Soul Land 5: The Rebirth of Tang San

Chapter 718: Six Votes Needed

"Mei Gongzi, you registered for the Ancestral Court Elite Competition using this name, so I will address you as such.

"As you should know by now, your situation is unprecedented. In the history of the Ancestral Court, no one with the blood of another race than demons and nymphs has ever attempted to become a city lord.

"Human blood flows within you. This is against the ancestral tenets of the Ancestral Court, which is why you faced three opponents in the first round instead of the usual one. Do you understand?"

Mei Gongzi nodded slightly, "I understand."

Upon hearing the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor's words, both the White Tiger Demon Emperor and the Crystal Phoenix Demon Emperor instinctively furrowed their brows. Was the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor implying that the second round would be even more difficult? Was that really necessary?

The Celestial Fox Demon Emperor continued, "So, if you wish to become the true ruler of Kali City, it cannot be by a simple majority. Out of the nine Demon Emperors, at least six must agree for you to pass. I hope you understand."

Mei Gongzi froze for a moment, a look of disbelief flashing in her eyes as she instinctively blurted out, "Six?"

"Yes, six!" the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor replied earnestly.

The White Tiger Demon Emperor opened his mouth as if to say something but ultimately remained silent. This was for two reasons: first, the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor's reasoning was valid. In the history of the Daemon Continent, no mixed-blood outsider had ever become a city lord, and indeed, none had ever reached Mei Gongzi's level of talent and strength, making her a unique case.

Secondly, even if five votes were needed, could she really secure them? Thus, the White Tiger Demon Emperor had already reined in his earlier hopes. Just as he had initially predicted, Mei Gongzi was unlikely to succeed in this assessment after all.

But the surprises Mei Gongzi had brought today were already more than enough, and the White Tiger Demon Emperor had begun to think that whether she succeeded in her assessment was no longer important.

With such talent, if he kept her by his side and carefully nurtured her, she might reach the peak Great Demon King level in five years. Then, they could seek an opportunity for her to become an Emperor. Once that happened... Heh, then they could discuss the matter of the city lordship.

After all, in the Daemon Continent, everything was ruled by strength. Given the potential Mei Gongzi had shown, if she became an Emperor, she wouldn't be on the same level as someone like the Crystal Phoenix Demon Emperor; she could very well be among the top. And with his support, who could stop her from advancing?

Therefore, the White Tiger Demon Emperor said nothing more. After the vote, he was prepared to take Mei Gongzi away.

He intended to personally protect his granddaughter, ensuring that she fully realized her potential in the future.

"Is there a problem?" the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor asked Mei Gongzi once more.

Mei Gongzi looked at him deeply, thinking to herself, Even if I have a problem, would it matter?

"No," Mei Gongzi shook her head, her gaze still calm.

......

"If I pass the first round and defeat my opponent, like you said, the opponent from the Immortal Flame Phoenix Clan. What then? How do I pass the second round? Can I really get more than half of the Demon Emperors to approve of me? Right now, we can only be sure of my grandfather, and maybe the Sword Saint Demon Emperor, who might be favorable toward us. What about the others..."

"Don't worry about the second round. Leave that to me. When the time comes, you just need to wait for the results."

"Leave that to you? You have a plan?"

"I do, actually. You'll find out when the time comes. But don't act too surprised, okay?"

......

Mei Gongzi recalled what Tang San had told her earlier, but now she was filled with even more confusion and disbelief. According to the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor, she needed the support of six Emperors to pass this round. But forget six, she didn't even think three would support her!

Could Tang San really solve this, as he said he would?

At this moment, Mei Gongzi’s fate appeared to be sealed. Gaining the approval of six Emperors was impossible.

The Celestial Fox Demon Emperor looked at the other Emperors and said solemnly, "Then let us begin the vote. According to the rules, we will proceed from the lowest to the highest Celestial Pillar."

The influence of different Emperors varied, and the more powerful an Emperor was, the greater their influence. For example, even though they were both Emperors of the phoenix race, the influence of the Crystal Phoenix Demon Emperor could never compare to that of his senior, the Undying Demon Emperor.

Thus, while the number of Emperors mattered, in reality, the stance of the higher-ranking Emperors was far more critical. And with the Crystal Demon Emperor absent, the highest-ranking present was the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor.

Meanwhile, the first one to express his stance would naturally be the Crystal Phoenix Demon Emperor.

The Crystal Phoenix Demon Emperor's gaze fell upon Mei Gongzi. As he looked at her strikingly beautiful face, so similar to her mother's, his eyes involuntarily softened.

His daughter, this was his daughter! Even though her blood had been changed by the Peacock Great Demon King and her Demonic God Transformation altered, at her core, she still carried the phoenix bloodline. Moreover, she was so, so

Although the Peacock Great Demon King had been cunning and shrewd, his cultivation talent paled in comparison. In other words, Mei Gongzi’s excellence must have come from Lin Ximo’s own inheritance. In other words, his daughter was undoubtedly so outstanding and powerful because of him...

The Celestial Fox Demon Emperor's voice snapped the Crystal Phoenix Demon Emperor out of his fatherly reverie. "Crystal Phoenix Demon Emperor, please state your position."

Almost instinctively, the Crystal Phoenix Demon Emperor raised his head, quickly lifted his right hand, and said, "I approve of her."

The other Emperors nodded. His response came as no surprise... until they realized what he had actually said.

The heads of the other Demon Emperors instantly snapped in the direction of the Crystal Phoenix Demon Emperor, all with expressions of sheer disbelief. Even the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor's eyes widened in surprise.

"I’m sorry, did you just say you approve of her?"

If anyone among the Emperors present was the most opposed to Mei Gongzi's assessment, it had to be the Crystal Phoenix Demon Emperor, at least in the eyes of the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor. As the arch-nemesis of the Peacock Demon clan, how many times over how many years had he fought life-and-death battles with the late Peacock Great Demon King? In fact, it was ultimately due to him that the Peacock Great Demon King had fallen, leading to Mei Gongzi being in this position in the first place!

They should have been absolute enemies! Whether it was the long-standing rivalry between the Peacock Demon clan and the phoenix race, or the personal enmity between Lin Ximo and Wang Qing, none of them could ever be washed away except in the blood of thousands. And speaking of blood, Mei Gongzi had a blood feud with this man for killing her father! How could he just agree to let her do what she wanted?!

How is that possible?!

The White Tiger Demon Emperor couldn't help but open his mouth in shock. Even his fangs involuntarily bared—this was neither delight nor anger, but plain astonishment.

After a brief moment of loss, the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor quickly regained his composure and asked in a deep voice, "Reason!"

The Crystal Phoenix Demon Emperor didn't look at him; instead, his gaze remained fixed on Mei Gongzi. On her face, he also saw an expression of disbelief.

A pang of sorrow struck his heart. She still didn't know, of course... Her mother had never told her the truth about her origins.

But it was understandable—after all, the Peacock Great Demon King had just died, and she was now the leader of the Peacock Demon clan. It wasn't the right time for her to know.

The Crystal Phoenix Demon Emperor let out a silent sigh, then spoke in a deep voice, "She has shown the potential of an Emperor. In fact, I can say that among the younger generation I have seen in recent years, she is the most likely to become an Emperor.

"Many of us among the Emperors are over a thousand years old. It won’t be long until our clans will need successors. According to the Ancestral Court's principles of fairness and justice, a descendant with the potential to become an Emperor is to be given more opportunities.

"As the lord of Kali City, I believe that in the near future, she will undoubtedly become an Emperor and will be able to protect our borders well. Therefore, on my part, she has passed this evaluation."