nà yī cì jué zhàn xū wú ， xiān dào méng yǐ wǔ dí yī què dà bài kuī shū ， zài zhè wèi huáng hòu niáng niáng kàn lái ， dōu shì lín xuān de cuò 。&{}.{}.}
那一次决战虚无，仙道盟以五敌一却大败亏输，在这位皇后娘娘看来，都是林轩的错。&{}.{}.}
In that final battle against the Void, despite the Immortal Alliance facing off against five opponents and still losing, to this Empress Consort's eyes, it was all Lin Xuan's fault.
tā ruò shì běn tǐ zài zhè lǐ ， zěn me huì yǒu zhè yàng yí gè jié guǒ 。
他若是本体在这里，怎么会有这样一个结果。
If his true self had been here, how could such a result have occurred?
bì jìng tā shí lì rú hé ， zài xiān méng dà huì shàng dà jiā yǐ xīn zhōng yǒu shù ， jiù suàn dí xū wú mó jūn bù guò ， dàn yǎn hù qí yú jǐ rén táo zǒu yīng gāi shì bàn dé dào de 。
毕竟他实力如何，在仙盟大会上大家已心中有数，就算敌虚无魔君不过，但掩护其余几人逃走应该是办得到的。
After all, everyone at the Immortal Summit already knew his strength. Even if he couldn't defeat the Void Tyrant, he should have been able to protect the others and escape.
dàn fán shì méi yǒu rú guǒ 。
但凡事没有如果。
But there are no 'ifs' in this world.
lín xuān běn tǐ zài guān jiàn shí kè què qù le bié chù 。
林轩本体在关键时刻却去了别处。
At the crucial moment, Lin Xuan's true self had gone elsewhere.
zhè zài cǐ nǚ yǎn zhōng ， chéng le bù kě yuán liàng de cuò wù ， fèn hèn zhī xià ， shèn zhì yě jiāng lín xuān dàng zuò hài sǐ tā fū jūn de zuì kuí huò shǒu le 。
这在此女眼中，成了不可原谅的错误，愤恨之下，甚至也将林轩当作害死她夫君的罪魁祸首了。
In her eyes, this was an unforgivable mistake. Her anger led her to blame Lin Xuan for her husband's death as well.
duì fāng yán cí xī lì ， suǒ shuō de gèng shì zhū xīn zhī yǔ ， lín xuān yào shuō xīn zhōng bù shēng qì nà shì bù kě néng dì ， dàn yī lái tā kě lián dōng yù xiān huáng zài nà yī zhàn zhōng yǔn luò ， tīng shuō cǐ nǚ de dì di ， yī wèi dù jié qī de wáng yé tóng yàng zài nà yī zhàn zhōng ， bèi yù wài tiān mó zhǎn shā diào le 。
对方言辞犀利，所说的更是诛心之语，林轩要说心中不生气那是不可能地，但一来他可怜东裕仙皇在那一战中陨落，听说此女的弟弟，一位渡劫期的王爷同样在那一战中，被域外天魔斩杀掉了。
Her words were sharp and cutting, hitting right at his heart. Lin Xuan couldn't help but feel angry, but he pitied the fallen Immortal Emperor and heard that her younger brother, a prince who had just undergone tribulation, was also killed by the域外天魔 during that battle.
tā suī shì xiū xiān zhě ， dàn yī lián tòng shī liǎng gè qīn rén nán miǎn jǔ zhǐ shī cuò 。
她虽是修仙者，但一连痛失两个亲人难免举止失措。
Though she was an immortal cultivator, losing two loved ones in such quick succession made it hard for her to remain composed.
èr lái ， rú jīn dà dí dāng qián ， xiān dào méng yǔ yún yǐn zōng jiē dào le jí jí kě wēi de dì bù ， zhè shí hòu zài wèi yī yán bù hé ， ér qǐ nèi hòng kě jiù tài yú chǔn le 。
二来，如今大敌当前，仙道盟与云隐宗皆到了岌岌可危的地步，这时候再为一言不合，而起内讧可就太愚蠢了。
Moreover, with the great enemy at their doorstep, both the Immortal Alliance and Cloud Concealment Sect were on the brink of collapse. It would be foolish to start infighting over a single disagreement now.
gù quán dà jú ！
顾全大局！
Think of the bigger picture!
zhè diǎn qì dù lín xuān hái shì yǒu dì 。
这点气度林轩还是有地。
Lin Xuan had that kind of breadth of mind.
rán ér tā yuàn yì xī shì níng rén ， nà wèi huáng hòu niáng niáng què zǎo yǐ bèi chóu hèn méng bì le yǎn jīng ：“ zěn me ， yǎ kǒu wú yán le ， nǐ de suǒ zuò suǒ wéi ， zěn me pèi zuò zhè xiān dào méng zhǔ ， wǒ yě bù shuō nǐ gōu jié yù wài tiān mó ， dàn shī zhí zǒng shì bù jiǎ de 。”
然而他愿意息事宁人，那位皇后娘娘却早已被仇恨蒙蔽了眼睛：“怎么，哑口无言了，你的所作所为，怎么配做这仙道盟主，我也不说你勾结域外天魔，但失职总是不假的。”
But even as he tried to avoid conflict, this Empress Consort was already blinded by her hatred: "So, you have nothing to say? Your actions don't deserve to lead the Immortal Alliance. I won't say you colluded with the域外天魔, but you certainly failed in your duties."
“ lín xuān ， nǐ hái yǒu shén me liǎn miàn hào lìng qún xióng ， ruò shì zì jǐ hái yǒu yì diǎn lián chǐ ， jiù yīng gāi tuì wèi ràng xián le 。”
“林轩，你还有什么脸面号令群雄，若是自己还有一点廉耻，就应该退位让贤了。”
"Lin Xuan, how can you still face us after what you did? If you had any honor, you should abdicate and let someone else take over."
zhè yī cì ， lián yín tóng shào nǚ dōu shì bó rán dà nù 。
这一次，连银瞳少女都是勃然大怒。
This time, even the silver-eyed girl was enraged.
lín xuān de yǎn zhōng ， yì shǎn dòng zhe nù huǒ 。
林轩的眼中，亦闪动着怒火。
Anger flared in Lin Xuan's eyes as well. He pitied her, but she kept pushing him, speaking such words to all these experts. It was too much.
zì jǐ kàn tā kě lián ， yī zài bù jì qián xián ， kě duì fāng què bù bù jǐn bī ， dāng zhe zhòng gāo shǒu shuō chū zhè yàng de yán yǔ ， yě tài guò fèn le xiē 。
自己看她可怜，一再不计前嫌，可对方却步步紧逼，当着众高手说出这样的言语，也太过分了些。
Did they think he was weak and could be easily bullied?
zhēn dāng zì jǐ ruǎn ruò kě qī ？
真当自己软弱可欺？
He suddenly stood up. "Right, I wasn't here because there was an urgent matter that required my attention. When I left, the域外天魔 hadn't launched a full-scale attack yet; the portal had only opened later. The notion of me being cowardly is absurd."
tā huò rán ér qǐ 。
他霍然而起。
"And second, during the battle at Drifting Cloud Valley against the域外天魔, though it was my avatar, I didn't retreat in the least. I led from the front, as all present can attest. The Void Tyrant's abilities were unpredictable, and we lost, but I was one of the last to leave."
“ bù cuò ， lín mǒu běn tǐ shì bù zài zhè lǐ 。 nà shì yīn wèi yǒu yī jiàn rán méi zhī jí ， bù dé bù lí kāi zhè lǐ ， wǒ zǒu zhī shí ， yù wài tiān mó bìng méi yǒu dà jú jìn gōng ， jiè miàn tōng dào kāi qǐ ， nà dōu shì hòu lái de shì ， lín mǒu wèi zhàn zhī yì ， tán hé shuō qǐ 。”
“不错，林某本体是不在这里。那是因为有一件燃眉之急，不得不离开这里，我走之时，域外天魔并没有大局进攻，界面通道开启，那都是后来的事，林某畏战之议，谈何说起。”
"The death of the Immortal Emperor is a tragedy, but blaming me for this is unjustified."
“ dì èr ， dāng chū tiān hé zhī gǔ jué zhàn yù wài tiān mó ， lín mǒu suī shì huà shēn 。 què yě bù céng yǒu bàn diǎn tuì suō ， shēn xiān shì zú ， zài zuò de dào yǒu dōu céng jīng qīn yǎn mù dǔ ， xū wú mó jūn shén tōng guǐ yì nán cè ， wǒ men dǎ bài kuī shū ， lìng fū yǔn luò méi cuò ， dàn lín mǒu kě shì duàn hòu zǒu dé zuì wǎn de yí gè 。”
“第二，当初天河之谷决战域外天魔，林某虽是化身。却也不曾有半点退缩，身先士卒，在座的道友都曾经亲眼目睹，虚无魔君神通诡异难测，我们打败亏输，令夫陨落没错，但林某可是断后走得最晚的一个。”
Lin Xuan wore an expression of righteous indignation. He truly had no regrets about what happened.
“ xiān huáng zhī sǐ ， lín mǒu yě shì è wàn tàn xī ， dàn yīn wèi cǐ shì guài zuì yú wǒ 。 dàng zhēn shì qǐ yǒu cǐ lǐ 。”
“仙皇之死，林某也是扼腕叹息，但因为此事怪罪于我。当真是岂有此理。”
His injuries hadn't healed yet; if he hadn't been at the back, how could he have ended up in such a state?
lín xuān liǎn shàng lù chū dà yì lǐn rán zhī sè ， zhè jiàn shì qíng ， tā shì zhēn de wèn xīn wú kuì de 。
林轩脸上露出大义凛然之色，这件事情，他是真的问心无愧的。
"Anyway, I have nothing to feel guilty about. As for you saying I failed in my duties, fine, let whoever wants this position take it. I don't care about this mess."
zì jǐ de shāng shì dào xiàn zài wéi zhǐ dōu méi yǒu huī fù ， ruò bú shì duàn hòu 。 zì jǐ yòu zěn me kě néng luò de zhè yàng de xià chǎng ne 。
自己的伤势到现在为止都没有恢复，若不是断后。自己又怎么可能落得这样的下场呢。
Lin Xuan's indignant voice echoed through the air. He wasn't just speaking out of anger; with the域外天魔 growing stronger and the Immortal Alliance on thin ice, there was nothing to be gained by holding onto this position.
gè wèi dào yǒu jǐn liàng guān zhù yī xià huàn yǔ de wēi xìn ， jīn tiān huì fā bù yuè ér de zī liào ， hái yǒu dà jiā yǔ bǎi liàn de gù shì ， hěn yǒu qù 。 wàn wù cuò guò ó ， dà jiā kě yǐ zài wēi xìn zhōng sōu suǒ “ bǎi liàn chéng xiān huàn yǔ ”， huò zhě “hchy1982” jiù tiān jiā wǒ de wēi xìn le 。
各位道友尽量关注一下幻雨的薇信，今天会发布月儿的资料，还有大家与百炼的故事，很有趣。万勿错过哦，大家可以在薇信中搜索“百炼成仙幻雨”，或者“hchy1982”就添加我的薇信了。
"Dear fellow immortals, here is the alliance order token. Whoever wants it can have it without any complaints from me," Lin Xuan said as he waved his sleeve, revealing a small jade tablet with "Immortal Alliance" inscribed on it, exuding an aura of authority.
yào zhī dào xiān zǒu de hēi fèng yāo nǚ yě hǎo 。 wàn xiǎo xiān jūn yě bà ， suǒ shòu zhòng chuāng ， yǔ zì jǐ xiāng bǐ ， dōu yào qīng xǔ duō ， rú jīn yǐ shì shén wán qì zú 。
要知道先走的黑凤妖女也好。万晓仙君也罢，所受重创，与自己相比，都要轻许多，如今已是神完气足。
But the old experts looked at each other in silence, no one reaching for the token.
“ zǒng ér yán zhī ， lín mǒu shì wèn xīn wú kuì dì ， zhì yú nǐ shuō wǒ shī zhí ， yě bà ， zhè méng zhǔ zhī wèi ， shuí ài zuò ， zuò qù ， lín mǒu hái bù xiǎng lǐ zhè làn tān zi 。”
“总而言之，林某是问心无愧地，至于你说我失职，也罢，这盟主之位，谁爱做，做去，林某还不想理这烂摊子。”
Indeed, back then they had all struggled to get this position. But times have changed.
lín xuān fèn fèn de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ ， tā bìng fēi yī shí tóu nǎo fā rè ， rú jīn miàn duì shēng shì dà zhǎng de yù wài tiān mó ， zhè méng zhǔ zhī wèi yuán běn jiù méi yǒu shén me kě liú liàn de ， zì jǐ dān jīng jié lǜ ， què luò de zhè yàng de jié guǒ ， xiǎng xiǎng yòu zěn me kě néng bù hán xīn ne ？
林轩忿忿的声音传入耳朵，他并非一时头脑发热，如今面对声势大涨的域外天魔，这盟主之位原本就没有什么可留恋的，自己殚精竭虑，却落得这样的结果，想想又怎么可能不寒心呢？
With the域外天魔's power growing and the Immortal Alliance teetering on the brink, it was like a small boat in a storm; anyone who took charge would be more likely to sink than steer.
“ gè wèi dào yǒu ， zhè shì méng zhǔ lìng fú ， nǐ men shuí yuàn yì ná qù ， lín mǒu jué méi yǒu bàn diǎn yuàn yán yǔ yì jiàn de 。” lín xuān huà yīn wèi luò ， xiù páo yī fú ， qīng guāng shǎn shuò ， yī bā zhǎng dà xiǎo de yù pái cóng yī xiù zhōng fēi lüè ér chū ， shàng miàn kè zhe “ xiān dào méng ” jǐ gè zhuàn zì ， yǐn yǐn tòu chū yī gǔ wēi yán de qì xī 。
“各位道友，这是盟主令符，你们谁愿意拿去，林某绝没有半点怨言与意见的。”林轩话音未落，袖袍一拂，青光闪烁，一巴掌大小的玉牌从衣袖中飞掠而出，上面刻着“仙道盟”几个篆字，隐隐透出一股威严的气息。
It sounded prestigious but was actually a thankless task.
rán ér xià miàn de zhòng lǎo guài miàn miàn xiāng qù ， què méi yǒu yí gè rén shēn shǒu qù ná nà lìng fú 。
然而下面的众老怪面面相觑，却没有一个人伸手去拿那令符。
Seeing Lin Xuan looking their way, everyone turned away.
méi cuò ， dāng nián xiān méng dà huì shàng wèi zhēng zhè méng zhǔ zhī wèi dà jiā céng dān jīng jié lǜ ， fèi jǐn le xīn jī ， rán ér cǐ yī shí ， bǐ yī shí 。
没错，当年仙盟大会上位争这盟主之位大家曾殚精竭虑，费尽了心机，然而此一时，彼一时。
"Such cowards. I'm not even as much of a woman," the Empress Consort said with a trace of resentment when no one spoke up.
rú jīn de yù wài tiān mó shì dà ， xiān dào méng fēng yǔ piāo yáo ， jiù rú tóng fēng bào zhōng de yī yè qīng zhōu ， suí shí yǒu kě néng qīng fù ， zhè shí hòu ， shuí huán yuàn yì qù zuò nà zhǎng duò zhě 。
如今的域外天魔势大，仙道盟风雨飘摇，就如同风暴中的一叶轻舟，随时有可能倾覆，这时候，谁还愿意去做那掌舵者。
She stepped forward and reached for the token.
tīng qǐ lái zūn róng ， qí shí gēn běn jiù shì chī lì bù tǎo hǎo de 。
听起来尊荣，其实根本就是吃力不讨好的。
"Stop!"
jiàn lín xuān mù guāng wàng guò lái ， suǒ yǒu rén dōu bù yuē ér tóng de bì kāi 。
见林轩目光望过来，所有人都不约而同的避开。
Lin Xuan ignored everything, but someone else objected. An old man's voice rang out: "You can't be the Immortal Alliance leader."
“ zhēn shì yī qún wú dǎn de jiā huo ， hái bù rú wǒ zhè nǚ liú zhī bèi 。”
“真是一群无胆的家伙，还不如我这女流之辈。”
"Why not?"
jiàn suǒ yǒu rén dōu mò mò wú yǔ ， nà wèi huáng hòu niáng niáng de liǎn shàng shǎn guò yī sī fèn hèn zhī yì ， dà bù zǒu guò lái ， yòu shǒu shēn chū ， biàn yào qù ná nà lìng fú 。
见所有人都默默无语，那位皇后娘娘的脸上闪过一丝愤恨之意，大步走过来，右手伸出，便要去拿那令符。
The woman in courtly attire turned to face them: "This Lin boy has admitted he wants to abdicate and let others take over. Since no one else wants it, I'm taking it. What’s wrong with that?"
“ zhù shǒu ！”
“住手！”
"Absolutely not," a clear voice said. It was the Black Phoenix Valley's leader speaking. "The leader did say he wanted to step down, but you forced him into it. We all know how hard he has worked and how well he fulfilled his duties. If he isn't fit for this position, who is?"
lín xuān duì zhè yī qiè shì ruò wú dǔ ， rán ér zì yǒu rén biǎo shì le bù fú ， suí zhe yī cāng lǎo de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ ， yī fù bìng róng de wàn xiǎo xiān jūn tái qǐ le tóu lú ：“ nǐ bù néng zuò zhè xiān dào méng méng zhǔ 。”
林轩对这一切视若无睹，然而自有人表示了不服，随着一苍老的声音传入耳朵，一副病容的万晓仙君抬起了头颅：“你不能做这仙道盟盟主。”
"Exactly, Lady Feng, your actions are too harsh. Even I can't bear to see them. The one who killed your husband was the Void Tyrant; why blame the leader? When the leader fought the Void Tyrant and saved us all, you have no grounds to say he failed."
“ wèi hé ？”
“为何？”
"Right, Brother Lin was brave and responsible. If he isn't fit for this position, I, Old Bull, see no one else who is."
gōng zhuāng nǚ zǐ sà rán huí guò tóu lú ：“ zhè xìng lín de xiǎo zi zì jǐ chéng rèn yào tuì wèi ràng xián ， rén rén jiē kě zuò dé ， ér nǐ men yòu bù yuàn yì zuò ， wǒ yào qǔ ， yǒu hé bù kě ？”
宫装女子飒然回过头颅：“这姓林的小子自己承认要退位让贤，人人皆可做得，而你们又不愿意做，我要取，有何不可？”
"This makes sense. Anyone who wants to remove Brother Lin's leadership position, I'll be the first to object."
“ dāng rán bù kě 。”
“当然不可。”
...
yòu yī qīng liàng de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ ， zhè cì shuō huà de què shì hēi fèng gǔ gǔ zhǔ ：“ méng zhǔ shì shuō guò yào tuì wèi ràng xián méi cuò ， dàn shì bèi nǐ yán yǔ jǐ duì de ， zhè xiē nián méng zhǔ de suǒ zuò suǒ wéi wǒ men jiē kàn de qīng chǔ ， jìn zhí jìn zé ， tā ruò bù pèi zuò zhè méng zhǔ ， yòu yǒu hé rén yǒu zhè zī gé 。”
又一清亮的声音传入耳朵，这次说话的却是黑凤谷谷主：“盟主是说过要退位让贤没错，但是被你言语挤兑的，这些年盟主的所作所为我们皆看得清楚，尽职尽责，他若不配做这盟主，又有何人有这资格。”
The room erupted in noise as the old experts who had been trying to stay out of it suddenly became Lin Xuan's most fervent supporters.
“ bù cuò ， féng xiān zi ， dǎo shì nǐ de suǒ zuò suǒ wéi yǒu xiē tài guò ， lián lǎo fū dōu kàn bù guò yǎn le ， shā nǐ fū jūn de nǎi shì xū wú ， nǐ yòu hé bì duì méng zhǔ qiān nù ， dāng rì méng zhǔ duàn hòu ， lì zhàn xū wú ， yào bù rán wǒ men de sǔn shī huì gèng duō ， shàng cì tiān mó lái xí ， méng zhǔ tā shāng shì wèi yù ， què lì zhàn dì yī mó zūn ， zài zuò de dào yǒu yě dōu kàn de qīng chǔ ， wǒ lái wèn nǐ ， nǐ píng shén me shuō tā bù jìn zhí jìn zé ？”
“不错，冯仙子，倒是你的所作所为有些太过，连老夫都看不过眼了，杀你夫君的乃是虚无，你又何必对盟主迁怒，当日盟主断后，力战虚无，要不然我们的损失会更多，上次天魔来袭，盟主他伤势未愈，却力战第一魔尊，在座的道友也都看得清楚，我来问你，你凭什么说他不尽职尽责？”
Both the Dragon-named youth and the silver-eyed girl smiled, knowing that justice was on their side.
“ bù cuò ， lín xiōng dì yīng yǒng jìn zé ， ruò shì tā bù pèi zuò zhè méng zhǔ ， wǒ lǎo niú kàn shuí yě méi yǒu zī gé 。”
“不错，林兄弟英勇尽责，若是他不配做这盟主，我老牛看谁也没有资格。”
But for Lin Xuan, his expression remained calm.
“ cǐ yán yǒu lǐ ， shuí yào fèi lín xiōng dì de méng zhǔ zhī wèi ， běn shàng rén dì yí gè bù fú 。”
“此言有理，谁要废林兄弟的盟主之位，本上人第一个不服。”
Was this really so simple?
fǎng fú zhà le kāi guō ， gǔ zào de shēng yīn cǐ qǐ bǐ fú ， gāng gāng hái míng zhé bǎo shēn de zhòng lǎo guài wù ， fēn fēn biàn shēn lín xuān zuì kuáng rè de fěn sī le 。
仿佛炸了开锅，鼓噪的声音此起彼伏，刚刚还明哲保身的众老怪物，纷纷变身林轩最狂热的粉丝了。
The reason those old immortals were so resolute in supporting him wasn't because of any sudden change of heart. He understood clearly what was at stake.
lóng xìng shào nián yǔ yín tóng shào nǚ de liǎn shàng dōu lù chū yī sī xiào yì ， zhǐ dào gōng dào zì zài rén xīn ， bù wǎng lín shī dì yī fān xīn kǔ 。
龙姓少年与银瞳少女的脸上都露出一丝笑意，只道公道自在人心，不枉林师弟一番辛苦。
Indeed, the position of Immortal Alliance leader no longer held as much allure as it did when the alliance first formed; instead, it had become a hot potato that would attract more attention from the域外天魔 and increase the risk of his downfall.
rán ér zuò wèi dāng shì zhě ， lín xuān liǎn shàng de biǎo qíng què shì bù xǐ bù nù 。
然而做为当事者，林轩脸上的表情却是不喜不怒。
The old immortals who were trying to stay out of trouble understood this perfectly well.
shì qíng zhēn yǒu nà me jiǎn dān me ？
事情真有那么简单么？
But even if they understood, in this situation, someone still needed to take on the role. (To be continued...)
In that final battle against the Void, despite the Immortal Alliance facing off against five opponents and still losing, to this Empress Consort's eyes, it was all Lin Xuan's fault.
If his true self had been here, how could such a result have occurred?
After all, everyone at the Immortal Summit already knew his strength. Even if he couldn't defeat the Void Tyrant, he should have been able to protect the others and escape.
But there are no 'ifs' in this world.
At the crucial moment, Lin Xuan's true self had gone elsewhere.
In her eyes, this was an unforgivable mistake. Her anger led her to blame Lin Xuan for her husband's death as well.
Her words were sharp and cutting, hitting right at his heart. Lin Xuan couldn't help but feel angry, but he pitied the fallen Immortal Emperor and heard that her younger brother, a prince who had just undergone tribulation, was also killed by the域外天魔 during that battle.
Though she was an immortal cultivator, losing two loved ones in such quick succession made it hard for her to remain composed.
Moreover, with the great enemy at their doorstep, both the Immortal Alliance and Cloud Concealment Sect were on the brink of collapse. It would be foolish to start infighting over a single disagreement now.
Think of the bigger picture!
Lin Xuan had that kind of breadth of mind.
But even as he tried to avoid conflict, this Empress Consort was already blinded by her hatred: "So, you have nothing to say? Your actions don't deserve to lead the Immortal Alliance. I won't say you colluded with the域外天魔, but you certainly failed in your duties."
"Lin Xuan, how can you still face us after what you did? If you had any honor, you should abdicate and let someone else take over."
"Y-You..."
This time, even the silver-eyed girl was enraged.
Anger flared in Lin Xuan's eyes as well. He pitied her, but she kept pushing him, speaking such words to all these experts. It was too much.
Did they think he was weak and could be easily bullied?
He suddenly stood up. "Right, I wasn't here because there was an urgent matter that required my attention. When I left, the域外天魔 hadn't launched a full-scale attack yet; the portal had only opened later. The notion of me being cowardly is absurd."
"And second, during the battle at Drifting Cloud Valley against the域外天魔, though it was my avatar, I didn't retreat in the least. I led from the front, as all present can attest. The Void Tyrant's abilities were unpredictable, and we lost, but I was one of the last to leave."
"The death of the Immortal Emperor is a tragedy, but blaming me for this is unjustified."
Lin Xuan wore an expression of righteous indignation. He truly had no regrets about what happened.
His injuries hadn't healed yet; if he hadn't been at the back, how could he have ended up in such a state?
"Anyway, I have nothing to feel guilty about. As for you saying I failed in my duties, fine, let whoever wants this position take it. I don't care about this mess."
Lin Xuan's indignant voice echoed through the air. He wasn't just speaking out of anger; with the域外天魔 growing stronger and the Immortal Alliance on thin ice, there was nothing to be gained by holding onto this position.
"Dear fellow immortals, here is the alliance order token. Whoever wants it can have it without any complaints from me," Lin Xuan said as he waved his sleeve, revealing a small jade tablet with "Immortal Alliance" inscribed on it, exuding an aura of authority.
But the old experts looked at each other in silence, no one reaching for the token.
Indeed, back then they had all struggled to get this position. But times have changed.
With the域外天魔's power growing and the Immortal Alliance teetering on the brink, it was like a small boat in a storm; anyone who took charge would be more likely to sink than steer.
It sounded prestigious but was actually a thankless task.
Seeing Lin Xuan looking their way, everyone turned away.
"Such cowards. I'm not even as much of a woman," the Empress Consort said with a trace of resentment when no one spoke up.
She stepped forward and reached for the token.
"Stop!"
Lin Xuan ignored everything, but someone else objected. An old man's voice rang out: "You can't be the Immortal Alliance leader."
"Why not?"
The woman in courtly attire turned to face them: "This Lin boy has admitted he wants to abdicate and let others take over. Since no one else wants it, I'm taking it. What’s wrong with that?"
"Absolutely not," a clear voice said. It was the Black Phoenix Valley's leader speaking. "The leader did say he wanted to step down, but you forced him into it. We all know how hard he has worked and how well he fulfilled his duties. If he isn't fit for this position, who is?"
"Exactly, Lady Feng, your actions are too harsh. Even I can't bear to see them. The one who killed your husband was the Void Tyrant; why blame the leader? When the leader fought the Void Tyrant and saved us all, you have no grounds to say he failed."
"Right, Brother Lin was brave and responsible. If he isn't fit for this position, I, Old Bull, see no one else who is."
"This makes sense. Anyone who wants to remove Brother Lin's leadership position, I'll be the first to object."
...
The room erupted in noise as the old experts who had been trying to stay out of it suddenly became Lin Xuan's most fervent supporters.
Both the Dragon-named youth and the silver-eyed girl smiled, knowing that justice was on their side.
But for Lin Xuan, his expression remained calm.
Was this really so simple?
No!
The reason those old immortals were so resolute in supporting him wasn't because of any sudden change of heart. He understood clearly what was at stake.
Indeed, the position of Immortal Alliance leader no longer held as much allure as it did when the alliance first formed; instead, it had become a hot potato that would attract more attention from the域外天魔 and increase the risk of his downfall.
The old immortals who were trying to stay out of trouble understood this perfectly well.
But even if they understood, in this situation, someone still needed to take on the role. (To be continued...)