"Indeed, I have come for this reason," Nangon, the gentlemanly elder, once again nodded to Emperor Alexander, confirming his purpose.
"Wow, congratulations to Pine and Crane! Congrats, congrats!" Tome Shaw and Rage Shaw from the Shaw family side were thrilled, and even Tidal Shaw, who had been feigning unconsciousness, quickly sprang up, all smiles as he rushed to congratulate Pine and Crane.
Despite trying to appear calm on the surface, Pine and Crane couldn't hide their flushed faces and trembling hands, betraying their excitement.
Joining the Innate Alliance was every martial artist's dream, and they had waited far too long for this day.
The Shaw family guards erupted in cheers, wave after wave of applause.
In contrast, the Yew family guards felt somewhat disheartened.
Just when they thought they had demoralized their enemies and victory was within reach, Nangon's arrival as an Innate powerhouse had turned the tide.
Phonh Yew and Haye Yew were the most anxious.
If the enemy were absorbed into the Innate Alliance, a massive counterattack was certain, putting Eddie at risk. With Innate powerhouses intervening, who could object?
Even if Innate powerhouses lacked justification, they could still execute any offender.
They were confident Eddie would eventually become an Innate powerhouse, given his talent. But facing this situation now was too disadvantageous.
If it weren't for Emperor Alexander and others present, they might have urged Eddie to flee immediately. Preserving life for future opportunities was paramount!
Now was not the time for Eddie to confront his enemies. With a decade more of diligent cultivation, challenging Pine and Crane would surely pose no problem.
Eddie, still so young and with insufficient cultivation time, couldn't compare to those who had honed their skills for centuries, despite his exceptional talent.
"Mr. Nangon, Pine and Crane are honored to meet you," Pine and Crane said as they knelt and paid their respects amidst the Shaw family guards' enthusiastic applause.
To ordinary martial artists, Pine and Crane were of high status, but they were nothing compared to Nangon.
Nangon was the leading director of the Innate Alliance, who had been guiding Great Xia's Innate powerhouses for a millennium.
At 250 years old, Pine and Crane were mere children compared to him.
Seeing Nangon gesture towards Pine and Crane, the Shaw family guards erupted in cheers again.
Initially, there was concern since the Yew family also had exceptionally talented individuals, like the nearly Innate-level Eastern King.
Pine and Crane were nearly moved to tears, believing their centuries of hard work were finally rewarded.
The path to becoming a powerhouse, which they had walked for over two hundred years, was now open...
Then, Nangon's polite remark stunned everyone, "You two are? I'm sorry, but it seems there's been a misunderstanding."
Pine and Crane were dumbfounded, not the ones Nangon came to guide?
The Shaw family's cheers abruptly stopped, leaving the venue in utter silence. Everyone, wide-eyed, stared at Nangon, unable to comprehend his meaning.
Was he not there for Pine and Crane?
Even the Eastern King, who had been hiding his face, suddenly jumped up, pointing at the ashen-faced Pine and Crane, asking Nangon, "Mr. Nangon, you're not here to guide them into the Innate Alliance?"
"Their strength is commendable, but they're still a long way from Innate.
They need to work much harder," Nangon said, glancing at Pine and Crane on the ground, shaking his head in a despair-inducing denial, then affirmatively added, "The one I'm here to guide is someone else..."
Hearing this, the Eastern King burst into excited shouts.
"Have you ever heard the story of the old turtles?" the Eastern King shouted, clapping his hands towards the nearly fainting Pine and Crane.
"Let me graciously share it with you. There were two old turtles who were delusional about their status, thinking they could fly out of the well and into the sky. "
"Could they really fly with their thick skins? Congratulations to Pine and Crane for being guided by the Innate Alliance, hahaha, what a joyous occasion! "
"I must compose a poem to express my excitement: 'The face of a turtle, unmatched in the world; when flattery emerges, who dares compete?'"
General Windstorm added, "The Grand Xia's Imperial Army, following the Eastern King, also extends its congratulations to both of you!"
Not to be outdone, the Old Fox shook his head and chimed in, "The Ivy League School colleagues congratulate Pine and Crane on their ascension to Innate, ah, no, I mean their return to the west!"
Although Atticus Phone and Quintus Xue didn't speak, they were laughing so hard internally that they almost burst. Thaddeus Yen, who had been hoping for Pine and Crane to make a move, now covered his face, unable to watch. He too felt embarrassed for the two elders.
Had he known it would turn out like this, he definitely wouldn't have associated with the Shaw family.
It was clear now that the Shaw family would plummet, unable to shake the Yew family even slightly.
With the rise of many talented young members in the Yew family, it seemed the Yen family would have to contentedly remain in fourth place, unable to surpass the Yew family.
"Besides congratulating Pine and Crane, the Yew family also thanks them for teaching our Eddie the manners of a junior. The two elders did a splendid job!"
Haye Yew sarcastically remarked, joining Emperor Alexander, the Old Fox, General Windstorm, and others who had known the outcome all along.
They had been patient until Pine and Crane utterly lost face before delivering a fatal blow to deflate their arrogance.
"Applause, applause…"
The Yew family guards clapped even louder than the Shaw family had earlier, now it was the Shaw family guards' turn to wish for a hole to hide in.
Pine and Crane, who had always been revered and flattered, were unaccustomed to such mockery. Overwhelmed with anger and embarrassment, they lost control of their breath, felt a sweet, metallic taste in their throats, and spat out blood, collapsing simultaneously.
Tidal Shaw initially wanted to rush out and carry Pine and Crane back, but Tome Shaw subtly tugged at his brother's clothing. Pine and Crane were now considered expendable, their reputations ruined.
Associating too closely with them could only drag the Shaw family down. More importantly, since Nangon wasn't there for Pine and Crane, he was likely there for someone from the Yew family, possibly Jean, given her exceptional potential and near-certain future as an Innate.
It made sense for Nangon, who valued talent, to come early to guide her.
As Nangon approached Jean, Tome Shaw silently nodded, his earlier guess confirmed.
Despite being powerful "Emperors," Pine and Crane's potential was nearly exhausted, and they hadn't progressed in years.
If Nangon had been interested, he would have guided them long ago.
The Shaw family had been too hasty, attacking the Yew family without thorough investigation, leading to this debacle.
Despite backing from powerful allies, the Shaw family was still no match for the deeply rooted Yew family. Observing carefully, Tome Shaw realized even the composed acting family head Shawn could outmatch his own brother Tidal Shaw.
While the crowd was cheering for Pine and Crane, Shawn Yew remained unfazed.
Tome Shaw couldn't help but wonder if this was really the same Shawn that his brother Tidal had dismissed as inconsequential.
Although the confrontation was far from over, Tome realized the Shaw family had lost this battle disastrously.
They acted rashly without fully understanding the Yew family's strength and resources, leading to an uncontrollable situation.
Looking at Eddie Yew, whose aura was intimidating, Tome felt a chill.
Eddie's close relationship with Jean and the potential for her to be invited into the Innate Alliance meant the Shaw family was in grave danger.
Tome closed his eyes in agony.
Jean, flustered, addressed Nangon's approach, "Me? I'm not close to Innate yet, I have a long way to go!"
She waved her hands, "You must be mistaken!"
Nangon gently corrected her, "Young lady, you're indeed a short distance from Innate, just unaware of how to unlock Innate power. If the young man beside you guides you, breaking through to Innate won't be difficult. Soon, I'll come to invite you. Today, however, I'm here for him..."
He nodded towards Eddie, performing an elegantly respectful gesture unseen before.
The revelation shocked everyone, except those who had seen Eddie defeat the two Innate warriors, Tucker and Kieran Shaw. The Shaw family's experts nearly collapsed; Nangon was here for Eddie? How could this be?
Tome felt his heart might burst from a sense of impending doom.
The Yew family had produced an Innate, specifically the formidable Eddie, who held a grudge against the Shaw family.
Recalling Eddie's previous statements, Tome realized he must be Innate; no junior would dare claim he could kill Pine and Crane otherwise.
Shawn's reaction was subtle, almost as if he had always known about Eddie's Innate status, yet even he trembled slightly at Nangon's acknowledgment.
The Eastern King stared at Eddie, dumbfounded, before suddenly grabbing him by the collar, lifting him up, and bellowing, "You're Innate?"