Humph, abducting my old man's granddaughter—death is too good for him!

Every battle between the North and the South is never merely a contest for the supreme leadership between the two regions; it also involves fierce internal struggles among the respective factions. After all, the authority that comes with the position of alliance leader is immense, and anyone and any faction would desire to attain it.

After pondering for a moment, Long Jianfei concluded that the Long family had no reason to tarnish its own reputation by resorting to such disreputable tactics. Furthermore, Chu Tian was also a native of Jiangnan; as long as the supreme seat of the North-South alliance did not fall into the hands of Jiangbei, this in itself constituted a major victory for Jiangnan.

Although Chu Tian was not a scion of any prominent aristocratic family, it was precisely because he belonged to no clan that he would be capable of maintaining absolute impartiality when adjudicating the interests of both the North and the South! Moreover, Chu Tian possessed transcendent strength; should he ascend to the position of alliance leader, no one would dare to harbor any dissent.

"Chu Tian, the Long family will not send anyone else to challenge you!"

Long Jianfei sighed. After prolonged deliberation, he finally made up his mind. A silence that lasted merely dozens of seconds felt as protracted as half a century. Reaching this decision had required a grueling psychological struggle on his part.

"The Long family has actually conceded defeat?"

"Chu Tian already defeated Jiangbei and the Situ family, and now the Long family is conceding as well. Doesn't this mean Chu Tian has won completely?"

"Chu Tian is going to be the new alliance leader?"

The various factions of the North and the South whispered among themselves, a flicker of shock flashing across their eyes. No one dared to challenge Chu Tian any longer; he was destined to become the new alliance leader! A teenage alliance leader of only eighteen years of age was simply unheard of!

After a round of murmurs, Long Jianfei and Wan Tianyu exchanged glances and nodded in unison. The two of them rose to their feet together, their gazes locking onto Chu Tian at the same time.

"The outcome of this North-South battle has been decided, and the new alliance leader is none other than Chu Tian of Jiangnan!"

"I believe no one will object to this decision!"

Long Jianfei and Wan Tianyu spoke together, once again sweeping their gazes across the gathered factions of the North and the South.

"We submit heart and soul to Mr. Chu serving as our alliance leader!"

"That's right! With Mr. Chu's formidable strength, there is no one more suited for the position of alliance leader."

The crowd vied to voice their approval, all eager to curry favor with the future supreme leader.

"Xiaotian, you've become the alliance leader!"

Liu Qingsheng was far too excited, completely discarding her usual reserve.

"Eldest Sister, don't be so emotional. Have you forgotten that the reason we came to Jinling was to settle scores with Chu Tian?"

Although Wei Qingqiu's face was wreathed in smiles, she nevertheless reminded Liu Qingxue. Hearing this, Liu Qingxue snapped back to reality instantly. Chu Tian had previously departed without saying goodbye, which was why she had traveled to Jinling. She had been so overjoyed that she momentarily forgot her original purpose.

"That's right! You left without a word earlier, and I haven't settled accounts with you yet!"

"Don't think that just because you've become the alliance leader of the North-South battle, I won't be able to discipline you!"

Recovering her senses, Liu Qingxue quickly restrained her smile and deliberately put on a stern expression.

"Eldest Sister, when did I ever leave without a word? I came here to participate in the North-South tournament, didn't I?"

"Look at you instead—what would you have done if you had run into danger?"

Chu Tian chuckled softly, hastily soothing his eldest senior sister.

"What kind of danger could there possibly be?"

"Could it compare to the danger you and Fifth Sister faced?"

"You vanished for an entire day while scandalous rumors about the two of you spread everywhere. What on earth were you two up to?"

Liu Qingxue was still unaware of the events of the previous night; in particular, the news that Wu Xingyan was still alive had not yet reached her. Chu Tian froze, momentarily at a loss for how to respond.

At that exact moment, Wei Yuansheng also approached the ring, interrupting Chu Tian's train of thought.

"Mr. Chu, now that you are the alliance leader of the North-South battle, it is time to consider how to negotiate the division of interests with the major factions."

Wei Yuansheng offered this well-intentioned reminder, knowing this was the most crucial matter. The various factions fought for the alliance leader's seat precisely to leverage that status to secure a larger share of interests for themselves.

However, Chu Tian did not view the matter in that light. His participation in the North-South battle was purely a response to the kowtowing pleas of the patriarchs of Jiangnan. Had it not been for that reason, who could have possibly compelled Chu Tian to make a move? Furthermore, the Situ family's plot to frame Chu Tian was also driven by their desire to seize the leadership of the North-South alliance. Chu Tian would never allow the Situ family to succeed! Since the Situ family intended to vie for the throne of the alliance leader, Chu Tian had no choice but to preempt them and snatch the seat for himself.

Now that Chu Tian had successfully become the alliance leader, the Situ family's conspiracy had been thoroughly thwarted. As for how the interests between the North and the South were to be divided next, Chu Tian truly had no interest in the matter.

"Elder Wei, please negotiate with the various factions on my behalf later; I will not participate."

"How the interests between Jiangnan and Jiangbei are to be partitioned is entirely up to you to decide for me!"

Chu Tian laughed heartily, deliberately raising his voice so that his intentions were clear to everyone present. The crowd once again erupted into an uproar. The Wei family was merely a local prominent clan in Tianmen City, previously lacking the qualifications to participate in major affairs such as the division of interests. But now that Chu Tian had spoken, the Wei family had undergone a miraculous transformation, suddenly becoming Chu Tian's official representative!

"It is up to me to decide?"

Wei Yuansheng wore a bewildered expression; how could he possibly presume to preside over such a monumental gathering? If he allocated a larger share of interests to Jiangnan, the Jiangbei factions would certainly refuse to submit; conversely, if he favored Jiangbei, the Jiangnan factions would likewise be displeased. The seat of the North-South alliance leader appeared to be a position of immense authority, but in reality, it was a hot potato. Without sufficient prestige, occupying this leadership role was nothing more than inviting trouble upon oneself.

"Elder Wei, I trust in your ability. As long as you act with a fair and impartial heart, you needn't fear anyone refusing to submit!"

"Your word represents my word. Should anyone truly dare to dispute your ruling, tell them to come and find me."

Chu Tian's voice dropped an octave as he reiterated his decision.

"Understood! This old man will certainly not let Mr. Chu down!"

Wei Yuansheng nodded quickly, his tone carrying a newfound solemnity. He had intended to say a few more words, but at that very moment, a sudden anomaly occurred in the distant sky.

A streak of light came hurtling across the firmament at breakneck speed, plunging straight toward the arena.

"Everyone, get back!"

Chu Tian's expression shifted drastically as his figure rapidly retreated.

Boom!

The instant Chu Tian cleared the space, the streak of light slammed heavily into the center of the ring, shattering the surrounding marble into pieces as it absorbed the violent impact. In the blink of an eye, the crowd recognized the figure standing in the wreckage as Long Sihai.

Long Sihai's velocity had been so extreme that none of them had been able to track his approach. It was only when he stood firmly upon the ring that the onlookers were able to confirm his identity.

"This is Fifth Senior Sister's grandfather?"

Listening to the whispered conversations around him, Chu Tian immediately identified the newcomer. A trace of curiosity arose within him as his gaze locked onto Long Sihai.

"You are Chu Tian?"

Long Sihai's gaze likewise fixed upon Chu Tian, his brow instantly furrowing. Their eyes met, and a silent spark of hostile friction crackled through the air.

"I am Chu Tian."

Chu Tian nodded.

"Hmph! You dared to abduct this old man's granddaughter—you deserve to die!"