X-Dragon Era

Facing Ming Xuan's words, Xin Yun smiled indifferently and said, "Everyone, don't be so surprised. I understand Ming Xuan's intentions. This really isn't a big deal. We're all brothers, there's no need to blow things out of proportion."

"This..." Hearing Xin Yun's words, Po Kong's brows remained furrowed. Raised in a powerful clan, he completely could not accept such rhetoric. If someone in the Po Kong Clan dared to suggest defeating him, they would surely be labeled a traitor on the spot.

Seeing Po Kong's expression, Xin Yun laughed heartily and said, "Actually, although I've never lost to Ming Xuan, I've been defeated by Yi Luo and Swallow hundreds, even thousands of times. It's really not an issue."

At this point, Xin Yun paused slightly before continuing, "For us to come together, strength is certainly a factor, but if it were solely about strength, it wouldn't work. The most important thing is the bond between us, that is the foundation of everything. As for winning or losing, it truly doesn't matter at all."

Listening to Xin Yun's words, Po Kong was struck with realization. That's true... If strength alone determined who everyone would follow, then why hadn't others sought to follow Xin Yun? The main reason everyone gathered here wasn't just strength—it was camaraderie, or perhaps… fate!

Seeing everyone no longer bothered, Xin Yun turned his gaze to Ming Xuan, smiling as he said, "However, although I don't mind your thoughts, I still have to tell you—unless I deliberately let you defeat me, it's simply impossible for you to win..."

Although Xin Yun didn't finish his sentence, no one present was foolish. Everyone understood his meaning completely. And yet... precisely because of this, everyone was even more astonished!

Clearly, Xin Yun was not someone given to boasting, but this made people even more curious. Where did Xin Yun's overwhelming confidence come from?

All along, in everyone's minds, while Xin Yun wasn't considered weak, if it came to a real fight, each of them felt confident they could hold their ground against him. At the very worst, it would be a draw—to fight to mutual destruction. Everyone believed that no matter how strong Xin Yun was, the odds of victory were at best sixty-forty. Who emerged victorious wouldn't just depend on strength but also on luck!

Xin Yun was not weak, but the people present were by no means weak either. Any one of them plucked out of the group would easily be considered a top-tier genius, each with their own unique qualities—not inferior to Xin Yun, and in some cases, even stronger! Yet, it was in this situation that Xin Yun declared steadfastly that Ming Xuan couldn't possibly defeat him. Where was this assertion coming from?

It must be noted that Ming Xuan had just defeated Po Kong and Luo Fu, and even fought Yi Luo Xiang to a draw. So… doesn't that imply that the others here have no chance against him either?

Looking at the stunned expressions of everyone, Xin Yun remained unperturbed. With the opening of the Illusionary Realm drawing near, Xin Yun understood... He had to act. Now that he had been recognized as the sect leader, he needed to clearly distinguish priorities. Yet currently... most people still saw him as a brother, a companion, with faint lines between superiors and subordinates.

As for what had just been said about camaraderie and fate? That was downright nonsense. Building friendships was well and good for personal rapport, but to establish an organization based on camaraderie and fate? That would be absolutely absurd.

As the saying goes, without rules, there can be no order; a country needs laws; a family needs regulations. If superior and subordinate roles aren't clearly defined, then this organization has no future.

Putting aside other matters, just today's comments from Ming Xuan alone presented a major issue. Although Xin Yun knew that Ming Xuan had no ulterior motives, viewing Xin Yun simply as an idol and aspiration without rebellious intentions, the fact remains: he dared to say such words outright. This indicates a lack of understanding about hierarchy and grades. If this continues to fester, the upper ranks of the Sky-opening Sect will devolve into chaos! If the leadership is unstable, how could the Sky-opening Sect possibly thrive?

Actually, Xin Yun had noticed this problem long ago, but he had never found the right time or opportunity to address it. Such matters, if not handled well, could hurt feelings among the group—an outcome far worse than the potential gains. That was something Xin Yun would never allow to happen. He would rather dissolve the Sky-opening Sect than see things break apart between close companions.

Some might overlook the gravity of this issue, but as the saying goes, when the upper beam is crooked, the lower beam bends. If Ming Xuan could brazenly declare his greatest excitement was to defeat the sect leader, then naturally others could do the same. Consider this: if everyone made such proclamations, how would the sect leader retain authority and dignity?

If it were just trivial games, playing house with no serious commitment, then indeed, one couldn't expect too much rigor. Let things slide and muddle through. But the current reality is: the Sky-opening Sect has already developed into a massively powerful force. And yet, people like Ming Xuan seem oblivious to this fact—their speech, actions, and demeanor being woefully insufficient. Here in this setting, the problem might not seem grave, but imagine this happening in a larger, more formal occasion in the future—that would be catastrophic.

As he contemplated, Xin Yun swept his gaze across the group, his eyes lingering momentarily on each of his five companions. Then... Xin Yun let out a deep breath, smiled and said, "Why are you all staring at me like this? You don't believe what I'm saying? Haha... To be honest, haven't you all underestimated me for far too long?" As his sentence reached the end, Xin Yun's tone hardened significantly.