Chapter 473 (1)

A heavy silence filled the massive stone platform.

Countless powerful cultivators gazed in disbelief at the Three Holy Lords.

No one dared to believe that these three supreme beings, who had ruled the world for a thousand years and were revered by countless people, were now being completely suppressed by Meng Dian and the others from Guiyuan Sect, solely through the might of their auras, forcing them into retreat.

Even though Meng Dian and his group were Golden Core Realm cultivators, the Three Holy Lords had also transcended the Heavenly Tribulation and stepped into the Golden Core Realm.

Especially Meng Dian’s words, which sent shockwaves through everyone's hearts.

At that moment, all eyes were fixed on the Three Holy Lords, eagerly awaiting their explanation.

“Elder Brother, I told you long ago that we couldn’t hide this. The sharp perception of a Golden Core Realm divine soul is something we both understand well.

A mere Foundation Establishment perfection-stage Puppet Avatar is still incapable of completely deceiving their senses.”

At this moment, the Third Holy Lord suddenly spoke.

“Everything is worth a try,” the First Holy Lord shook his head.

From the start, he had merely wanted to test things out, and now it was clear—there was no way to conceal the truth from the Golden Core Realm’s spiritual intuition.

Their conversation immediately stirred an uproar.

The meaning behind their words was already clear—it was an outright admission that Meng Dian’s statement was true.

The real bodies of these Three Holy Lords were indeed incapable of leaving Sacred Mountain. The figures standing before them were merely Puppet Avatars.

There had already been suspicions, and some factions had even been certain of this for a long time.

Even the representatives from the Three Great Secret Realms showed unexpected expressions.

Particularly, the experts from Qingyang Temple and Yunshui Secret Realm, who had remained calm and composed throughout the Holy Assembly, showed no fluctuations in their demeanor, as if they had foreseen this outcome all along.

Yet now, even they were a little surprised.

“They actually admitted it. What exactly are they planning?”

The cultivators from the Three Great Secret Realms were now filled with doubt.

By admitting this so publicly, the Three Holy Lords had effectively exposed a major weakness. Given this revelation, how could they maintain their authority and continue the Holy Assembly as planned?

Sure enough, upon hearing the First Holy Lord and Third Holy Lord’s words, Meng Dian and the others revealed joyful expressions.

“Respected Holy Lords, isn’t this rather unbecoming? For such a grand event as the Holy Assembly, the three of you have only sent Puppet Avatars in your place. Isn’t this far too perfunctory?”

Meng Dian smirked as he gazed at the three Holy Lords.

“If you wish to see our true bodies, it’s simple—just ascend Sacred Mountain directly. But do you dare?” The Third Holy Lord said indifferently.

Meng Dian and his group were momentarily stunned.

Truth be told, they did not dare.

These three old monsters had been cultivating in Sacred Mountain for a millennium.

It was likely that they had fortified the place into an impregnable fortress. Combined with the innate mystique of Sacred Mountain, who knew what unfathomable methods they could employ?

Given such an overwhelming territorial advantage, even if they had the numerical advantage, they were not confident that they would leave unscathed.

“Hmph, my elder brother knew that you were all cowards, which is precisely why he chose Sacred City as the venue for the Holy Assembly, instead of Sacred Mountain.

Otherwise, with your meager courage, you probably wouldn’t have dared to come at all,” the Third Holy Lord sneered.

Having cultivated the Path of the Sword, his temperament was as sharp as a blade—direct and uncompromising.

Faced with the aggressive Meng Dian and his group, he naturally showed no courtesy, directly ridiculing them.

“You—”

Meng Dian hadn't expected the Third Holy Lord, a fellow Golden Core Realm cultivator, to speak so brazenly. His face turned slightly red.

However, his cultivation was profound, and with a slight circulation of his mental techniques, he quickly suppressed his irritation, his expression regaining composure.

“It seems the Third Holy Lord has yet to recognize the reality of the situation.

Since you have acknowledged that your true bodies cannot leave Sacred Mountain, and that only your Puppet Avatars are present...

Then this Holy Assembly should no longer be presided over by you.

With your current level of strength, I’m afraid you are no longer capable of leading us.”

“If our strength cannot command respect, then whose can? Yours, Meng Dian?” the Third Holy Lord mocked.

“If my strength surpasses all, then why not? As I said before, we cultivators respect power above all.

Now that the world is changing and spiritual energy is reviving, not only is the righteous path flourishing, but even the demonic and evil sects are showing signs of resurgence.

Since the three of you are bound to Sacred Mountain and cannot act freely,

How can you continue to deter the wicked and maintain order?

Thus, I believe that Sacred Mountain is no longer fit to serve as the leader of the righteous path.

Now that the Holy Assembly has been convened, I propose that we elect a new sect to take its place as the righteous path’s leader.”

With these words, a wave of shock swept through the gathered cultivators.

It was clear—once Meng Dian confirmed that the Three Holy Lords could not leave Sacred Mountain, he had no intention of hiding his ambitions any longer.

He was openly seeking to seize power from Sacred Mountain, intending to overthrow them as the leader of the righteous path.

“A suitable sect? You wouldn’t happen to be referring to your Guiyuan Sect, would you?” The Third Holy Lord sneered.

“If my Guiyuan Sect can stand above all, then why not take the position of the righteous path’s leader?” Meng Dian said proudly.

At the same time, a terrifying aura erupted from his body—an overwhelming Golden Core pressure suppressing the entire assembly.

His power even seemed to faintly overshadow the other Golden Core Realm cultivators present.

The faces of many sect leaders changed upon feeling Meng Dian’s sudden surge of power.

They realized, to their shock, that Meng Dian now gave them a sense of dread.

“This Meng Dian... did he acquire some incredible artifact?”

Even the Golden Core cultivators from Qingyang Temple and Yunshui Secret Realm grew more serious.

From their intelligence, Meng Dian had only transcended his Heavenly Tribulation half a year ago.

Logically, even if he had a solid foundation, he shouldn’t be this powerful so soon.

If he truly possessed such monstrous talent, Guiyuan Sect wouldn’t have remained merely one of Zhongzhou’s top sects—they would have long since dominated as the undisputed strongest.

The only plausible explanation was that he had obtained some kind of powerful artifact.

“With such a trump card in hand, no wonder Meng Dian is so confident.

The Holy Assembly has barely begun, and he has already made multiple aggressive moves against Sacred Mountain.

Clearly, he wants to seize power before the assembly even officially starts.”

Suddenly, realization dawned on everyone.

At first, they found Meng Dian’s impatience strange—why was he challenging the Three Holy Lords so quickly, without waiting for discussions?

Now they understood—he had absolute confidence in his advantage and sought to strike before the assembly even truly began.

As he witnessed the crowd subdued by his overwhelming aura, Meng Dian felt an indescribable thrill.

His cultivation technique circulated even faster.

He stared straight at the Three Holy Lords, his presence growing even more menacing.

“Well, esteemed Holy Lords, what do you think of my proposal?”

Faced with Meng Dian’s increasing pressure, the First Holy Lord remained unfazed.

He sighed.

“Truthfully, the title of leader of the righteous path means little to us.

As long as whoever holds this position prioritizes the well-being of the world’s people and guides the righteous path...

Then we Sacred Mountain have no qualms about relinquishing it.”

These words sent shockwaves through the crowd.

Was the First Holy Lord truly willing to step down and let another sect lead the righteous path?