"On behalf of the Hidden Group, I refuse this invitation. We do not wish to participate in the Peak Summit!"
Ye Cangtian looked at the other party and spoke slowly.
Firstly, he did not want to associate with those hypocritical individuals.
Secondly, the Hidden Group had always adhered to its duty of guarding the ruins and saw no need to publicize it through such means.
Thirdly, the fact that they had come to invite the Hidden Group likely meant they had ulterior motives.
Therefore, rather than attending, fulfilling their wishes, and then being schemed against, it was better to live a peaceful life in Dragon City.
"Are you crazy!"
Hearing the other party's unusually clear voice, Wen Shen's eyes widened.
He said fiercely, "Ye Cangtian, I told you earlier, participating in the Peak Summit means gaining the affirmation of the peak powers, and the Hidden Group will also receive many benefits from it!
In addition to this, it can further enhance the reputation of the Hidden Group..."
Heh.
Ye Cangtian showed a disdainful smile, lit a cigarette, took a few slow puffs, and then looked at the other party.
"Firstly, the world is well aware of everything the Hidden Group has done, and we do not need the affirmation of the peak powers!"
"Secondly, justice lies in people's hearts. The Hidden Group has guarded China's ruins for many years, and our reputation is already well-established. We do not need such ostentatious gatherings to boost our fame!"
"And finally, the Hidden Group has its own foundation. Do you think a little bit of benefit will make us move?"
This...
Hearing Ye Cangtian's words, Wen Shen fell silent.
He did not believe that the Hidden Group had a foundation, otherwise, they would not have risen to prominence in recent years.
However, Wen Shen could agree with the first two points.
Although the Hidden Group was not a peak power, it managed the entire ruins, its status was comparable to that of peak powers, and its influence had even surpassed that of peak powers.
As for reputation, there was even less to say.
Just as the other party had said, the Hidden Group had guarded the ruins for many years. Even without merit, they had contributed greatly, and their reputation was already well-known.
Thinking of this, Wen Shen suddenly felt a sense of powerlessness.
The Hidden Group was currently in a state of wanting nothing, like an egg without a flaw. He truly did not know where to start.
After a long silence, Wen Shen looked at Ye Cangtian again and said, "Ye Cangtian, I suggest you consider it carefully. Guarding the ruins is truly arduous for the Hidden Group.
If you can find some allies at the Peak Summit, it can help you share some of the pressure!"
Hmm?
Hearing this, Ye Cangtian's eyebrows twitched. He had to admit, this statement was quite appealing.
After all, Ye Cangtian hoped for national unity to jointly guard China's ruins, which would ensure the prosperity of the Chinese nation.
However, while the wish was good, it was very difficult to realize.
As these powers grew stronger, their ambitions had already swelled to an unreasonable extent. Most of them had forgotten their origins in China.
Now, the other party was still using the banner of guarding China, which was merely a guise.
It was likely difficult to expect them to change their minds with just a Peak Summit.
After a moment of hesitation, Ye Cangtian said, "I have received the invitation. I will consider this matter."
Although he spoke hesitantly, Ye Cangtian knew that he had to go.
Not because of what the other party had said, but because all the peak powers would be there, including the Imperial Dragon Villa.
He was worried about Zhan Wufeng dealing with those old guys, so he had to go. If the Imperial Dragon Villa were to suffer any disadvantage, he could step in to help.
On the other side, seeing Ye Cangtian's tone soften slightly, Wen Shen remained silent for a moment and said, "In that case, I will return to the inn and await good news from the Hidden Group."
For such matters, Wen Shen knew that he could not be too hasty.
Otherwise, it would easily make the other party suspect him of having ulterior motives, which would be counterproductive.
Seeing Wen Shen turn to leave, Lan Yue slowly walked over.
She had already heard about the Clear Wind Hall incident, so she came directly to Ye Cangtian's side.
"Junior Brother, in my personal opinion, you'd best not go."
Lan Yue said solemnly to Ye Cangtian.
Perhaps Wen Shen was trying to complete the task assigned to him, but in her eyes, the other party's eagerness to invite the Hidden Group was somewhat urgent.
This was absolutely abnormal.
After all, no one had ever invited the Hidden Group to previous Peak Summits.
And this time, although the Hidden Group had risen, in the eyes of the peak powers, the Hidden Group was still not significant.
This could be seen from Wen Shen's attitude when he came here yesterday.
Therefore, Lan Yue believed that the invitation to the Hidden Group for the Peak Summit was just a pretense. The real purpose should be directed at Ye Cangtian, or more precisely, at the Four Seals in Ye Cangtian's possession.
As long as they successfully invited the Hidden Group, Ye Cangtian would definitely go, because no matter how big or small the Hidden Group's affairs were, Ye Cangtian was always the first to step forward.
Beside him, Ye Cangtian listened to Lan Yue's words and took a few quiet puffs of his cigarette.
The next moment, he looked at Lan Yue and said, "Senior Sister, I've considered everything you've said, but I will most likely still go to this Peak Summit."
Ye Cangtian gave his reasons.
The first was because the Imperial Dragon Villa would definitely participate, and he was worried about it.
Second, he wanted to try to contact other powers and strive to bring more forces into his camp, so that they could jointly guard China.
The last point was that everyone knew the Four Seals were on him. If he could dispel their covetous thoughts about the Four Seals from this point on, then there would be much less trouble in the future.
"Junior Brother, the Four Seals involve too much. It's basically impossible for you to dispel their thoughts," Lan Yue said.
Mm.
Ye Cangtian nodded. He understood this point, but things were made by people.
The main reason was that he already had a nascent idea that might solve the problem of the Four Seals.
He wanted to try, but this idea was related to the interests of the Hidden Group, so he still had to discuss it with others.
Thinking this, he looked at Lan Yue and said slowly, "Senior Sister, I will reconsider the matter of the Peak Summit. If there's nothing else, I'll go to the Great River for a stroll."
Lan Yue nodded upon hearing this and did not stop him.
She knew that this matter was of great importance, and Ye Cangtian needed to ponder it carefully, so she would not disturb him, lest it affect his train of thought.
Seeing this, Ye Cangtian got up and left the Clear Wind Hall directly.
...
Dragon City Great River.
Elder Long was still fishing with his rod, and at the same time, he was guiding the training of the Death Squad.
Under Elder Long's guidance, the Death Squad had made considerable progress during this period.
Wu Ying Jian, Tai Shan, and Ci Dao had all reached the late stage of the Earth level, and were only one step away from the peak of the Earth level.
According to what Elder Long and Ye Cangtian had said, if the three of them reached the peak of the Earth level, they could then take the Enlightenment Pill.
At that time, they would be able to maximize the effectiveness of the Enlightenment Pill and achieve significant improvement.
*Clap! Clap! Clap!*
At some unknown time, a round of applause could be heard, accompanied by the voice of an old man.
"Brother Long, you haven't been active in the ruins for many years, and it turns out you've taken disciples here!"
"Not bad, not bad, these are all rare good seedlings..."
As the voice came, Elder Long and the others turned their gazes to where the sound came from. They saw a man in a Taoist robe slowly approaching along the riverbank.
His steps did not seem fast, but within a breath, he had already arrived in front of them.
This...
Wu Ying Jian, Tai Shan, and Ci Dao instantly broke out in a cold sweat. Setting aside everything else, just this speed indicated that the other party's cultivation was unfathomable.
If the other party had not addressed him as 'Brother Long,' they would have already become vigilant.
On the other side, Elder Long glanced over. Seeing the Taoist robe the man was wearing, with a small building embroidered on his chest, Elder Long immediately recognized his identity.
The man was one of the Heaven-level powerhouses of Misty Rain Tower, Daoist Yu Xing.
The next moment, Elder Long sighed and said, "Alas, there's nothing I can do. It's a question of how long I can live with my serious injuries. While I still have some experience, I might as well teach the younger generation, to make the most of my remaining time."
It was clear that Elder Long said this to conceal the fact that his injuries had recovered. From this point of view, their relationship was not that close.
"Brother Long, there's no need to hide it from me."
"Although Misty Rain Tower doesn't interfere much in matters of the ruins, we are very concerned about Brother Long's physical condition."
"I heard that there was a good physician in the Hidden Group who cured you..."
Hearing Elder Long's words, Daoist Yu Xing smiled slightly and directly revealed it. As he spoke, Daoist Yu Xing also showed a proud smile.
That smile seemed to say that Misty Rain Tower's intelligence department was very powerful...