I Contracted All Ancient Divine Artifacts-Chapter 275 - 174: Aftermath

"I agree!"

"I also agree!"

"I completely agree!"

Only someone whose brain is broken would disagree!

Whoever opposes must be a traitor with ill intentions.

Once Han Zhan is firmly bound to the Anti-Xia Alliance as the Vice Alliance Leader, the matter of Spirit Contract Awakening becomes a certainty!

The Alliance Leader truly has a sharp mind.

But didn't the Alliance Leader injure Han Zhan heavily for seven consecutive days? Did he not utter a word of complaint?

In this matter, the Alliance Leader has been too hasty!

What if the Vice Alliance Leader is injured; who will help us awaken?

Chen Tao saw that the tide had turned against him and realized that single-handedly he couldn't prevail; staying here would only invite more disgrace.

So he merely snorted lightly, then turned away without looking back.

The unwelcoming person left, and those who stayed began addressing him as "Vice Alliance Leader" here and "Vice Alliance Leader" there.

Being the number one in Great Xia, Han Zhan handled this situation with ease.

After a while, once everyone had mostly digested this information, Gongyang Jin exchanged a glance with Elder Bing, called over Han Zhan, and the three bid farewell to the others and headed towards Wofeng Palace.

The alternative plan for the Awakening Stone needed careful deliberation.

During this process, Elder Bing couldn't hold back any longer and voiced his confusion.

"Are you a descendant of the Li Family? Why do I have no impression of you? Are you from the younger generation that awakened later?"

It had been over a decade since Elder Bing left the Li Family and returned to the City of Extreme Evil.

According to the time dilation rules of the City of Extreme Evil, Elder Bing had spent another century there.

That's why when Han Zhan demonstrated the Eight Urgent Fist to him, Elder Bing was overwhelmed with excitement.

"I'm not from the Li Family."

Han Zhan paused, then continued under Elder Bing's puzzled gaze.

"I am a student of Li Shutong, the ninth student."

"What?!"

Elder Bing's voice shot up eight tones.

The surprises Han Zhan brought him came one after another, almost rendering him completely numb.

If Han Zhan were a disciple of the Li Family, at least Elder Bing would maintain some prestige as the Patriarch of the Li Family.

But if he were the student of his brother, Li Shutong...

"Junior Han Zhan, greets Uncle Master!"

Han Zhan addressed him with great respect.

Elder Bing pressed his lips, his expression complex.

"Li Shutong, his eye for accepting students remains as incisive and accurate as ever."

He couldn't help but marvel.

"Tell me about the outside world. Is Great Xia still doing well now?"

"The other significant forces always considered Li Shutong an eyesore, viewing Great Xia, which refuses to collude with them, as a thorn in their side."

"We devised a plan of discord and brotherly conflict, and it had already been set in motion before I re-entered the City of Extreme Evil."

Elder Bing, usually reticent, suddenly became talkative.

In the City of Extreme Evil, encountering a student of Li Shutong felt like meeting a familiar face in a foreign land, bringing a special sense of warmth.

As for authenticity, the white mist density in the Four Urgent States just released by Han Zhan was evidence enough.

The fourth stage of the Eight Urgent Fist cannot be faked.

In the corridors of Wofeng Palace,

Gongyang Jin walked ahead, leaving Han Zhan and Elder Bing space to talk.

In response to Elder Bing's inquiry, Han Zhan began detailing the earth-shaking changes that had occurred in Great Xia during the past decade after his departure.

Upon hearing that Li Shutong had fallen and that Great Xia had been overrun and divided among the major forces, Elder Bing paused.

He didn't say anything,

just remained silent for a while.

Then he resumed walking forward.

"Uncle Master, are you alright?" Han Zhan asked with some concern upon seeing Elder Bing's demeanor.

"What could be wrong with me?"

"Li Shutong is gone, but he died for a worthy cause, leaving a spark for Great Xia, descendants for the Li Family, and a successor for himself."

"Great Xia has fallen, but North County still stands, the Great Xia People endure, and you all are still here."

"Life's course cannot be forced; what matters is to have a clear conscience and persevere boldly."

Elder Bing's words completely reassured Han Zhan, fostering a deep respect for the brother before him, who seemed much older than Li Shutong.

Li Tugui is a person of great perseverance.

Unlike his brother Li Shutong, who was a prodigy with unparalleled talent, unstoppable once awakened as a sun that no one could look at directly or ignore.

Li Tugui's talent could be described as poor, yet he shared a similar aspiration for Great Xia's prospects but was limited by his talent, achieving little.

The emergence of the City of Extreme Evil was the turning point of his fate.

He could have continued as the Li Family Patriarch, enjoying supreme power and the success and honor of being a leader of a force.

But he resolutely chose to enter the City of Extreme Evil.

Once entered, it became a millennium!

For Li Tugui, life could no longer be described as merely long.

A Spirit Contract Master who successfully advanced to Tier Seven also had a lifespan that could exceed a millennium.

But the journey of parting from family and venturing alone into a foreign land is infinitely lonely.

Even with other familiar faces around and a continuous rise in status and position, the inner loneliness doesn't disappear.

Furthermore, Li Tugui made this choice twice!

"Let's go, let's not keep the Alliance Leader waiting too long."

Seeing Han Zhan still in contemplation, Li Tugui stepped forward to pat his shoulder.

In a trance, the figure walking ahead gradually overlapped with another buried deep within Han Zhan's memories.

The path of Great Xia was forged step by step by countless predecessors.

Each of them is a solitary walker.

"Teacher..."

Han Zhan murmured as he came to his senses, speeding up to walk alongside Elder Bing.

At least at this moment, he was not alone.

...

The news of Han Zhan's promotion to Vice Alliance Leader quickly spread throughout the upper levels of the Anti-Xia Alliance with deliberate promotion.

But the information about the ability to substitute Awakening Stones was tightly sealed, known only to the top of the Anti-Xia Alliance.

After discussion, they decided to emulate the original practice of Great Xia, setting eighteen years of age as the standard for awakening.

The advantage of this approach is to prevent immature Awakened from acting contrary to the Anti-Xia Alliance's regulations.

Shang Academy continues to exist as Awakening Academy.

But there is no longer any need for grading or selection.

Han Zhan remains the dean of Shang Academy, specifically establishing an Awakening Office, with one hundred awakening quotas allocated daily.

The external claim is that the Anti-Xia Alliance has found a vein of Awakening Stones and will begin a large-scale awakening to prepare for the impending Slaughter Battlefield.

Even so, this lie, under constant probing by various forces, is destined not to last long; even buying a bit more time is enough.

Besides awakening, Han Zhan also engages in more frequent sword dao sparring with Gongyang Jin.

The strange shadow appearing at dusk is becoming increasingly difficult to cope with under Han Zhan's rapidly increasing sword dao prowess.

Repeating the same things every day, time quickly passes.