Stop it, Taoist, Your Fight almost Ruins the DAO!

The Grand Hall of Dragon Tiger Mountain was immense, flickering with a strange metallic luster. Runes glimmered subtly on its surface, and a primitive and desolate aura rushed forth to greet anyone who approached.

Inside this majestic hall, the current Heavenly Master of Dragon Tiger Mountain, Zhang Taichu, sat in the principal seat. Below him, four purple-robed Daoists were seated on either side.

The two Daoists on the left had an immortal bearing and their aura was mountain-like, their eyes carrying an indifferent shade. The two Daoists seated high on the right had an aura as vast as the ocean, their faces showing a bit of unruliness, particularly a middle-aged purple-robed Daoist wearing a star-crowned hat embroidered with "Pleiades," more than the others.

At this moment, all four were observing their noses and hearts, silent and saying nothing.

Below the purple-robed Daoists were rows of experts dressed in red and green Daoist robes, currently speaking all at once, turning the place into a cacophony.

Looking at the noisy scene inside the hall, a trace of weariness showed on Zhang Taichu's face.

Three years ago, the different branches of Dragon Tiger Mountain were already undermining each other in balance and cooperation. Since the return of former Dragon Tiger Mountain cultivators from the Demon Realm, the current atmosphere was even livelier than before.

Maintaining balance among the previous complications was difficult enough, but now Zhang Taichu felt even more bitterness in his heart.

If not for the persistent pressure from Buddhism, he would never have decided to bring back the former Dragon Tiger Mountain experts from the Demon Realm.

Even had he made such a decision, he certainly would not have merged the two.

Yet now, the situation was fragile as a stack of eggs. To safeguard Dragon Tiger Mountain's legacy, even knowing it was but a temporary relief from thirst by drinking poison, he knew they had to take the bitter draught.

"Emperor Qin Ying Si has sent an envoy with a greeting card, expressing his wish to pay respect to our mountain. How should we respond?" Zhang Taichu cleared his throat, breaking the argumentative buzz from below, his gaze sweeping around before finally settling on the faces of the four purple-robed Daoists by his side.

In this era of great contention, unlike the previous peaceful times, Dragon Tiger Mountain had naturally undergone changes. True Persons like Yuan Hong and Yuan Shan had already withdrawn from the forefront, now overseeing only mundane affairs, with no say in major decisions.

At the very least, anyone who had a seat in this Grand Hall was at least of the rank of a Daoist True Monarch.

"How to respond? Haha, Emperor Qin Ying Si's divisive maneuver is blatantly obvious. In my view," said Zhang Lingyue, the Daoist on the right with an unruly expression, "we should have nothing to do with this diplomatic team and block them right at the mountain gate."

"Disciple Ling Yue, your words are inappropriate. Emperor Qin Ying Si is a dominant ruler with astonishing cultivation. If we act this way and offend him, it would be improper," another person remarked.

"Furthermore, the greeting card mentions that they've heard Dragon Tiger Mountain is a gathering of stars, holding sway over the Dao Sects of Central Continent. They're specifically sending someone to exchange and spar with us. If we reject them outright, wouldn't we be admitting that we lack the courage to compete with the talented cultivators of the Great Qin Empire on the same stage?"

"I, Taizhenzi, think that we should not only treat the envoy sent by Emperor Qin Ying Si with courtesy but also show twelve points of sincerity."

"Didn't Ying Si state in his greeting card that he brings with him many of Great Qin's books, wishing to exchange with Dragon Tiger Mountain's collection for mutual exploration of the Dao? As long as Ying Si brings something valuable enough, everything, except for the few peak True Laws of Dragon Tiger Mountain, can be up for discussion!"

"With Lin Luo representing Emperor Qin, I believe the best course of action would be for the Heavenly Master himself to welcome them, to show equal standing."

A silver-haired Daoist on the left raised the Spiritual Tea in front of him to his lips and sipped gently, presenting a different view with a smile.

"Elder brother Taizhenzi, why boost the morale of others and dampen our own prestige? If we receive this diplomatic team, how will other forces in Central Continent view Dragon Tiger Mountain? It would be a joke for the Heavenly Master to personally greet them!"

"Disciple Zhang Lingyue, you have been in the Demon Realm for a long time, engaging in battle after battle, but your approach is too extreme. When did I ever intend to boost others' morale? Fight when we must fight, talk when we must talk. Eastern Continent is undoubtedly powerful, and by taking this step, I am leaving us room for negotiation."

"Such a headstrong approach as yours, dear brother, is simply rash. We should consider elder brother's words, which are prudent and moderate."

"Even Great Qin, with its immense power, has not wiped out all the sects within its domain. Therefore, why should we reject them from a thousand miles away? Ying Si intends to be the emperor, and we want to preserve Dragon Tiger Mountain's Daoist lineage while safeguarding our base to the greatest extent. The best strategy is to fight and negotiate simultaneously."

"You....."

Looking at how a disagreement quickly escalated into a full-blown argument, eventually resulting in factions standing off against each other, Heavenly Master Zhang Taichu couldn't help but feel even more bitterness. He had to step forward to mediate and find a compromise.

The eventual plan was:

To receive them, but not fully; a welcome by Taizhenzi, Zhang Lingyue, and others would suffice.

To exchange, but not fully; trivial books could be exchanged, if at all.

After much effort to achieve consensus between the two branches, another matter was brought to the forefront.

"This time, Great Qin comes under the guise of an exchange and sparring event. Regardless of fighting or negotiating, we must send our elite disciples to meet the challenge. A great victory would be ideal... but at the worst, we must draw the line at defeat. We cannot allow Great Qin to glimpse the depths of Dragon Tiger Mountain. Doing so would give us more leverage in the future."

"The sparring between the True Disciples is one thing, but I've heard that among the envoy is a man known as the Hidden Dragon Taoist, recently famed across Eastern Continent as the newly risen Break-Limit True Monarch. The truth of this is shrouded by the silence of Buddhism, but what we can be sure of is that Buddhism must have suffered a significant loss in Eastern Continent."