"The words were grand, displaying the grandeur fitting of a major sect, prompting Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang to look at him and then back at their own people.

Since Wan Daoyuan had said so much and offered such assurances, Master Mai felt a release of tension, turned to face his despondent companions, and called out loudly, "When we were united, no matter how much we contributed, we got no credit for our efforts. Now that we're divided, even when we rely on our achievements, we still have to give them all away. Everyone, tell me, is this fair?"

At first, no one responded, but then a fellow disciple of Master Mai shouted, "Unfair!"

And then the cries of "Unfair!" began to rise one after another, gradually merging into one voice echoing through the valley.

The outcry revealed anger, a venting, and a rebellious sentiment.

The grievances that had been bottled up in hearts finally burst out in indignant venting, at this time when there was safety in numbers.

The warm welcome lights from both sides of the valley quickly dimmed. This wasn't a return of comrades but a fight for credit and recognition; they didn't even bother with pleasantries anymore.

From a distance on the mountaintop, Mulan Qingqing stood with her arms behind her back, still wearing an expression cold as ice.

Beside her, Guann Yingjie snorted and said, "It starts now."

Shi Chun's expression grew serious, and seeing his reaction, Wu Jinliang's face also became grim. Neither of them said a word, letting the tumult continue.

After waiting a while, Wan Daoyuan used a spell to amplify his voice, "Everyone calm down, stop the noise, stop the chaos, let's talk it out calmly." After the noise subsided a bit, he continued, "I understand what you all mean, but the rules of the competition were agreed upon by all at the start. To deny them now that we have results seems inappropriate, doesn't it?"

Someone in the rabble immediately shouted, "What kind of agreement is that? Did we even have a choice? It's all whatever you say it is."

Someone among the elite troops responded loudly, "If you found it unfair, you should've spoken up earlier. If you had won, would you still be shouting about unfairness?"

Someone from the rabble retorted, "You gather the elite to compete against us, fair or not, don't you have any sense of decency?"

Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang inadvertently exchanged glances once more, knowing that those who dared to openly berate these major sects in public were far from simple. The traitors on their side were feared to be more than one or two.

Someone among the elite troops sneered, "At least you know who the elite are, and that you're inferior. Don't you have any idea to whom the credit belongs?"

Wan Daoyuan and his two companions looked at each other; they hadn't planted so many pretentious people amongst the elite troops. As it turned out, there was no need. Once the topic was brought up, people naturally took up stands.

Someone from the rabble sneered, "Thought the elite were so capable, with such an advantage, only to win by a mere 5,000 Extreme Crystals. If you were of equal strength to me, figure out for yourself what sort of shape you'd be in."

Among the elite troops, someone hummed, "You are mistaken; this is called calculating clearly. We only make our move after we're sure we can beat you. We don't bother with the extra effort, unlike you running around wasting time. We only moved after resting enough, and winning against you is our skill."

After listening for a while, Wan Daoyuan no longer bothered with the heated arguments of those people. They would argue as they wished, while he whispered to Shi Chun, "Brother Wang, we had an agreement, what do you think?"

Shi Chun replied, "I have no opinion; they are they, and I am me. I can't control them. In any case, I personally will never break an agreement. I'll stick to my word, 'one' means 'one,' and 'two' means 'two.' We settled on the Insect Extreme Crystals in person, and a bet is a bet."

Turning to gesture at the black cloth bags on the bodies of those from Bilan Sect behind him, "Our Insect Extreme Crystals are all here, let's start counting now, the sooner we finish, the better. I'm tired of arguing. Anyway, we'll be able to leave at dawn."

Tang Zhen hurriedly said, "We're not in a rush for the items; the physical things won't cause trouble. It's the people who are more troublesome. We need to clarify the people's issues first, otherwise, if we can't settle the matter of credit later, it'll be an embarrassment to the Domain Master, and no one will look good."

Shi Chun said, "Is it that troublesome? We count the Insect Extreme Crystals on both sides, a bet is a bet. What can dissenting voices do? After we go out, who among us smaller sects would dare to argue with you?"

Wan Daoyuan raised his hand to stop him, "Brother Wang, you're not seeing the big picture. If we have internal strife that makes a mess of thinigs, and Xuan State becomes a laughingstock for obtaining first place through infighting, it will be a bad outcome once we leave, and the Domain Master will be hard to explain to."

Behind, Chu Jingtang, who knew some of the inside story, blinked his eyes, feeling a swirl of emotions, knowing that none of those people were harboring good intentions.

Shi Chun spread his hands slightly, "Then what do you propose? They've contributed but get nothing in return, let them vent a bit. I can't shut their mouths, nor can I. Otherwise, so many wouldn't have died all at once."

Knowing that further discussion would embarrass him, since Shi Chun had already conceded, Wan Daoyuan stopped talking to him, turning to address the crowd, "Be quiet."

After a commanding shout quieted the scene, he faced the discontented group and said, "Speak directly, what do you want?"

Master Mai suggested, "Let's base the distribution of credits on each individual's gains and achievements. Nobody should be biased towards anyone."

"That's right, take exactly what you've earned, not a bit more or less."

"Yes, distribute according to achievements."

Shi Chun watched quietly as a minority spoke for everyone, without saying a word.

As these voices of agreement rose, many among the hillsides on both sides immediately objected and bellowed out.

"We made our preparations based on a competition of victory and defeat, why bring this up now, what were you doing earlier?"

"Stop talking nonsense and just accept the bet and admit your loss," someone scoffed.

"A bunch of losers, trying to take advantage without even bothering to come up with a good excuse."

The ones who refused to agree and wouldn't cooperate were the weaker members of the elite force. If all the merit was attributed to their side, they could still get a share of the spoils. But based on the current results, they were out of the picture, so naturally, they were the most vocal in their opposition.

The quarrel was about to erupt again when Wan Daoyuan cast a spell and roared, "Shut up, all of you!"

After silencing the crowd, he addressed Wang Sheng and the others, "Alright, you've all had a long journey and must be tired. Find a place to rest, and after we've discussed it, we'll give you a satisfactory answer."

With a wave of his hand, he signaled his men to take them away and settle them in.

So, the rabble was led away just like that.

And truth be told, the hospitality on the part of the elite force wasn't bad. In the valley where they were to stay, even the caves had been dug out for them, ready for immediate occupation.

About an hour later, Wan Daoyuan came back with a group of people who had taken a great effort to calm down, and called out the people on Shi Chun's side to speak to them face to face.

"I'll cut straight to the point," Wan Daoyuan began with a grand gesture. "We've heard your grievances and demands, and we've seriously considered them.

Technically, by the terms of the wager, there's nothing to discuss. What should be, should be. However, we must also admit that the number of Insect Extreme Crystals you've obtained this time was quite unexpected. It would be unfair to say you haven't contributed.

But we can't deny our own selfishness either. Our big sects must compete for the ranking in this grand meeting. We cannot agree to your demands to break the agreement.

You managed to secure nearly half of the results with a weaker hand. We can understand your discontent. Considering your legitimate contributions, we don't want to dismiss them heartlessly. After our discussion, we've decided to give you another opportunity to compete.

However, let me be upfront. There will be no going back on your word this time. Whoever wins will have control over the Insect Extreme Crystals, and the losers must not make a fuss. They should quietly conclude this grand meeting without causing trouble for Xuan State. If we lose, we'll abide by the same.

If you agree, we'll give you another chance to compete. If not, we'll close this matter here and now, and there will be no further disturbances. What do you say?"

The disorderly crowd on the other side exchanged glances, surprised by this unexpected offer.

Many from the elite force seemed reluctant, obviously having been forcefully persuaded.

After observing the reactions from both sides, Shi Chun spoke for his group, "Brother Wan, forget it, there's no need to go through all that trouble. They're just venting their frustrations. Another competition wouldn't make much sense, and I doubt we could win anyway. As soon as daylight hits, the grand meeting will be over. There's no need to make it more complicated. Let's just drop it—everyone will soon forget about the commotion. We'll stick to our word and not break the agreement. Let's follow the original terms."

"..." Wan Daoyuan was momentarily speechless, wondering what Shi Chun was playing at by refusing an offered opportunity—this was completely illogical.

He was at a loss for words, worried that forcing the other side to compete again might arouse their suspicion and that his own people might object, potentially creating a vicious cycle of increased suspicion.

Wu Jinliang blinked his big eyes.

Chu Jingtang didn't only blink; he also stroked his bearded cheeks a few times.

Luckily, there was an undercover agent on their side. Master Mai was the first to object, limping over to Shi Chun, advising, "Master, having a chance is better than no chance at all."

"Master, you can't do this. So many brothers have died; they can't have died in vain."

"Master, without competing, how can you decide that we can't win?"

"Master, if they're willing to compete again, how can you cut off our own path?"

"Master, why not listen to what they're proposing before making a decision?"

A group of people almost fell over each other to surround Shi Chun, urging him, with some so anxious they almost blurted out accusations of him deliberately throwing the game in favor of Mulan Qingqing's side.

Indeed, a small number of them were already suspicious. Given the initial collection of Insect Extreme Crystals, if they had continued as before, they shouldn't have lost to the other side. The loss seemed suspicious.

Shi Chun, looking helpless with frustration, held up his hands and said, "Fine, fine, fine. Do as you see fit."

He wormed his way out of the crowd, spreading his hands toward Wan Daoyuan with an expression that said, "I'm at my wit's end."

Wan Daoyuan smiled and remained silent, internally breathing a sigh of relief. This was more like it—he had been genuinely startled before.

Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang retreated to the sidelines and left the decision-making to the two sides, adopting a hands-off approach.

With Wang Sheng not participating, Wan Daoyuan and his two companions felt much more at ease. With their evident power, they were not figures to be taken lightly, and they felt a certain apprehension.

Master Mai didn't mince words and directly asked the opposing side, "If we are to compete again, what will be the terms?"

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