Heavenly Dao Engine
Chapter 1600 - 1600 0940 Sir Please Wait

Chapter 1600: Chapter 0940: Sir, Please Wait Chapter 1600: Chapter 0940: Sir, Please Wait Chapter 0940: Sir, Please Halt

He Hongxia had been able to take control of the entire situation thanks entirely to her personal charisma. However, her charm was now greatly diminished by Qi Tian’s surreptitious sabotage, reducing her influence over the others to the lowest point. Almost all the talented youths were gradually breaking away from her spell and regaining their senses. At this juncture, the consequences of Qi Tian making such a statement were easily imaginable.

Not only was Qi Tian fully aware of this, but He Hongxia and Gao Yuqiu knew it even better. They realized they had to prevent Qi Tian from continuing at all costs, as they could not let the situation spiral further out of control, or the outcome would be unimaginable.

The first course of action Gao Yuqiu and her companions considered was to forcibly silence Qi Tian. As long as they could get him to stop talking, everything else would be much easier to handle. However, just as they were about to take action, a transmitted voice reached their ears.

“Agree to his proposal and satisfy his demands. This young man is not simple; having him join our team would greatly benefit us.”

The voice transmitting to He Hongxia and her companions belonged to her master, who had been staying in another room the whole time, her presence unseen. She had been diligently monitoring the activity in the living room from start to finish to prevent any accidents. Whatever Qi Tian said or did, she saw it all.

He Hongxia did not know what quality Qi Tian had demonstrated that caused her Master to change the preconceived plan. Although she was somewhat reluctant to accept Qi Tian, the orders had come from her Master, and she dared not violate them, so she complied.

Left with no choice, Gao Yuqiu spoke up, “Sir, we in Cat Ear City have always treated everyone sincerely and never intended to use anyone as a stepping stone. To show our sincerity to all, we accept your proposal to form three teams, with ten members each.”

Gao Yuqiu’s words excited many talented young people in the living room. Although they were both men and women, they had little resistance to He Hongxia’s charm and fantasized about being with her. Now, even though they would be divided into three teams, with twenty people unable to be with He Hongxia directly, there was still a chance.

After making the announcement, Gao Yuqiu looked at Qi Tian and said, “Sir, we have accepted your proposal. Is there anything else you wish to say or suggest? We will do our utmost to show our sincerity to everyone.”

Qi Tian waved his hand and replied, “I am honored that you would accept the proposal I made. I can now dismiss my doubts about you. You do indeed have integrity, and for that, I express my admiration. I will not raise any more objections from here on out. You can use your standards to screen us and select those you deem suitable for the team.”

Gao Yuqiu, Gao Yulan, and He Hongxia exchanged glances. With thirty-one people in the living room, including themselves, they needed to eliminate just one person to form three teams. At this moment, speaking of selection criteria was moot; they simply had to turn someone away.

If given the choice, the three sisters would have preferred to send Qi Tian packing immediately. That youngster was a source of unrest and could stir up trouble at any moment. Keeping him on the team was not conducive to their control over the group.

But this thought was one they could only entertain, as their Master had given a clear command to keep Qi Tian. No matter who was eliminated, it could not be him, which made them feel incredibly frustrated but helpless.

Just then, their Master transmitted another message, “Among the twenty-eight remaining, eliminate the oldest female cultivator. Also, when dividing the teams, ensure that Qi Tian and Gao Yuqiu are on the same team. Do not let him team up with He Hongxia.”

There was no questioning the Master’s commands, and Gao Yuqiu, though annoyed by Qi Tian, could only reluctantly agree.

Following their Master’s instructions, they first announced the name of the eliminated female cultivator, and as agreed upon beforehand, gave her several top-grade spirit stones as compensation before sending her out of Room A506.

After that, they began dividing the teams. He Hongxia was the centerpiece of their hopes in the Grand Competition at the Holy Land, and Cat Ear City would do everything possible to protect her as a seeded contestant. This meant that when it came to team division, He Hongxia’s interests had to come first.

He Hongxia’s selection criteria had been discussed in advance, and they had initially intended a public selection. But with a surplus of people remaining, openly setting the criteria could make it seem like they were ranking people, which might lead the eliminated to feel inferior. Once they entered the Grand Competition at the Holy Land, this could become a point of contention.

Therefore, they had to change their selection method. He Hongxia spoke up, “First, I owe everyone an apology. Since we have to divide into three teams, I can only choose nine companions to join me. When I make my selection, it will be completely random; if there must be any criteria, it will be based on good rapport. Now, I will begin selecting.”

Everyone held their breath in anticipation of being chosen by He Hongxia. Qi Tian watched these talented youths with amusement. In their respective domains, they were considered the pride of the heavens and the elite of cultivators, but now, they awaited selection like concubines hoping for the emperor’s favor, anxious and on edge.

He Hongxia’s gaze swept over the faces of all those present before her slender finger pointed out one person after another. These individuals were secretly communicated to her by her Master; they were the ones her Master had selected according to predetermined standards. She simply had to follow her Master’s instructions.

Soon, a total of nine cultivators were chosen by He Hongxia. They shared a few common traits: they were relatively young, had solid foundations, and their strength was among the strongest in the living room. Furthermore, the majority of these nine selected were male.

The chosen young talents were all extremely excited, while those not chosen were somewhat dejected, and some were obviously discontent, with Mr. Jianqiang showing the most intense reaction.

Mr. Jianqiang shouted, “Hongxia Fairy, why didn’t you choose me? I dare say, out of us thirty, I am the best, and I am the most qualified to be by your side.”

“What are you babbling about? With that pig-like face of yours, how could Hongxia Fairy possibly choose you? I suggest you take a good look at yourself first.”

Enraged, Mr. Jianqiang said, “Are you looking for trouble? Fine, bring it on. Let’s have a face-off right here in front of Hongxia Fairy. If I don’t beat you down, I’ll take your surname.”

Hongxia Fairy furrowed her brows and said, “Mr. Jianqiang, please spare your dignity and don’t cause a scene here.”

Mr. Jianqiang quickly said, “Hongxia Fairy, you misunderstand. I truly wish to accompany you, my sincerity is as clear as the sun and moon.”

Hongxia Fairy didn’t want Mr. Jianqiang to continue making a scene, so she immediately exercised her own technique, reaching the peak of her charm, attempting to use it to influence Mr. Jianqiang.

Mr. Jianqiang immediately appeared deeply smitten by Hongxia Fairy’s charm, his eyes shining brightly as he gazed at her.

Hongxia Fairy secretly breathed a sigh of relief; her technique was still very effective. The failure just now might have been due to a problem in certain steps.

She smiled at Mr. Jianqiang and said, “We are simply serving in different squads; it does not mean we will be apart forever. When it’s time for the Holy Land competition, our three teams will merge into one, and we shall be together again. Please, Mr. Jianqiang, be patient and wait, don’t make me feel that you lack even this little patience.”

Mr. Jianqiang nodded repeatedly, treating He Hongxia’s words as though they were sacred and inviolable, willing to follow whatever she asked of him.

After calming Mr. Jianqiang, the other young talents who were inclined to stir up trouble were similarly affected by He Hongxia’s technique, quietly backing down and abandoning any thoughts of causing a disturbance.

Next, Gao Yulan and Gao Yuqiu, two sisters, proceeded to assign the remaining young talents. Qi Tian ended up in the same squad as Gao Yuqiu as expected, while Mr. Jianqiang was placed in Gao Yulan’s team. Not only that, but Mr. Jianqiang was also appointed as the captain of his squad. As for the squad which Qi Tian was part of, the captaincy did not fall to him but to a male cultivator named Xiu Zhengyu.

After the distribution of all team members was complete, He Hongxia said, “Each squad member may exchange contact marks to keep in touch with one another, and then everyone is free to leave. Tomorrow, please come again, and we will spend the day getting to know each other, make some plans, and prepare for entering the Holy Land competition the day after tomorrow.”

He Hongxia stealthily withdrew her technique, and instantly her charm reduced by a large margin, but it still had some effect on people.

Although everyone still retained the thought of staying with He Hongxia, it wasn’t as strong anymore; the intense emotion of reluctance to part was no longer as overwhelming. They all started to disperse, except for Mr. Jianqiang, whose eyes remained fervently fixed on He Hongxia. Unlike the others, he didn’t disperse but instead went against the flow, walking up to He Hongxia and stood before her, persistently presenting himself to her, hoping to change her mind and be included in her team.

Qi Tian had no interest in these matters; he followed the crowd, exiting the room and prepared to leave.

Gao Yuqiu suddenly spoke up, “Sir, please wait.”