Chapter 164: Hidden Agendas – A War of Annihilation?
Ancient Realm, Gu Yuan's Residence
"However, my Xiao Clan will not miss this opportunity to destroy the Soul Clan. I only hope, Gu Yuan, that during our full scale war with them, you can restrain your people and refrain from stabbing us in the back!"
As Xiao Tiance spoke these words, Gu Yuan's expression stiffened. After a brief pause, he nodded and said, "Rest assured, I will keep my clan in check."
Xiao Tiance smiled faintly. "Good. Otherwise, don't blame me for being ruthless."
The next moment, Xiao Tiance's figure blurred and vanished without a trace.
Gu Yuan's Reflections
"What frightening progress. In just a few short years, Xiao Tiance has grown even stronger."
Gu Yuan tried to sense any lingering traces of Xiao Tiance's presence but found nothing. The realization left him both awed and uneasy.
Not long after, two figures, Gu Dao and Gu Lie, hurried toward him.
"Clan Leader!"
Both saluted respectfully.
"No need for formalities. What brings you here?" Gu Yuan waved them off with a casual gesture.
Gu Lie, his expression tense, explained, "Just now, we sensed spatial fluctuations in this area. The energy was incredibly strong, so we thought you might be in trouble and came to investigate."
Gu Yuan glanced at Gu Dao, who nodded in agreement. With a sigh, he clarified, "There's no need to worry. It was Xiao Tiance. He came to discuss something with me and has already left."
Xiao Tiance's Proposal
Hearing this, Gu Lie frowned, his tone a mix of irritation and concern. "What did Xiao Tiance want?"
Gu Dao, equally curious, chimed in. "Yes, Clan Leader, what was the purpose of his visit?"
"He wanted us to join forces with the Xiao Clan to destroy the Soul Clan." Gu Yuan answered frankly, as he fully trusted the two of them. He also wanted their input on the matter.
Gu Dao and Gu Lie were stunned.
"Join forces to destroy the Soul Clan?"
For a moment, they were at a loss for words. In the history of the Eight Great Clans, conflicts rarely escalated to such extremes. Even when grudges arose, they usually ended after one side restored their honor.
But Xiao Tiance's proposal to annihilate the Soul Clan outright? It was ruthless and unprecedented a prospect that left even Gu Dao and Gu Lie uneasy.
Gu Yuan's Concerns
Gu Yuan himself had been just as shocked when Xiao Tiance first broached the idea. While fierce battles between the Xiao and Soul Clans were understandable, annihilation was a different story.
The idea terrified him. If the Xiao Clan was willing to eradicate the Soul Clan, what would stop them from targeting the Gu Clan in the future if tensions arose?
This fear was one of the main reasons Gu Yuan had declined Xiao Tiance's offer. The balance among the Eight Great Clans was fragile, and the Gu Clan lacked the strength to oppose the Xiao Clan directly.
"It's true," Gu Yuan said, nodding gravely. "He wants us to join forces and destroy the Soul Clan."
Gu Lie couldn't help but ask, "Did you agree?"
Gu Yuan shook his head and sighed. **"I cannot agree, nor dare I.
The Xiao Clan is extraordinarily powerful, unmatched among the Eight Great Clans. Even if the rest of us joined forces, they would not be easily defeated.
Xiao Tiance is a shrewd and unpredictable man. I've never been able to see through him. If we're not cautious, we could easily fall into one of his traps.
Our Gu Clan may be strong, but we cannot withstand the collective retaliation of the other clans. Even if we gain some benefits from destroying the Soul Clan, breaking the long standing balance among the Eight Clans would ultimately harm us more than it helps."**
Analysis of Risks
Gu Dao and Gu Lie listened attentively. Both eventually nodded in agreement with Gu Yuan's reasoning.
"You are wise, Clan Leader," Gu Lie said. **"I also think we should not ally with the Xiao Clan. While it may seem cowardly, it's the safest choice.
Destroying the Soul Clan would indeed yield benefits, but most of those benefits would go to the Xiao Clan. And if we fail to wipe them out, the Soul Clan's retaliation would leave us deeply wounded.
In the long run, refusing Xiao Tiance's proposal is the right decision."**
Gu Dao added, "Indeed. If the Soul Clan falls, the Xiao Clan will have no equal among the Eight Clans. At that point, we'll face even greater threats from them."
Hearing their agreement, Gu Yuan felt a sense of relief.
Gu Lie's Bolder Idea
After a moment of silence, Gu Lie spoke again.
**"Clan Leader, Elder Gu Dao, I believe we shouldn't just refuse to let the Xiao Clan destroy the Soul Clan we should actively ensure the Soul Clan survives.
The Xiao and Soul Clans are already locked in a blood feud. Their conflicts are inevitable and unresolvable.
If the Soul Clan survives, the Xiao Clan's energy and focus will remain directed at them, leaving us room to grow stronger in the meantime.
In time, as the Xiao Clan and Soul Clan continue to weaken each other, we could rise to become the strongest of the Eight Clans."**
Gu Lie's suggestion was as bold as it was strategic. If executed well, it could indeed shift the balance of power in the Gu Clan's favor.
Gu Yuan's Thoughts
Gu Yuan couldn't help but consider Gu Lie's proposal. It was a cunning plan let the Xiao and Soul Clans exhaust each other while the Gu Clan quietly grew stronger.
But this strategy wasn't without risks.
If the Xiao Clan discovered their interference, it could provoke a crisis even worse than the one they hoped to avoid.
After some thought, Gu Yuan looked at Gu Lie and Gu Dao and said, **"Your reasoning is sound. However, we must tread carefully.
For now, we will remain neutral, neither assisting the Xiao Clan nor openly supporting the Soul Clan. Our priority is the Gu Clan's survival and prosperity."**
Conclusion
The three leaders of the Gu Clan agreed to maintain their current position watching from the sidelines as the Xiao and Soul Clans clashed.
Gu Yuan, however, couldn't shake the feeling that Xiao Tiance had anticipated his refusal.
"Xiao Tiance… what is your true endgame?"
Ancient Realm, Gu Yuan's Residence
Gu Yuan mulled over Gu Lie's words. He couldn't deny their merit Gu Lie's proposal had crossed his mind before. However, Xiao Tiance was not someone who could be predicted using conventional logic.
Whatever schemes they could devise, Xiao Tiance would undoubtedly foresee. If he realized their intent and decided to abandon his campaign against the Soul Clan, redirecting his forces toward the Gu Clan instead, the Soul Clan wouldn't suddenly turn around to support them.
Turning to Gu Dao, Gu Yuan asked, "What do you think, Elder Gu Dao?"
Gu Dao thought for a moment and replied, **"Clan Leader, I believe Black Smoke King's suggestion has merit and is indeed feasible. However, we cannot overtly support the Soul Clan. Given Xiao Tiance's temperament, he might ignore everything else and turn his ire on us.
That said, we can act covertly. By supporting other imperial clans behind the scenes, we can let them carry out the work for us. Even if the Xiao Clan catches wind of it, we can completely deny involvement."**
Unified Concerns
Combining both perspectives, it became evident that none of them wanted to see Xiao Tiance succeed in destroying the Soul Clan. Without a counterbalance like the Soul Clan, the Xiao Clan might eventually turn its attention to the Gu Clan.
Gu Yuan nodded in agreement, **"You both make valid points. If that's the case, we must plan carefully.
Fortunately, time is on our side. The Soul Clan remains hidden, and the Xiao Clan will need significant time to locate them. In the meantime, we can explore alliances with other imperial clans to fortify our position."**
Gu Dao agreed, **"True. However, among the imperial clans, the Spirit Clan and Stone Clan have already been subdued by the Xiao Clan. They wouldn't dare align with us against the Xiao Clan.
The Medicine Clan has also grown close to them, leaving only the Flame Clan and Thunder Clan. Both clans are formidable. If we can bring just one of them into an alliance, we'll stand a good chance against the Xiao Clan.
That said, there's a pressing issue the Xiao Clan has far too many Nine Star Dou Saints. Beyond Xiao Tiance, who is a peak powerhouse, there's also Xiao Qing and Tian Luo. Furthermore, Xiao Qing controls a Nine Star Dou Saint level Sky Demon Puppet.
If a battle begins, the combined might of these four would be overwhelming.
While you, Clan Leader, could hold off Xiao Tiance, and we could muster our forces to keep Tian Luo at bay, we'd still be left contending with Xiao Qing and the Sky Demon Puppet. And that's not even considering the Xiao Clan's many high tier Dou Saints, who could crush most opponents in sheer numbers.
Faced with such power, would the Thunder or Flame Clan even dare to ally with us?"**
Gu Lie's analysis brought a heavy silence to the room.
The reality of the Xiao Clan's immense strength was inescapable. Their open display of power was enough to make anyone hesitate.
Gu Yuan's Strategic Outlook
After a long pause, Gu Yuan sighed and spoke, **"There's no need to be overly concerned.
It's true that the Xiao Clan boasts four Nine Star Dou Saints. However, if war breaks out, we may not be at such a disadvantage.
The Soul Clan's Hun Tiandi can stall Xiao Tiance, and the Void Swallowing Flame also a Nine Star Dou Saint can contend with Tian Luo.
As for Xiao Qing and the Sky Demon Puppet, I can handle them myself. If the Flame Clan or Thunder Clan joins us, we'll have a solid chance of victory."**
Hearing this, the tension in Gu Dao and Gu Lie's expressions eased somewhat.
It was true despite the Xiao Clan's overwhelming strength, an alliance among three clans could potentially match their might.
"Since the Clan Leader already has a plan, let's discuss whether we should seek the Flame Clan or Thunder Clan as allies." Gu Dao suggested with a smile.
Gu Lie, ever pragmatic, added, "Why not both? If we can secure alliances with both the Thunder and Flame Clans, our chances of victory will increase exponentially."
At the Xiao Clan's Base
While Gu Yuan and his elders deliberated, Xiao Tiance had already returned to the Tianji Tower headquarters in Central Plains.
With no need to continue the search for the Tou She Ancient God Jade, Xiao Tiance had summoned Tian Luo back to the headquarters before visiting the Ancient Realm.
Now, at the top level of Tianji Tower, Xiao Tiance sat at the head of the table, with Xiao Qing and Tian Luo seated to his left and right.
After hearing Xiao Tiance recount his encounter with the Gu Clan, both Xiao Qing and Tian Luo expressed dissatisfaction.
"Third Uncle, since the Gu Clan has refused, we must prepare to guard against them." Xiao Qing said respectfully.
Despite being married to a member of the Gu Clan, Xiao Qing prioritized the Xiao Clan's interests in matters of such gravity.
Xiao Tiance nodded and turned to Tian Luo, "What do you think?"
Tian Luo remained silent for a moment before replying, **"If we go to war with the Soul Clan, we must not only guard against the Gu Clan but also the other imperial clans.
The Xiao Clan's strength is intimidating so much so that even clans allied with us may start to fear us if we destroy the Soul Clan.
The Stone, Spirit, and Medicine Clans have already submitted to us, but they may begin to worry about becoming the next target.
The Gu Clan, Thunder Clan, or Flame Clan could exploit this fear to sway them into opposing us.
Therefore, without a comprehensive plan, we should not rush into a full scale war with the Soul Clan. Moreover, the Soul Clan's current concealment makes them difficult to locate."**
Xiao Tiance's Consideration
Xiao Tiance listened carefully before shifting his gaze to Xiao Qing.
"Qing'er, as the only heir to the Xiao Clan's leadership, what are your thoughts?"
Under the scrutiny of both Xiao Tiance and Tian Luo, Xiao Qing nodded thoughtfully.
**"Third Uncle, I agree with Tian Luo. His analysis is accurate.
If we engage in small scale skirmishes, the other imperial clans will remain indifferent, perhaps even hoping we and the Soul Clan weaken each other.
However, if we launch a full scale war to annihilate the Soul Clan, the other clans, regardless of our intentions, will not stand idly by.**
(End of Chapter)
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