In one or another manner, the thought crossed the minds of everyone present. While for some it was doubt, for others worry, and for others, almost a sense of relief to the Emperors had not arrived, the question was there, and it was pulsating through everyone's minds with force.

Dongpo Lian was a Warrior King, and her aura release, especially as she tried to force her way into the formation surrounding the area was strong enough to alert even Warrior Kings in the city, what to say about the Emperors, whose senses covered several miles even when retracted.

And yet, it was like the city was dead. Except for some small fry as nearby inhabitants and a couple of late passersby, no one else appeared, as if Dongpo Lian's outburst didn't reach further than a few streets away. But it wasn't so!

As she controlled her aura and qi to force her way in, even some clouds in the sky parted, the formation repelling the force outwards, breaking the usually calm, at this season, nightly atmosphere. Loud crashes and bangs accompanied the attempts, making it impossible not to be noticed!

Dongpo Lian had thought first and acted later, as she had never been such a keen combatant as she was a plotter, and so, before she even acted, she hiddenly sent a message talisman to her father, Dongpo Ao.

But there was no response to the latter as if it hadn't reached him. But while that could be acceptable in the case of a closing meeting with several Emperors joining their aura to protect against outside interference, how could Dongpo Ao not notice her flaring qi and actions?! Inside the proper city that was not more than some 7 square miles?!

As Dongpo Lian questioned herself, she continued to hit the barrier with all of her strength. Bai Qi's victory, one that she could only barely see was something good, at least in the current situation, but she knew that it changed nothing.

After all, if the barrier wasn't broken, the mysterious Warrior King supporting it would be able to easily kill the former. Not to mention the heirs of the three powers her Father was trying to butter up right now!

***

Unbeknownst to each other, the hidden Tang Chao's thoughts nearly mirrored Dongpo Lian's, although in a different manner.

He had even thought about acting himself now that the barrier was steady, just a moment before Bai Qi suddenly defeated and killed Yuwen Dong. But while it did shake him, and he was nearly about to use a hidden card he would have preferred to keep hidden, the trouble from using it far above any benefits, he still had the same thought,

And then, something that Dongpo Lian could not calculate was added,

Regaining his calm with such a thought, a stark comparison to the panic from just a moment before, as he saw a victorious Bai Qi, Tang Chao acted, but avoiding the blunder he had been just about to commit, forgetting to cloak himself before appearing. After all, if everyone inside the formation was killed, who could later identify him? And if he escaped successfully, what would prevent him from returning later, with some excuse he would need to prepare, but still, come back as Minister Tang, with all of the benefits and possibilities to continue doing what the leaders of the Sect intended him to do?!

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As everyone thought of them, either hoping or fearing for or against their presence, cursing against the result they didn't want, everyone present would be stunned to know that all of the Emperors they deeply thought about were present on the scene. Hidden and masked, but yet, just a few hundred feet above the formation! Furthermore, as cultivators with full use of the [Void], they could be very much inside the formation if they wanted to. After all, there was no way that even a strengthened four-flag formation, even to such an impressive level, would be able to block their innate ability to traverse the [Void]!

[Qi Transmissions] were instantaneous, and could share far more than just words, and so, why would the Emperors need to meet, if all of the points of interest could, and had been already discussed during the banquet?! Granted, a formal reunion was a must if they wanted to go along some of the points, formalities being a part of the correct process, but... Decisions had already been reached, and also a plan of action had been decided upon, as Gao Zhuli, Lei Qiang, and the [Pan Trade Company] guardian, who still wore a mask to obscure his face even in the presence of fellow Emperors, revealed that they were acting as escorts because of the bounty announced over the cultivators, especially geniuses or inheritors, of any [Great Forest] powers.

Where there were assassinations, there would always be spies, tails, and informants. If the Emperors secluded themselves, taking along a few of the most powerful Warrior Kings, who were nothing but an unneeded honor guard, and with a fat target as Bai Qi, whose price had recently elevated to a sum far above even Pan Tong, the previously highest rating target in the Warrior Lord realm, wouldn't that be perfect for the assassins to act?

Better than anyone else, Dongpo Ao knew that his city had not paid attention to checks, just asking for outrageous fees and allowing anyone to enter. Thus, the plan could work. And when it did, as he was sure of being able to solve anything by himself if required, how could the [Pan Trade Company], [Yuxuan] city, and [White Grove] ignore his contributions and friendship?

Such thoughts also appeared in Dongpo Ao's mind as he quickly agreed to organize the trap for the assassins. Then, as part of it, he sent his daughter, Lian, to follow after the youngsters, to avoid any suspicion that the youngsters were left undefended while reinforcing the point of their reunion being so important as for them to seclude while having a good dozen of famous Warrior Kings as guards.

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Still, for some reason, he had felt uneasy, and so, in place of staying in the palace as was planned, he proposed to seclude themselves in the void and observe the developments, to act quicker when required. While Gao Zhuli and Lei Qiang considered it to be too much worry, as they were pretty much sure that the protective items on their respective powers' inheritors would save them from any first sneak attack, they would also agree, after considering that maybe the assassin wouldn't be a measly beginner Warrior King, as expected for such targets, but someone with higher cultivation. Well, at least that would be the accepted reason, as in truth, they would be unable not to follow Dongpo Ao after he and the [Pan Trade Company] Emperor said they would do it anyway.

***

Having arrived at the spot of the confrontation even a breath before Dongpo Lian, they had observed all of Bai Qi's fight. Even so, no one of them had expressed the willingness to act, the strange, rogue youngster being a point of interest for all of them.

No matter how the present respected Warrior Emperors were, they were still old. One of their duties as revered ones in their powers or leaders, as Dongpo Ao, was to bring fresh, talented, and powerful juniors into their clan, sect, city, or other type of power.

Basically, giving an influx of new, talented, and powerful beings into their respective power. No matter in which manner, be it recruiting, marriage, tutoring, or even kidnapping, talented people would always end up as part of a power far above.

Not that the powers produced none of such talented ones, but as to reach higher tiers? It would be a dream without recruiting, by whichever means necessary, from the rogues and lower-tiered powers. After all, all known geniuses, even from second- and third-tier powers went towards the [Great Forest] Sect or their directly-managed powers, with the others picking up what was left.

But now! Bai Qi was just a rogue, a cultivator that the [Great Forest] sect or their first-tiered subsidiaries would usually not notice, if not for his talent as if they did, they would definitively take him for themselves. While some details about him were unknown, his few appearances and the consequent results of the latter were far above even the geniuses of his cultivation range.

And for some reason, probably because of the war and everything else going on, he was still unclaimed. A genius cultivator was still rogue! Even with the support of several powers, a couple above their position, Bai Qi had still not joined any! What was it if not a heaven-sent opportunity?!

No matter how, if he hooked into their powers, and was given enough resources to progress, how could he not progress towards a level comparable to the most renowned geniuses, the same as Zhao Ming, Chang Li, Lai Jingyi, Fu Jin, or Tian Jian, three of them having grown into pillars of the [Great Forest] region, reaching the Warrior Emperor realm while being of the youngest generation!

And while a far call, Bai Qi's heaven-defying prowess had already been revealed as he was a Warrior Lord, meaning that even if he didn't reach such heights, he could still evolve into a powerful asset that other powers could only envy!

Thus, the two powers that had interacted with him, after the reports from their heirs got through, had no other intention but to recruit him in any way necessary. The incident with Dongpo Lian and the entire [Dongpo] clan was nothing to take account of, if not for Dongpo Ao resurfacing as a 3rd level Warrior Emperor, who not only acknowledged Bai Qi as a friend to the clan, probably because of the events in the city he still was head of, and the [Pan Trade Company] heir's intervention.

Even so, their target had not joined anyone, and with [White Grove] Sect and [Yuxuan] City being the first to invite Bai Qi, and the latter agreeing to visit both, even if the [Yuxuan] came first because of some personal motives, the two powers' Emperors definitively wouldn't allow the young upstart to die.

***

"As he won against the highest cultivator, of the open ones, shouldn't we interfere?" Gao Zhuli, who had recently reached the 2nd level of the Emperor Warrior Realm, and while not so renowned, still had a position that suppressed even Dongpo Ao, as she was not only the official wife of the [Gao] clan's leader but also the one who birthed him a second child, after a dozen of years of having no luck, the beautiful and already renowned Gao Xiulan!

Her reasons for asking and being ready to act were inside the considerations of the [Gao] clan, and the others indeed, but in truth, she was more acting up for her daughter, as how could she not notice the glances that Gao Xiulan had sent towards Bai Qi as all the parties met.

Gao Zhuli was being pure and impure as she asked, but, either way, wouldn't it be logical for them to act?

"Not before someone above his realm acts." Dongpo Ao interjected. Even if he had cleared their misunderstanding, the old fox still wanted to appear as a savior, which had been the reason for him to move all the Emperors, and not a fool who simply surrendered to Bai Qi, who as a Warrior Lord, usually wouldn't receive even a glance.

"I agree. There is no reason to appear now, as he seems to control the situation." While the [White Grove] was very interested in recruiting such a genius in the path of weapons, proved by his results in the event organized by the higher-tier [Delicate Forest Palace], Lei Qiang still maintained his decorum. He shared his thoughts with the other three emperors, defending Bai Qi's right to test and prove himself while agreeing to the later sent qi-transmission from the [Pan Trade Company] to save the inheritors if they were in a dangerous position.

Even if Lei Qiang had no real relation to the young star of the [Lei] clan, as Guying was someone from outside the sect who had suddenly appeared just a few years ago, he had never considered him an outsider. After all, he and his older brother have always been impartial in their relationships, lauding any genius inside their clan, no matter the close-blood relationships.

Lei Qiang had an even bigger reason to stop the others from interfering, as he thought of An Zhuo, the so-called youngest threat of the [An] clan that followed Lei Guying as a protector and had just announced Bai Qi to be someone he considered a brother. Thus, Lei Qiang stopped everyone from acting, not knowing that by doing so, he was giving them time to prepare for something that neither of them expected.