Chapter 923: Wait, I'm a Little Confused

"Wait, I'm a little confused. Hold on." The White Tiger Demon Emperor interrupted him. All of a sudden, his pupils expanded again, then shrunk to the size of a needle's tip. "You killed the Adamant Nymph Emperor?"

The voice of the White Tiger Demon Emperor, renowned as the Emperor who could pierce through heaven and earth, had turned high-pitched enough to indeed pierce through heaven and earth.

Tang San said helplessly, "Why don't you say it a bit louder and let the entire Ancestral Court hear?"

The White Tiger Demon Emperor waved his hand, strengthening the defensive barrier on the hotel's top floor, all while staring at Tang San in shock. "Was it really you?"

Tang San nodded reluctantly. "More or less."

The White Tiger Demon Emperor instinctively stepped back, putting a bit more distance between himself and Tang San.

Tang San was surprised to sense a trace of fear from this Emperor!

Really now? You're not even in the same league as the Adamant Nymph Emperor, you're way stronger. And even if you weren't, it's not like I'd kill my in-laws!

The White Tiger Demon Emperor's breathing clearly became heavier. It was a long while before he finally asked, "How did you do it? Was it really the Ancestral Tree awakening?"

Tang San replied, "I did use the Ancestral Tree's power, and the Adamant Nymph Emperor was too arrogant. I found an opening."

"But even if his combat power wasn't outstanding, his defense was the very best of all Emperors. How did you manage it?!" The White Tiger Demon Emperor still couldn't believe it.

Tang San grinned, flashing his white teeth. "Wanna try? You'll understand if you do."

"No need." The White Tiger Demon Emperor responded with a helpless look. "Clearly, I'm the demon here, so why do I feel like I've made a deal with the devil? Is it too late to regret this?"

Tang San shrugged. "Of course it's too late. You've already boarded the pirate ship. And shouldn't you be happier the stronger I am? They say 'the fox grieves the death of the hare,' but you're a tiger, so what are you grieving for?"

The White Tiger Demon Emperor let out a long breath. "Alright, spill it—what exactly do you want?"

"Didn't I just ask you? If the Sea God's emissary can't participate in the tournament, then what about the patriarch of the Blue Gold Tree clan? As the future Ancestral Tree? That should qualify me, right? I'm a nymph, and also the leader of a clan. I wouldn't be underselling Little Mei. Plus, I meet the eleventh-order requirement."

Hearing this, the White Tiger Demon Emperor finally realized why Tang San had revealed the secret identity of Jin Miaolin to him.

Right... That makes sense.

The Sea God's emissary was problematic because the Sea God wasn't truly part of the Daemon Continent. But Jin Miaolin, as patriarch of the Blue Gold Tree clan, very much did qualify.

The White Tiger Demon Emperor had personally witnessed Tang San undergoing communion with the Celestial Pillar before his evaluation, and had felt the high-level life energy on him. Without a doubt, this man was now a hot commodity for the entire Ancestral Court. And it wasn't just nymphs who wanted a piece of him; even demons and the Empyrean Dominion hoped to maintain good relations with him. After all, who didn't crave the nourishment of high-level life energy? Now that he was guarded by many Nymph Emperors and had killed the Adamant Nymph Emperor after the Ancestral Tree's awakening, no one dared attack him outright, so they could only try to curry favor.

"You really are beyond what I imagined." The White Tiger Demon Emperor looked at Tang San, admiration slowly surfacing in his eyes.

Tang San smiled. "I stumbled into this debacle by sheer chance. But if you think about it, using this identity to join the tournament is the perfect choice."

The White Tiger Demon Emperor tilted his head, however, with a questioning look in his eyes. "But Blue Gold Trees are known for being lousy fighters. You're really going to participate like that? Without using your other bloodlines, winning won't be easy."

Tang San nodded. "I know. But I've made preparations. Don't worry, I'll have a suitable excuse. Just don't tell Little Mei about this when you see her. I'm afraid she might slip up."

The White Tiger Demon Emperor nodded. He was no simpleton, and he naturally understood Tang San's concern.

"So what do you need me to do?" he asked again.

Tang San said, "The Ancestral Court will likely hold an important meeting soon, regarding the Blue Gold Tree clan. I've proposed to the Solstice Empire that the clan become neutral, so that its high-order members can go to various main cities to help gather life energy and support other races' development. I just need your support on that. Of course, if I announce I'll be entering the tournament and some Emperors oppose me, I'll need your support again."

"The Blue Gold Tree clan becoming neutral? Will the Solstice Empire agree to that?" the White Tiger Demon Emperor asked with a hint of doubt.

Tang San nodded. "They have no choice but to agree. Now that the Adamant Nymph Emperor is dead, demons hold a slight advantage. In this situation, with the Ancestral Tree awake and me—its fresh little successor—able to provide pure, high-level life energy, do you think the Demon Emperors will sit by while nymphs gain all the benefits? Over time, wouldn't they fall behind in both lifespan and potential for advancement? The Celestial Fox Demon Emperor will never allow that. My neutrality is the best outcome. This way, the Blue Gold Tree clan can survive and thrive."

"You really see yourself as part of the Blue Gold Tree clan now? Why do I feel like this is a weasel paying respects to the hen? You're definitely up to no good!" The White Tiger Demon Emperor looked at Tang San suspiciously. It all sounded like something that would benefit the entire Daemon Continent and the Blue Gold Tree clan. But since it was coming from Tang San, it just didn't feel trustworthy. After all, he was human. When had he ever shown goodwill toward demons or nymphs?

Tang San put on an innocent expression. "Can't you have a little faith in me? Of course I'm doing this for the Blue Gold Tree clan. During this recent journey, I gained something major from the Ancestral Tree, and that's why you sensed my improvement. This is me giving back to the Ancestral Tree. And it serves multiple purposes. I believe you know already that the Ancestral Tree is part of the plane's will. Its will determines the plane's relationship with me. I'm an outsider who wants to become an Emperor, so I need to 'bribe' the plane somehow if I want to be allowed to do it."

Hearing this, the White Tiger Demon Emperor understood where Tang San's aim was. "You really are something! To think you're ready planning ahead this far... But you're right, becoming an Emperor will be much harder for you than for Little Mei. I really do admire you now."

Tang San thought to himself,

If you knew how many other birds I'm killing with this one stone, you might not admire me so much. Right now, I'm basically kicking the plane's evolution into full speed.

"I've basically convinced the Nymph Emperors. They know that since I've demonstrated this high-level life energy, the Empyrean Dominion won't just sit by. They probably assume that even if I claim neutrality, I'll still lean toward the Solstice Empire. But in reality, I'll be actually fair to both sides. At most, I might favor you a little."

"You can actually tap into the Ancestral Tree's source power now?" the White Tiger Demon Emperor asked.

"To a certain extent, yes. So for you Emperors, there are real benefits to be gained. And you can rest assured, I won't expose myself."

The White Tiger Demon Emperor took a deep breath. "What you're asking of me is fine. It's nothing difficult. But you must be careful. Whatever you do, don't let your true identity be exposed. If it is, you'll never make it out of the Ancestral Court alive."

Tang San smiled. "Don't worry. My prestige within the Blue Gold Tree clan is very high right now. Even if I told them who I really am, they wouldn't dare to expose me."