C12 Su Yinjian's New Plan.

As Su Yinjian contemplated his situation, a spark of realization dawned on him. Why had he come here? His mission was to bring down the sect, and this was the perfect opportunity to do just that.

If they were to lose to Qing Feng's Son of God in the upcoming competition, their sect would undoubtedly become the laughingstock of others.

Su Yinjian could barely contain his glee. He was convinced that a defeat in this contest would crush the sect's morale.

The Great Elder and the others would surely send their best, likely their own Son of God. Should their Son of God be bested by Qing Feng's, the rest of the disciples would lose their will to fight and their desire to cultivate. In time, the sect would crumble.

With his excitement in check, Su Yinjian addressed the assembled elders. "Elders, what are your thoughts? The Brass Plunderers have thrown down the gauntlet. If we fail to respond, the world will think us cowards. That's not how we conduct ourselves."

Su Yinjian's gaze was stern as he surveyed the room. The elders nodded in agreement; his reasoning was sound. If they shied away from the challenge, they would be branded as cowards.

A retreat without a fight would bring shame upon the sect. Furthermore, conceding defeat now would only invite more challenges in the future, jeopardizing the sect's standing.

"We share your concerns. That's why we've sought the Sect Master's counsel. We need to know his thoughts on who should represent us in battle," they said.

The Great Elder understood the gravity of the situation. The Brass Plunderers had humiliated one of their disciples in public. If they didn't retaliate, it would signal fear.

The Great Elder was adamant about a counterstrike. However, his true intent was for them to lose the battle, and he voiced his opinion. "We must accept the challenge, and we should also notify the nearby sects to ensure a fair and impartial judgment."

Su Yinjian's plan was to have the nearby sects witness their defeat, deterring new disciples from joining. To guarantee a loss, he would approach their Son of God, the only one who could answer Qing Feng's challenge, and find a way to ensure his defeat.

The sect's disciples, witnessing their Son of God fall in battle, would lose all fighting spirit.

"You all know the situation as the Great Elder has described. The Brass Plunderers are notorious for their ruthlessness, stopping at nothing to get what they want. Without impartial judges, they might deny their defeat and slander us with accusations of foul play," Su Yinjian warned.

Rising to his feet, he scanned the room, taking in the faces of the elders and the high-ranking disciples present. Each had their own desires and intentions.

The elders, despite agreeing with Su Yinjian's logic, hesitated, uncertain of their next move. In such circumstances, the question remained: should they accept the challenge?

Su Yinjian's words had indeed struck a chord with them. Their hesitation stemmed from the notorious underhanded tactics of the Qing Feng sect. They reasoned that inviting leaders from other sects might encourage better behavior.

At that decisive moment, with a simple hand gesture, they committed to a course of action.

"The Son of God is due to emerge from seclusion soon, and frankly, Qing Feng's Son of God doesn't hold a candle to ours. So, there's no need for concern. Just follow my lead, okay?"

After some deliberation, the Great Elder and the others decided to place their trust in Su Yinjian, their Sect Leader. Invitations were dispatched to the neighboring sects, and together with the elders, they approached Qing Feng's representatives.

Leading the charge was Elder Xu and the Son of God from the Brass Plunderers. The Great Elder had already briefed Su Yinjian on what type of man Elder Xu was.

A man of warlike tendencies, Elder Xu was known for his lack of reason. He was determined to crush his enemies by any means necessary, without a care for the methods employed.

Su Yinjian observed Elder Xu with a critical eye. Despite Elder Xu's brazen attitude and previous disdain for their disciples, he seemed somewhat more restrained in the presence of the Great Elder and his peers. Perhaps he realized that with several of their own elders present, his chances in a conflict were slim.

"What exactly are you implying, Elder Xu? If you've come for a challenge, we welcome friendly exchanges between sects. But injuring our disciples upon your arrival hardly seems like a gesture for sparring," they confronted him.

The Great Elder and Su Yinjian held their tongues, allowing the Fourth Elder to step up and demand an explanation from Elder Xu of the Brass Plunderers.

Elder Xu responded with a scornful sneer, "My apologies then. But I honestly didn't expect your disciples to be so fragile. My followers barely lifted a finger, and your disciples were already wounded. An apology is indeed in order."

Inwardly, the Great Elder, Chen Ping, and the others seethed with anger. Su Yinjian, standing nearby, clearly heard their frustration but chose not to intervene. He understood the Great Elder's thoughts.

Starting a quarrel in front of an audience would only serve to lose face, especially since Elder Xu had come looking for a fight. The last thing they wanted was to play into his hands by engaging in a battle they were expected to lose.

Witnessing the Great Elder's indignation, Su Yinjian hesitated to enact his plan, knowing full well the cruelty it entailed and the potential damage it could cause the sect. Yet, the stakes were too high, and he cast aside his reservations.

"Well then, we accept your challenge. If you wish to test your mettle, we're ready. We have a martial arts platform for such occasions. However, you'll need to wait until our invited guests arrive before we begin. We wouldn't want any accusations of foul play should you lose," Su Yinjian declared boldly.

The man before him bristled at Su Yinjian's provocation, taken aback by such an affront. He was about to retort when Su Yinjian, with a dismissive wave of his sleeve, turned and walked away.