landed on the battlefield.
However, at this moment, James Wan appeared somewhat disheveled, as if he had just fought a fierce battle. Anyone who could leave James Wan in such a state was certainly no weakling.
As James Wan's voice echoed, two more figures stepped out from the void. One of them was none other than the Redlin Patriarch, and the other drew Joe Di's gaze with surprise—this fellow was clearly another late Fifth Step Paragon, his strength no less than James Wan or the Redlin Patriarch.
Stanley Fang, who had arrived with Darius Redlin, stepped forward excitedly, bowed deeply and said, "Patriarch, I did not expect you were still here..."
The one Stanley Fang called 'Patriarch' was the black-robed man who had arrived with James Wan and the Redlin Patriarch. His hair was a tangled mess, like a ball of unruly threads, and aside from his slightly large nose, his features were otherwise dignified.
"Hmph." The black-robed man snorted coldly, ignoring Stanley Fang, but his gaze fell upon Joe Di.
Seeing the Patriarch's unfriendly look, Stanley Fang's heart skipped a beat and he quickly explained, "Patriarch, this is Daoist Joe Di of the Human Clan, also a late Fifth Step Paragon."
Stanley Fang did not know Joe Di's true strength. Joe Di had killed Peter Fan and several Fourth Step Paragons, yet remained unscathed, clearly marking him as Fifth Step. By presenting Joe Di as a late Fifth Step Paragon, Stanley Fang hoped to prevent the Patriarch from making a move against him.
The Cloud Clan had always been one of the top clans, thanks to their own late Fifth Step Paragon—Zachary Yu. After Zachary Yu disappeared, the Cloud Clan fell behind the Divine Clan and the Redlin Clan.
Now that Patriarch Zachary Yu had returned, Stanley Fang naturally did not wish for any conflict between him and Joe Di. Moreover, relations between the Cloud Clan and Human Clan had always been decent—at least they did not oppress Human Clan cultivators like other clans did.
To Stanley Fang's relief, the Patriarch did not question or rebuke Joe Di.
Before Zachary Yu could speak, Darius Redlin interjected, "Patriarch, this man just killed Damien Redlin, and even tore open Damien's world, taking everything he owned."
The Redlin Patriarch's eyes turned cold—Damien Redlin was the hope of the Redlin Clan's future. Moreover, he possessed a remarkable divine ability, the Heavenly Illusion Art, which the Patriarch had only recently learned was in Damien's possession. Had he known earlier, he would have killed Rowena Meng long ago.
Before the Redlin Patriarch could demand an explanation from Joe Di, Darius Redlin sent a voice transmission, "He killed Peter Fan of the Blood Clan not long ago; his strength has clearly reached another level."
The Redlin Patriarch immediately furrowed his brows. In his view, Joe Di's previous strength was equivalent to an early or mid Fifth Step Paragon. If Joe Di had advanced another tier, that meant he was now a mid-to-late Fifth Step powerhouse, even standing on equal footing with them.
"Joe Di, what is the meaning of this? Last time, you killed more than ten of my Redlin Clan's Paragons. Out of respect for our shared cosmic lineage, I said nothing. But today you strike down a direct inheritor of my clan—do you take the Redlin Clan for fools?" After speaking, the Redlin Patriarch did not look at Joe Di, but instead turned his gaze to James Wan.
James Wan also frowned. Just a few more months would have sufficed, but Joe Di refused to stay quiet and had killed Damien Redlin. He was annoyed at Damien too—knowing Joe Di's fate was already sealed, yet still provoking him here. This wasn't just trouble for Joe Di, but for all of them.
"Daoist Joe, you are..." Though James Wan had no desire to speak further, with the Redlin Patriarch pressing for answers, he could not remain silent, lest it create discord between them.
"I killed Damien Redlin. He tortured my brother, and I wish I could have shattered his soul a thousand times over. To kill him so simply today was too merciful for that beast." Rowena Meng spoke up angrily from the side.
Joe Di waved Rowena Meng aside and replied calmly, "Your Redlin Clan has slaughtered countless Human Clan cultivators. Today, I've killed only a few of your clan, and you can't bear it? Does your Redlin Clan think itself so noble? If you have any tricks, come at me directly. I've said before I would visit the Redlin Clan—just haven't found the time yet."
No matter how magnanimous the Redlin Patriarch might be, at this moment, Joe Di's words left his face twisted with anger.
Before the Redlin Patriarch could erupt, James Wan spoke up, "Grudges between clans are inevitable—that's why we have the Grand Conclave of All Races. Since that's the case, let us set the date for the Grand Conclave: ten days from now, shall we?"
The Redlin Patriarch, who had been on the verge of an outburst, forcibly swallowed his anger upon hearing that the Grand Conclave of All Races would be held in ten days.
Since Joe Di was soon to meet his fate, he held back once more. "Daoist Joe, since Brother James has set the Grand Conclave for ten days from now, I will consider the greater good. However, one of my clan's divine arts was lost with Damien Redlin. I ask you to return it to its rightful owner."
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"I haven't seen any such divine art," Joe Di replied, not even bothering to ask its name.
The Redlin Patriarch knew Joe Di would not hand it over, so he said coolly, "That divine art is called the Heavenly Illusion Art. Are you sure you haven't seen it, Daoist Joe?"
Boom! The surrounding cultivators stirred restlessly. The Heavenly Illusion Art—an art of transformation and illusion. It was one of the most coveted divine arts in the cosmos, not something created by man, but born of primordial chaos itself.
All eyes turned to Joe Di, their gazes shifting in meaning. If not for Joe Di's overwhelming strength, someone would have already tried to seize it from him.
Heavenly Illusion Art? Even James Wan and Zachary Yu looked at Joe Di differently. Such a divine art must not be lost—if Joe Di were to fall, it would vanish with him. Not everyone was like Joe Di, able to open another's cosmic world at will.
Despite the countless burning gazes, no one dared to step forward.
James Wan laughed, "Everyone, disperse for now. The Grand Conclave of All Races will be held in the Allclan Plaza in ten days. The teleportation arrays outside Allclan Sanctuary will be fully activated; if you can't make it in ten days, consider yourself forfeiting this gathering."
After James Wan finished speaking, Joe Di called out loudly, "Fellow Daoists, I am Joe Di of the Human Clan. Today, I represent the Human Clan in establishing this place at the heart of Allclan Sanctuary. From now on, this will be the gathering place for our people. Human Clan cultivators who wish to leave their old homes and come here, please step forward. No matter your previous identity, today I stand here—no one will dare force you to do anything."
Joe Di thought that, after making such a bold stand in Allclan Sanctuary, having slain so many Redlin Clan experts, nearly wiped out the original Golden Armor Saints, and killed Peter Fan of the Blood Clan, countless Human Clan cultivators should be flocking to him.
But to Joe Di's disappointment, even after repeating his call three times, not a single person stepped forward. If there were no Human Clan present, it would be one thing, but he could clearly see that among the slaves and servants of other clans, many were Human Clan cultivators.
Whether these people thought he couldn't hold out for long and stepping forward would mean death, or they had simply grown accustomed to their current state, Joe Di felt deeply disheartened.
If these people were only waiting for him to conquer everything and then come to enjoy the fruits, without any thought of sharing life and death, then all his efforts would be nothing but a joke.
"Big Brother Joe, it's no use. Some people, once their backs have bent, can never stand straight again. Perhaps they find the life of a servant more stable—at least they don't have to risk their lives." Rowena Meng sensed Joe Di's disappointment and spoke softly from the side. She and her brother were the exceptions, which was why they had nowhere to hide.
Joe Di did not reply. Suddenly, he felt he understood Quentin Yuan a little better. If one couldn't even admit to being human, what difference did living make?
(That's all for today's update. Good night, friends!)