Dual Cultivation God Returns Chapter 1088: In the interest of fairness...

"Yes, Your Highness?", Lu Bihai offered a polite smile.

Wei Yuanjie chuckled, "You see, there is a slight issue with this tournament; the sides are not equally matched."

"Hah! You mean your Ember Palm Pavilion and that Crystal Wood Sect will struggle against the Seven Extreme Swords Sect, which I will be providing the Heaven Turning Pill to? It's too late, Brother. The proclamation has been issued; it's official," Wei Liheng scoffed, a look of superiority evident as he pointed to the scroll bearing the seals of the three Sects.

"I'm afraid I must concur with Liheng," At this moment, the privacy formations of a certain private balcony deactivated, revealing the Imperial Ambassador. "Isn't it a bit tardy to raise objections after the decision has been finalized, Yuanjie?"

"That is not my intention, Brother, Uncle. I merely wished to disclose, in the spirit of fairness and camaraderie, that the Ember Palm Pavilion appears to be overly favored by this arrangement," Wei Yuanjie chuckled, shaking his head. The three Elders beside him widened their eyes in shock and disbelief at this unexpected betrayal, suddenly grasping the implication.

"Your Highness!" The Inner Court Elder spoke first, his two colleagues also calling out to Wei Yuanjie, but he merely raised a hand, halting their protests.

"These three esteemed Elders have concealed their cultivation levels using valuable artifacts. You can observe the silver accessories adorning their sashes? Those are the artifacts. In truth, the Inner Court Elder has already attained the Essence Ignition Realm, and his colleagues achieved the 6th level of the Essence Gathering Realm some time ago."

This statement sent a shockwave through the room, erupting into utter chaos with gasps, shouts, and murmurs from all quarters.

The members of the other two Sects turned pale, realizing how narrowly they had avoided utter ruin. Meanwhile, the Ember Palm Pavilion Elders, who had been attempting to speak over the prince until the very last moment, wore devastated expressions, clenching their fists as they understood there was little else they could do now that the secret was revealed.

"Is this true?" Lu Bihai turned towards the crestfallen three Elders of the Ember Palm Pavilion, his voice, amplified by Spiritual Qi, cutting through the uproar.

"..." The Inner Court Elder swallowed hard, his face a mask of intense anger, betrayal, and the feeling of being cornered. Finally, he gritted his teeth and replied, "Yes."

The room was once again plunged into a cacophony as various reactions echoed from all corners.

"Shameless! You employ tactics as devious and deceitful as the Evil Path!!!" the Inner Court Elder of the Crystal Wood Sect roared, enraged at nearly falling into a trap orchestrated by the Ember Palm Pavilion. They had conspired to prevent the Seven Extreme Swords Sect from utilizing the pill and advancing, which would have left the Ember Palm Pavilion as the sole faction with a leader in the Essence Ignition Realm, thereby crushing the others.

"How dare you—...! Take that back!" Despite their predicament, the Ember Palm Pavilion could not tolerate such an insult. They retorted, "This is called strategy! It requires intelligence to employ and comprehend, so I suppose all you can do is assume we resorted to the dirty tricks of the Evil Path rather than truly understanding it!"

The Seven Extreme Swords Sect also began shouting accusations. This prompted an Elder from the Ember Palm Pavilion's Outer Court to bring up their recent humiliation in the arena, plunging the entire hall into a heated squabble amongst the members of all three Sects.

"Do you still object, Brother?" Wei Yuanjie chuckled, looking at the utterly flabbergasted Wei Liheng, who found himself unable to respond.

"That... certainly alters the situation..." Lu Bihai stated with a solemn tone. "However, there is a straightforward solution to this quandary."

A hush fell over the auction hall once more, all eyes turning to the Martial Alliance delegation. Lu Bihai then shrugged, "Since ancient times, to resolve disputes concerning future matters, most Cultivation Sects have pitted their younger generations against each other, as they represent the future of the Sect. Therefore, we shall do the same now. We will restrict the tournament competition to the 10 most outstanding Disciples from each Sect who are in the Mortal Transcendence Realm."

This proposal was met with general approval, as it effectively resolved the imbalance issue and aligned with the customs of the cultivation world.

"We agree," the Crystal Wood Sect, being the most disadvantaged party, immediately endorsed the change, casting sharp, lightning-like glances towards the Ember Palm Pavilion.

Simultaneously, their Inner Court Elder transmitted a message to his counterpart within the Seven Extreme Swords Sect. This message detailed the issue Chu Ren had brought to the Ember Palm Pavilion's attention earlier, a concern the Ember Palm Pavilion had unfortunately relayed to them not long after.

"You...!". The Inner Court Elder of the Seven Extreme Swords Sect couldn't contain his shock, pointing a finger at the Crystal Wood Sect. He was stunned that they had been led to believe they held an advantage when, in reality, they had none. This misapprehension was precisely what led to the current predicament regarding the tournament.

However, they now comprehended that with their perceived advantage vanished, this proposition was their only viable option to prevent the Ember Palm Pavilion from securing a victory through such deceitful means.

The Ember Palm Pavilion, too, was completely blindsided by the unfolding events. They watched as a meticulously planned scheme, one they had not devised but had been handed on a golden platter, began to unravel just as it neared completion. This plan had earned their complete trust.

Now, they also found themselves with no alternative but to consent. The other two Sects would have outvoted them regardless, and opposing the decision would only lead to a loss of face with no positive outcome or benefit.