Chapter Sixty-Two: The Titan’s Scheme (Part Two)

Within the Titan Hall, silence reigned. The assembled priests, each lost in thought, reflected on the events that had just transpired, their minds filled with conflicting emotions.

Priest Taihai had sought to elevate his status and authority within the tribe by proposing the annexation of the remnants of the Tiger Clan. Yet, due to his lack of foresight, he had suffered a stinging rebuke from Priest Taiming. Such confrontations had become increasingly common among the Titans of late, but this particular clash was especially pronounced and fierce.

“It seems the battle between old and new is about to erupt,” lamented Taixuan, the Fifth Priest, as he gazed anxiously at the two adversaries—Taihai and Taiming—whose hostility was as clear as fire and water.

Standing beside him, Taishi, the Sixth Priest, echoed Taixuan’s concern. “Priest Taihai, though only ranked ninth among us, has risen to prominence over the last hundred millennia. Ambitious to a fault, he craves even greater power. The conflict between the new generation and the old has become inevitable.”

Though the Titan Tribe was sovereign among the southern wilds, their expansion was constrained by the Phoenix Clan, forcing them to remain sequestered within the vast Ten-Thousand Peaks. With their territory limited, the reins of power were tightly held by the elders, while the younger generation, though increasingly formidable, found themselves without authority.

How could the young endure being suppressed by the elders, denied both power and the chance for advancement?

In the primordial wilderness, aside from the ancient gods and those of immense magical prowess, the multitudes had no inherited methods of cultivation and could only grope their way forward. Thus, for one at the level of a God-King, continued progress in cultivation demanded a great accumulation of fortune and destiny.

Yet, with power monopolized by the elders, it was they who reaped the lion’s share of this fortune. How could the young God-Kings hope to further their cultivation without such vital resources?

Those who cut off the path to cultivation are hated with unending enmity.

Thus, the younger generation of Titan powerhouses began to challenge the authority of their elders, striving to win more power and fortune for themselves, that they might advance on their paths.

Priest Taihai was just such a figure, having become the Ninth Priest by defeating his predecessor in open challenge, rising as the strongest among the youth.

Yet even now, Taihai was dissatisfied with his rank and sought an even loftier position, yearning for more authority. However, the iron law of the Titans decreed that no priest might rise in rank without merit. The Titan Chief had established this rule to prevent the priests from blindly pursuing strength at the expense of the tribe’s welfare, lest their single-minded cultivation bring about the tribe’s decline.

Thus, though Taihai’s strength might have qualified him for a higher rank—perhaps even the seventh seat—without merit, he could not ascend. This was the chief reason for his eagerness to annex the Tiger Clan remnants: such a feat would not only greatly enhance the Titans’ strength but would also grant Taihai the merits necessary to claim more power.

Clearly, Taiming had seen through Taihai’s intentions and, without mercy, had exposed the flaw in his plan, thwarting Taihai’s bid for achievement. As a representative of the elder generation, how could Taiming allow a young upstart like Taihai to rise still further?

Taihai, though outwardly expressionless, was clearly reeling from the blow. Sensing an opportunity to shatter Taihai’s momentum and ensure he made no progress for another hundred millennia, Taiming struck again.

“Priest Taihai, what is the second matter you claim concerns the very survival of our tribe?” Taiming’s golden eyes, seemingly placid yet filled with murderous intent, fixed upon Taihai as he spoke in a calm tone.

Taihai drew a deep breath, struggling to compose his turbulent heart as he pondered his next words. Having considered carefully, he lifted his head and met Taiming’s gaze, his own golden eyes equally calm in appearance, but brimming with barely concealed hostility.

“The ferocious beast army has massed at the borders of our realm, surely intent on breaching the boundary and attacking the other wilds. The Southern Wild lies adjacent to the Western Wild—we cannot afford to be unprepared. I propose we mobilize our forces and prepare for war.”

A brilliant light flashed in Taihai’s golden eyes as his powerful voice reverberated throughout the hall, reaching the ears of every priest.

Upon hearing his proposal, the priests’ eyes immediately lit up. “Mobilize and prepare for war? What an excellent opportunity to consolidate military power!”

This suggestion was perfectly timed, leaving all the priests with no choice but to agree. From the fragments of memory just witnessed, they had seen the vast ambition of the beast army sweeping through the primordial world.

Clearly, the Titans had no choice but to ready their armies to guard against a possible invasion.

“Indeed! Priest Taihai speaks truly. I am in favor!” cried Taidi, the Third Priest, from atop his seven-zhang stone seat.

“I am in favor!” “I am in favor!” The other priests, eager for a chance to seize military authority, voiced their agreement in quick succession.

As he watched Taihai’s calm expression, Taiming found himself reassessing the man. Only a priest who understood both advance and retreat, and who knew how to share benefits, could hope to rise ever higher.

Had Taihai proposed to personally lead the armies, the others would surely have turned on him, leaving him with nothing. As it was, no matter the outcome, the credit for this proposal would be his, and he had gained the good graces of the council.

Now, the priests began to quarrel over who should command the troops.

“Among all the priests, I have led warriors into battle the most times and possess the greatest experience. Naturally, I should command the army,” Taixuan declared, his gaze sweeping over the others.

“I am the Third Priest, esteemed and virtuous. It is only right that I should lead,” retorted Taidi without hesitation, loudly extolling himself.

And so it continued. Of the eight priests present, only Taiming and Taihai remained silent, while the rest vied fiercely for command.

“Only the Titan Sovereign has the authority to decide who commands the army. No matter how they struggle, it is useless!” This identical thought arose in the hearts of both Taiming and Taihai.

“Silence!”

A mighty wave of golden sound burst forth from the Titan Sovereign, bearing down on the priests like a mountain. At once, a roaring filled their ears and a crushing pressure stilled their divine hearts, rendering them unable to resist.

Perhaps he had grown weary of their bickering, or perhaps he simply wished to end the farce; the supreme Titan Sovereign finally spoke.

The golden reverberations still echoed within the hall, yet all was suddenly hushed. The priests rose as one, dropping to one knee with bowed heads before their exalted lord, offering their humble apologies.

“Forgive us, Sovereign!”

Seated atop a massive ten-zhang throne of golden stone, the Titan Sovereign’s gaze swept over them, his eyes as immovable as mountains, his presence dominating all like the master of the earth itself.

“I have decided to take command of the preparations myself.”

At these words, the priests immediately raised their heads to object. “This must not be, Sovereign! How can you risk yourself so? Should anything befall you, the consequences are unthinkable!”

A God Sovereign was the ultimate power of the tribe, the decisive force. Save for battles in which the tribe’s very survival was at stake, a sovereign rarely ventured forth, remaining instead as the unshakable pillar of the clan. For if anything were to happen to him, the tribe would be instantly vulnerable to destruction.

“There is no need for further discussion. My mind is made up,” the Titan Sovereign declared with unwavering finality, sending a chill of dread through the gathering.

“Withdraw.”

With a flash of divine light, the Titan Sovereign vanished from sight.

One by one, the uneasy priests filed out of the Titan Hall, setting about their tasks to prepare for war. Only Taihai, his heart troubled, made his way toward the grand and splendid Ancestral Temple.