I Contracted All Ancient Divine Artifacts-Chapter 258 - 157: Core Meeting

Anti-Xia Alliance, Alliance Leader's Meeting Hall.

Gongyang Jin, who was satiated, and a more listless Han Zhan appeared together in front of the meeting hall.

Inside the Alliance Leader's Meeting Hall, four people had already taken their seats, and their eyes unanimously turned towards the door.

Gongyang Jin with a frosty expression walked in, and the temperature of the entire room seemed to drop several degrees.

Judging by everyone else's reaction, they seemed accustomed to Gongyang Jin's demeanor, with their attention focused on Han Zhan, who entered alongside Gongyang Jin.

They scrutinized Han Zhan, and Han Zhan scrutinized them.

Among the four people seated, two were acquaintances.

They were Drunkard Sun Yun and Eater Fan Chaohui, with their corresponding tokens being [Xin Jiu] and [Ding Shi], which Gongyang Jin had already informed him about.

The other two were an elder and a youth.

The elder appeared to be very old, with white hair, seemingly much older than the seven hundred-year-old woman Han Zhan had met yesterday, who was in charge of guarding the fourth gate.

He wore simple, loose linen clothes and had a tranquil face, silent and exuding a serene aura, resembling an Ascetic from the East.

The other was very young, forming a stark contrast, with slender eyes carrying a wicked air, and though his features were not bad, the smile on his face resembled a charming fox.

When Han Zhan looked at him, he also fixed his gaze intently on Han Zhan.

Under his stare, Han Zhan sensed a distinct hostility.

"Sister." He suddenly stood up, approaching Gongyang Jin in a familiar manner.

Gongyang Jin anticipated this, discreetly using Han Zhan as a "shield," bypassing him to take her seat.

"Did you come together?" Chen Tao maintained his smile, looking at Han Zhan but questioning Gongyang Jin.

Gongyang Jin ignored him.

Han Zhan remained silent, quietly taking his seat.

The atmosphere suddenly turned pin-drop quiet.

"Ha, Chen Tao, have a seat. This is a core meeting." The social expert, Sun Yun, mediated, saying, "Han Zhan just joined the core members yesterday. Naturally, Gongyang Jin, as the Alliance Leader, invited him to attend his first core meeting."

"It's a tradition of the Anti-Xia Alliance."

Sun Yun paused here.

He actually had another line unsaid, which was, "Chen Tao, can you stop being a sister fanatic?"

The reason Sun Yun left it unsaid was partly because he couldn't beat Chen Tao and partly because things would get troublesome if Chen Tao went crazy.

Normally, when someone steps in to mediate, a rational person should follow the flow and sit down.

But clearly, Chen Tao was not a rational person.

His smile widened, and his eyes narrowed slightly, resembling a white fox smiling.

"Who said he must be a core member?"

Chen Tao spoke, looking at Han Zhan.

"According to the Gateknocker rules, only those who clear five consecutive stages can become core members of the Anti-Xia Alliance. I haven't mistaken this, have I?"

"Yesterday, although he cleared four stages, in the fifth stage, he truly didn't make it through."

"Therefore, he hasn't successfully knocked on the gate and shouldn't become the sixth core member of the Anti-Xia Alliance. I oppose this!"

Chen Tao's words clearly came prepared.

Strictly speaking, Han Zhan indeed didn't manage to clear five consecutive stages yesterday, reaching a "draw" with Gongyang Jin at the final stage.

"You oppose?" Gongyang Jin's cold, distant voice sounded, finally breaking her silence.

"If your opposition is merely a reiteration of the rules, then you can now sit down and shut up."

Gongyang Jin showed no mercy to Chen Tao, and only she could use such a tone with him.

Chen Tao, being scolded by Gongyang Jin, did not seem angry but lazily sat there, asking back, "Did I say anything wrong?"

"You didn't say anything wrong."

"Not only did you not say anything wrong, but you also said it quite right. Han Zhan indeed did not clear five stages consecutively or knock successfully."

"However." Gongyang Jin cast an indifferent glance at everyone, "Rules are rigid, people are flexible."

"When the forebears of the Anti-Xia Alliance established this rule, it was firstly to deter other forces who dared to cause trouble for the Alliance, and secondly to recruit real talents."

"Now, with the Slaughter Battlefield about to commence and a Gateknocker capable of clearing four stages appearing, you tell me he's unfit to be a core member."

"Then can those he defeated become core members?"

With Gongyang Jin's words, Drunkard Sun Yun and Eater Fan Chaohui, inadvertently targeted, rubbed their noses awkwardly.

"I agree with the Alliance Leader."

At this moment, the elder who had remained silent spoke slowly.

"From the founding of the Anti-Xia Alliance, this rule was indeed set to screen talents and recruit the virtuous."

"If we adhere strictly to the rules at this pivotal moment, it becomes counterproductive." 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

Only now did Han Zhan notice, the speaking elder wore a token at his waist with the character "Elder" hanging on it.

"I share the same view as Elder Bing." Fan Chaohui stated his opinion calmly with hands tucked in his sleeves.

Drunkard Sun Yun chuckled without giving an immediate stance.

The vote currently stood at three to one, whether Sun Yun agreed or opposed would not alter the outcome, so he was happy to remain a peacemaker, offending neither side.

Seeing three people agree, Chen Tao shrugged helplessly and sat down.

It seemed like the vote initiated by him regarding the new core member was just a trivial matter.

"Very well, in this way, the fact that Han Zhan has become a core member of the Anti-Xia Alliance is settled and must not be opposed in any manner, openly or in secret."

"If I find anyone targeting a core member, you know the consequences."

With Gongyang Jin's words, everyone nodded, including Chen Tao without exception.

"Next, the second matter concerns the assignment of roles."

"Han Zhan, as the sixth core member, does not originally come from the Anti-Xia Alliance and is unfamiliar with its overall affairs."

"Do any of you have good suggestions or positions to recommend?"

The Anti-Xia Alliance doesn't keep idlers, no matter who they are, even a core member.

Gongyang Jin's action was fair and just, without showing any favoritism.

The rest listened, and they thoughtfully nodded.

"Indeed, each of our core members is responsible for a specific Domain, Yi Jin deals with the Alien Race, Elder Bing manages the order within the Anti-Xia Alliance, Ding Shi interacts with the Mechanical Sect, I confront the Sun Never Sets Knight Order, and Jia Lu oversees everything."

"For Geng Jiu, what role should he be given?"