A few pots of wine went down.
Elder Long, Daoist Yuxing, and Ye Cangtian all had flushed faces.
While drinking and chatting, Ye Cangtian rarely spoke, mostly listening, wanting to see if Daoist Yuxing had any other purpose in visiting.
However, to Ye Cangtian's disappointment, Elder Long tried to probe several times, but Daoist Yuxing didn't take the bait, deflecting the questions.
In the end, he only chatted with Elder Long about their heydays.
As the sun began to set, after a satisfying meal and drinks, Daoist Yuxing stood up, his gaze falling upon Elder Long and Ye Cangtian.
"Old friends with strong wine, truly enjoyable!"
"But that's enough for today. I must return, otherwise, that foolish disciple of mine will likely become anxious."
As his words fell, Ye Cangtian nodded in agreement.
Elder Long snorted and said, "Yuxing, whatever your purpose in coming here, I advise you not to lay your hands on the Hidden Organization, or you will deeply regret it."
Elder Long had dealt with Yuxing countless times. Yuxing's visit was not simply to see him; there must have been some underlying intention.
Therefore, Elder Long decided to give him a warning before he left.
After all, among the older generation, few remained after the ravages of time, and even fewer could still influence matters.
Thus, Elder Long did not wish to engage in further conflict with Yuxing.
Daoist Yuxing cast a deep glance at Elder Long, then smiled and said, "Brother Long, you worry too much. I came today just to see you."
With that, Daoist Yuxing offered no further explanation, cupped his fists, and turned to leave.
In his opinion, on such matters, the more explanations given, the more suspicious the other party would become.
Watching his departing back, Elder Long sighed. After so many years, who didn't understand whom?
Although Yuxing had not explicitly stated anything, Elder Long was even more convinced that Daoist Yuxing, or the Misty Rain Pavilion, had likely set their sights on the Hidden Organization.
"Elder Long, is this Daoist Yuxing friend or foe?"
As Yuxing disappeared from view, Citiao stepped forward and asked.
Yuxing's visit seemed to carry ill intentions, yet Elder Long could share wine with him, which left Citiao utterly bewildered.
"Both friend and foe."
Elder Long glanced at Citiao and replied simply. Seeing that Citiao and the others were still confused, Elder Long decided to explain.
Daoist Yuxing was raised by the Daoist sect since childhood. Later, when the Daoist sect was massacred by wicked villains, he was saved by the Misty Rain Pavilion by chance and subsequently joined them.
Under the cultivation of the Misty Rain Pavilion, Daoist Yuxing's terrifying talent was fully unleashed, and he quickly became a prominent figure among the younger generation.
At that time, Elder Long was also a rising star in the Hidden Organization.
As the saying goes, there is no 'first' in academics and no 'second' in martial arts, and young people naturally have a competitive spirit.
Thus, confrontations soon arose, from initial arena duels to later open and covert struggles.
In short, to gain the upper hand over each other, the two had clashed for many years, from youth to middle age, and from middle age to old age.
Ultimately, if Elder Long had not been injured, their competition might not have ended.
"Oh, damn it!"
Hearing this, even Ye Cangtian couldn't help but twitch his lips. He thought that even for sworn enemies, it wouldn't be like this.
He looked at Elder Long and said, "Elder Long, if what you say is true, he should be your arch-nemesis! Why do you still treat him as a friend?"
"It's very simple. Both he and I act with restraint."
"We only target each other and rarely involve the Misty Rain Pavilion or the Hidden Organization behind us. Even if there's some involvement, it's very controlled."
"Furthermore, during our encounters, whether we won or lost, we always stopped short of inflicting fatal harm..."
Elder Long continued his explanation. Through decades of rivalry, the two had gradually developed a sense of mutual appreciation.
Listening to Elder Long's explanation, Ye Cangtian slowly nodded, showing his understanding.
He rolled his eyes, remained silent for a moment.
The next moment, he spoke, "Elder Long, if what you say is true, then Daoist Yuxing poses no threat to the Hidden Organization. Why did you still warn him?"
Elder Long paused for a moment and said, "If it were in the past, he wouldn't. But now it's different. He is getting old like me, so he wants to seek a breakthrough before he dies."
Elder Long stated that in the ruins, it would be as difficult as ascending to heaven for both him and Yuxing to advance further.
Therefore, it was highly likely that Yuxing had his sights set on the Four Seals. Only legendary existences like the Celestial Realm offered more possibilities.
"It's pretty much what I thought."
Upon hearing Elder Long's words, Ye Cangtian said calmly.
When Wen Shen had visited the Hidden Organization previously and invited them to the Summit Gathering, he had already suspected such intentions.
Now, with Elder Long's explanation, he was even more certain.
Saying this, he looked at Elder Long and continued, "The Misty Rain Pavilion has invited the Hidden Organization to the Summit Gathering. What are your thoughts, Elder Long?"
Hmm?
Elder Long's brow furrowed. After a long silence, he finally said, "Don't go, or send a few people to go through the motions!"
In Elder Long's view, attending the Summit Gathering did offer some benefits.
However, benefits also came with risks. Moreover, the Misty Rain Pavilion's intentions this time were too strong. If Ye Cangtian were to attend, the danger would be significant, so he had to be cautious.
Besides, the Hidden Organization did not necessarily lack these benefits now, so it was fine not to go.
"To be honest, I've been hesitant as well, but I believe I should go."
Ye Cangtian spoke slowly and explained his previous considerations.
Hearing Ye Cangtian's explanation, Elder Long pondered.
After a long while, he finally said, "It is inherently difficult to get these forces to serve China again, and there is no rush for this. We can always contact them privately and resolve matters one by one.
As for the participation of the Hidden Organization and the Imperial Dragon Villa, there is no need to be overly anxious. As long as Ye Cangtian does not appear, other forces will generally not provoke the Hidden Organization or the Imperial Dragon Villa."
The reason was simple: all forces coveted the Four Seals.
Their primary choice would absolutely be to peacefully negotiate the ownership of the Four Seals.
After all, the Hidden Organization's strength was evident. Although not a peak force, if a war broke out with the Hidden Organization, it would undoubtedly cause chaos in the ruins, leading to heavy losses for everyone.
In that case, even if they obtained the Four Seals, it would be difficult to keep them.
As for the Imperial Dragon Villa, the situation was much better. As a peak force, no one would underestimate it, nor would anyone easily provoke them.
Ye Cangtian finally nodded at Elder Long's statement, acknowledging that what he said made sense.
After a moment of silence, he continued, "In fact, there is another reason for my going. I have already devised a solution for the issue of the Four Seals, and I came today to hear your opinion."
Oh?
Elder Long looked at him with a questioning gaze. If the issue of the Four Seals could truly be resolved, then the Hidden Organization would be out of its predicament.
Sensing Elder Long's gaze, Ye Cangtian did not conceal anything and directly stated, "I plan to open the Four Seals!"
Huh?
Elder Long's eyes widened. He looked at Ye Cangtian and exclaimed in surprise, "Boy, have you had too much to drink?"
Elder Long truly did not expect such a solution.
After all, Ye Cangtian's action was akin to opening Pandora's Box himself.
No one knew if it was possible to return after venturing into the Celestial Realm.
If they could return, and those who returned had cultivated some terrifying techniques or achieved some improvements, then in the future, such individuals could potentially stir up a bloodbath in the ruins.
This would be detrimental to both the ruins and the Hidden Organization.
Heh heh.
Seeing Elder Long's expression, Ye Cangtian grinned mischievously and then said, "Elder Long, don't get agitated. Listen to me. I'm not opening the Four Seals for free, nor is it without conditions!"
With that, Ye Cangtian presented his idea.
If one wished to set foot in the Celestial Realm, they would have to meet the Hidden Organization's conditions, such as performing certain tasks for the Hidden Organization to earn points.
Once a certain amount of points were accumulated, the Celestial Realm could be accessed.
Upon hearing Ye Cangtian's proposal, Elder Long's eyes began to spin, gradually becoming brighter.
After a moment, he looked at Ye Cangtian and quickly said, "You mean, it's similar to the Hidden Organization's mission system?"
"That's right."
Ye Cangtian nodded, admitting it.
Hearing this, Elder Long's face broke into a smile, saying, "You resourceful kid, this plan is excellent."
Elder Long was quite in favor of this plan.
Firstly, it could make numerous forces serve the Hidden Organization, alleviating its difficulties.
Secondly, these forces serving the Hidden Organization would essentially be serving Chinese forces, while also elevating the Hidden Organization's status.
Thirdly, by granting all forces the opportunity to enter the Celestial Realm, they would naturally cease to covet the Four Seals.