"Alright, I'll agree to help you out—on one condition: you must help me hold back the Redlin Patriarch. Hold him off for as long as you can, and today, I want to see just how powerful the Redlin Clan truly is." Joe Di said immediately.
As long as Quentin Yuan was willing to help—even if he could stall the Redlin Patriarch for just a few minutes—Joe Di would have a chance to kill Darius Redlin, who had just stepped into the Fifth Step. Once Darius was dead, Joe Di refused to believe that, even together with Quentin Yuan, they couldn't take down the Redlin Patriarch.
"Deal," Quentin Yuan agreed without hesitation to Joe Di's proposal.
Until now, Quentin Yuan had always assumed Joe Di was a Fourth Step Edict Saint, but now he realized Joe Di must also be a Fifth Step Paragon. Since Joe Di was a Fifth Step Paragon, he couldn't control him anymore; cooperation was the only option. It wasn't that he didn't want to seek out other Fifth Step Paragons to work with, but others always represented entire clans, and he was too weak on his own to dare attempt such alliances.
Quentin Yuan had already summoned his artifact—a Landscape Scroll.
The Redlin Patriarch's face grew grim. He and Darius Redlin had arrived late because of another matter. What he hadn't expected was that, merely by being a step late, the Redlin Clan's experts had suffered devastating losses. In fact, the delay caused by him and Darius Redlin amounted to only a few dozen breaths. Had they arrived any later, even the eight remaining Edict Saints here would have been killed by Joe Di.
What the Redlin Patriarch didn't know was that the reason for the Redlin Clan's heavy casualties was that they had arrived just as Joe Di unleashed his Fourfold Loom technique, and all were caught in the billions of blade lights that exploded from it.
Joe Di had become this powerful, and now with Quentin Yuan as well...
The Redlin Patriarch sighed inwardly. He was certain Darius Redlin was no match for Joe Di, and if Joe Di killed Darius before he could deal with Quentin Yuan, then the Redlin Clan would truly be finished.
The Human Clan had always been considered weak—how had such a terrifying powerhouse appeared among them this time?
"Patriarch, I do not fear this man. Just make your move," Darius Redlin said, sensing his patriarch's hesitation as he pulled out his Destiny Bell artifact.
The Redlin Patriarch still did not respond. He was certain that Darius Redlin was far inferior to Joe Di—the real issue was how long it would take Joe Di to kill Darius. His greatest fear was that Joe Di would kill Darius before he could suppress Quentin Yuan, and that was a risk he couldn't afford to take.
And the Redlin Patriarch still didn't know that the City Lord of Allclan Sanctuary had been blasted into serious injury by Joe Di. If not for a top-tier escape talisman, the City Lord would already be dead. If he knew this, he wouldn't hesitate at all—he would simply choose not to act.
"Ha ha..." A hearty voice rang out. "Human cultivator, you really have no sense of propriety! Destroying Allclan Sanctuary means you've destroyed countless enterprises of the Divine Clan. Even our greatest business—the Celestial Grand Inn—was razed to the ground by you..."
Hearing this, Quentin Yuan's face changed. He looked at Joe Di and said, "Friend, I can't help you anymore."
If it were only the Redlin Patriarch, he could still hold his own, but now that James Wan of the Divine Clan had arrived, all he could do was leave as quickly as possible.
"That's right, such disrespect! Is it because you've reached the Fifth Step that you think you can control this part of the universe? You even destroyed Allclan Sanctuary—do you really think everyone there is so easy to deal with? Today, I, Peter Fan, want an explanation. Is my Blood Clan's business truly worthless in your eyes?"
"And my Netherling Clan..."
"And my Demon Clan..."
"And my Coldmoon Clan..."
......
Quentin Yuan already had an Escape Talisman in hand. With so many powerhouses arriving—practically every Fifth Step in this universe—Joe Di would be hard-pressed to survive today. If Quentin didn't leave now, would he just wait here to die?
Even the distant onlookers were stunned. There were only about a dozen Fifth Step cultivators in the entire universe, and today, half of them seemed to have arrived.
"Brother James, Fellow Daoist Peter, you arrived just in time. This man is far too arrogant after stepping into the Fifth Step. When I kill Quentin Yuan, help me hold him back." The Redlin Patriarch, who had been hesitating, was now delighted to see James Wan of the Divine Clan and Peter Fan of the Blood Clan.
James Wan was a late-stage Fifth Step just like him. Peter Fan's strength was a bit weaker but still not far behind Quentin Yuan.
Moreover, several other major clans' Fifth Step powerhouses were arriving one after another. Today, he refused to believe they couldn't kill a mere human Fifth Step.
Joe Di wasn't even surprised. With so many powerhouses here, his cooperation with Quentin Yuan was clearly finished. He was already prepared to rescue Saint Henry Yi and Rowena Meng.
In terms of sheer power, he might only rank in the top three here. But when it came to escape techniques, if he claimed second place, he didn't believe anyone could take first.
To everyone's surprise, James Wan didn't attack. Instead, he cupped his fists to Joe Di and said, "Fellow Daoist, your skills are truly impressive. May I ask your name?"
"Joe Di of the Human Clan," Joe Di replied without any intention to conceal it. He had already seen that James Wan's strength was no less than the Redlin Patriarch's.
"Good, impressive. The Human Clan has never produced a Fifth Step Paragon before, and now there are two. Remarkable."
After praising Joe Di, James Wan turned to the Redlin Patriarch and said, "Brother Jin Qiao, I've heard a bit about this matter. At first, it was indeed your Redlin Clan's fault, and later, Fellow Daoist Joe's slaughter was excessive. But it's better to resolve enmity than to create it—especially now, when we urgently need powerhouses like Fellow Daoist Joe..."
Not only was the Redlin Patriarch, Jin Qiao, stunned—even the other cultivators were taken aback. When had James Wan, the Divine Clan's top powerhouse, ever been so fair and impartial? Was he trying to resolve everyone's grudges from a Saint's perspective?
Joe Di didn't say a word. He didn't believe James Wan was so benevolent, or that he'd speak from a position of fairness. Besides, the whole affair had started because of him—or rather, he'd come here looking for trouble. Even if it weren't for Rowena Meng, he would have made a scene in Allclan Sanctuary anyway.
Redlin Patriarch did not speak; he vaguely understood what Jing Wanying meant.
The rest of the newcomers, even those who were all Fifth Step Paragons, fell silent upon hearing Jing Wanying's words. If even the Divine Clan's Jing Wanying did not pursue the matter, whether they should do so would require further consideration.
"Daoist Di, the Grand Conclave of All Races is about to commence. I hope you and Daoist Yuan will represent the Human Clan this time. This summit concerns the future of our universe and the higher realms of our Daos; it is of utmost importance to every race. As for the losses suffered by Allclan Sanctuary, you may offer a token compensation when the time comes. What do you think?" Jing Wanying finished, looking at Joe Di expectantly.
Although Joe Di did not know what Jing Wanying truly intended or what schemes he concealed, what he lacked most now was time. As long as he could step into the Fourth Step, then Jing Wanying, Redlin Patriarch, all would be nothing to him.
"Alright, I will definitely attend the Grand Conclave of All Races," Joe Di replied without hesitation. As for compensating for the losses to Allclan Sanctuary, he pretended not to hear. Asking him to pay compensation? Dream on. The only reason he hadn't pointed it out was because he needed time to reach the Fourth Step.
Jing Wanying evidently understood Joe Di's response; Joe Di had not mentioned compensation at all, which did not bother him. When the day of the Grand Conclave arrived, Joe Di would have no choice but to compensate. As for how much, well, that would depend on what treasures Joe Di's universe could offer.
So after Joe Di spoke, Jing Wanying laughed heartily, "Daoist Di is indeed straightforward. Previously, the Human Clan had no Fifth Step Paragon, and life was truly difficult. Now that Allclan Sanctuary has been destroyed, we might as well rebuild it. Let each clan choose their own territory."
Choose your own territory? Though Joe Di was puzzled, he immediately took out a handful of formation flags, claiming nearly half of the central area of Allclan Sanctuary. Since everyone was to choose their own territory, he saw no reason to hold back. Not claiming half was already him showing restraint.
Everyone looked at Joe Di as if he were a fool. Did he think that choosing territory meant he could claim as much as he liked?
Quentin Yuan showed no sign of joy. Instead, he approached Joe Di and transmitted quietly, "Brother Di, do you realize that by agreeing to Jing Wanying, you've almost handed your life over to him? Do you know why they haven't killed the two Human Fifth Step Paragons? I suggest we leave now, rather than waste time choosing meaningless territory here."
From afar, Jing Wanying smiled slightly and said, "Daoist Di is genuine; I most enjoy befriending people like you. However, Allclan Sanctuary must still follow the rules. The territory chosen must correspond to one's contributions; otherwise, the selection is invalid."
To Jing Wanying, it did not matter how much territory Joe Di claimed. Even if Joe Di contributed nothing, what did it matter? It would all belong to the Divine Clan eventually. As the host, he had to state the rules.