The Supreme Being Against Heaven

--Translated by likesnovel--

At that moment, outside the main hall on the first floor, Tantai Xuanzhong looked toward Tan Yun and spoke in a calm, measured tone.

“You must have heard what’s being said inside. The sect masters are full of concerns… Are you confident you can handle this?”

Tan Yun gave a faint smile, his eyes filled with confidence.

“Please rest assured, Sect Master. This disciple knows exactly what to do.”

“Good.”

Tantai Xuanzhong nodded, then pushed the door open with his left hand and stepped inside, pulling Tan Yun along with him. In the blink of an eye, the two figures shot across the hall above the heads of the assembled sect masters at a speed beyond imagination, before silently appearing on the auction platform.

The sect masters only caught a fleeting glimpse of two shadows flashing overhead—so fast they couldn’t even make out their faces. Yet that alone was enough for them to realize that the newcomers far surpassed them in strength.

All eyes turned toward Tan Yun and Tantai Xuanzhong on the platform. They quickly noticed that Tan Yun was merely at the **9th level of the Fetal Soul Realm**, while Tantai Xuanzhong’s cultivation… was completely unfathomable.

There was no need to guess—the one who had just flown over their heads must have been Tantai Xuanzhong.

A wave of murmurs spread throughout the hall.

“Speed like that… his cultivation must be incredibly deep! Who is he?”

“Could he be the sect master of Huangfu Shengzong?”

“Or perhaps a high-ranking elder?”

“…”

Amid the endless whispers, Tantai Xuanzhong stepped forward, cupped his hands politely, and smiled calmly.

“I am Tantai Xuanzhong, Sect Master of Huangfu Shengzong. Welcome, everyone.”

The moment his identity was revealed, all the seated sect masters rose at once and returned the gesture.

“Sect Master Tantai, you are too courteous. It is a great honor for us to meet you today.”

Though their words were respectful, many inwardly sneered.

Even if Huangfu Shengzong had declined, the old saying still held true—**a starving camel is still bigger than a horse.**

However, they were all firm in one thing:

No matter what, they would never agree to be annexed and become subordinates of Huangfu Shengzong.

“You’re all too kind,” Tantai Xuanzhong said with a smile.

“You’ve traveled under the stars and moonlight—it must have been tiring. Please, take your seats so we can discuss matters in detail.”

After speaking, he sat down first, while Tan Yun stood respectfully by his side.

Once everyone was seated, Tan Yun swept his gaze across the **1,263 people** inside the hall.

**The first 3 rows, totaling 128 people**, were all sect masters of first-tier sects, each commanding anywhere from **10,000 to several hundred thousand disciples**.

Although Tan Yun couldn’t see through their exact cultivation levels, he could tell they were all at least **above the 9th level of the Soul Refining Realm**.

**Rows 4 to 15, totaling 511 people**, were sect masters of second-tier sects, each with around **30,000 – 100,000 disciples**.

As for **the 624 people beyond row 15**, they were sect masters of third-tier sects. Some had tens of thousands of disciples, while others had only a few hundred—or even as few as **80 to 100**.

But when combined… the total number of disciples across these **1,263 sects** exceeded **50,000,000**.

Although the average strength of their disciples wasn’t particularly outstanding, hidden among them were still quite a number of monstrous geniuses.

Tan Yun subtly glanced toward the back. Among those in the rear, only a handful were at the **7th or 8th level of the Soul Refining Realm**—the rest were just as impossible to gauge.

At that moment, an elderly man in the front row stood up. With an elegant, immortal-like bearing, he cupped his hands.

“I am Xue Chong, Sect Master of the Soaring Elixir Sect. May I ask, Sect Master Tantai—what is the purpose of inviting us all here, given your many responsibilities?”

His tone was calm and composed, yet carried a trace of vigilance.

Tantai Xuanzhong remained seated, not bothering to rise. He simply smiled faintly and replied:

“Sect Master Xue, I invited all of you here from afar for one reason alone—**mutual benefit and cooperation**.”

“Mutual benefit? Cooperation?” Xue Chong frowned, clearly puzzled, before speaking bluntly.

“Forgive my directness… but I must ask—does Sect Master Tantai intend to annex smaller sects like ours? Is that why you invited us here?”

The moment his words fell, the atmosphere in the hall turned heavy in an instant.

All **1,263 sect masters** fixed their gazes on Tantai Xuanzhong, waiting for his answer.

Tantai Xuanzhong remained calm and composed as he replied evenly,

“Please rest assured. If I truly intended to annex you, I would have acted long ago. Why go through the trouble of inviting you here just to waste time?”

Hearing this, the sect masters secretly let out sighs of relief.

Xue Chong cupped his hands again.

“It seems we judged you with narrow minds… In that case, may I ask—what exactly do you mean by ‘mutual benefit and cooperation’?”

“Sect Master Xue, please take your seat first. All the details… will be explained by my sect’s envoy.”

After speaking, Tantai Xuanzhong turned to Tan Yun beside him and said briefly,

“Go.”

“This disciple obeys.”

Tan Yun stepped forward a few paces and stood firmly at the edge of the auction platform.

Seeing this, the sect masters all frowned at once.

Sending merely a young man at the **Nascent Soul Realm** to speak with them… this was clearly an insult!

Noticing their expressions, Tantai Xuanzhong added firmly,

“Esteemed guests, from this moment onward, every word Tan Yun speaks represents my will. He speaks on behalf of Huangfu Shengzong.”

This only deepened their confusion.

In their eyes, Tan Yun did not bear the surname Tantai—he clearly wasn’t Tantai Xuanzhong’s son. So who exactly was he?

Why was he qualified to represent the sect master?

Amid their doubts, Tan Yun cupped his hands, raising them beside his left cheek. His expression turned solemn as he spoke in a clear, resonant voice:

“Everyone… the ancestors of our sect were benevolent and virtuous. Since the founding of Huangfu Shengzong, they have subdued heroes with martial strength and governed the world with virtue, establishing our sect as the leader among all sects within the Heavenly Punishment Mountain Range.”

“However… everything in this world rises to its peak before it declines. Even Emperor Huangfu could not escape the law of cause and effect—after reaching the height of glory, decline is inevitable.”

“Now, our Sect Master cares deeply for all living beings and has recognized the dangers looming over the Heavenly Punishment Mountains. To prevent the sects here from being invaded by external enemies, he seeks no reward… and instead wishes to help every sect rapidly elevate their overall strength.”

Hearing this, Tantai Xuanzhong couldn’t help but admire him inwardly.

*This kid… his eloquence is truly remarkable!*

As for the sect masters, they were stunned, their expressions filled with both **concern and excitement**.

Their concern was—

Had Huangfu Shengzong received some kind of intelligence?

Were forces from outside the Heavenly Punishment Mountains about to invade?

Their excitement was—

Not only was Huangfu Shengzong asking for nothing in return… they were even willing to help improve everyone’s strength!

At that moment, Xue Chong stood up once more and cupped his hands.

“Envoy Tan… has your sect received any news that someone is planning to invade the Heavenly Punishment Mountains?”

Tan Yun’s expression immediately turned serious.

“Sect Master Xue, this matter is still under investigation… but you understand—when it comes to such matters, even the slightest possibility cannot be ignored.”

“Moreover… looking at it from another perspective, even if there is no external threat, if your sects receive assistance from ours and are able to elevate your strength, you will naturally gain the ability to protect yourselves in the future.”

Xue Chong nodded in agreement.

“Envoy Tan speaks reasonably… but there is still one thing I do not understand.”

“This so-called ‘help without asking for anything in return’… what exactly does it mean?”

“I cannot comprehend how your sect intends to help us, nor why you would do so without demanding anything in return.”

His tone remained calm, yet carried a sharp edge.

He was cunning and composed—

And of course… the other sect masters were no fools either.

**No one believed in the idea of a ‘free lunch’ in this world.**