"Haha, fellow cultivator Dian Alstreim is too humble."
Davis chortled, "It is natural that I would get more resources compared to this desolate place. Perhaps, if fellow cultivator Dian Alstreim wants to make significant progress in cultivation, I advise you to head towards one of the large Territories."
’Desolate!?’ The crowd felt stumped before some of them even coughed while having their food stuck in their throat.
’Why don’t you just say that this is a poor place!? There is no need to humiliate us this further, no!?’
Although they held a stomach full of anger, they didn’t dare to speak up.
Ancestor Dian Alstreim wryly shook his head, "Protector is too kind, but if I left my Alstreim Family, it would just be a few decades before my Alstreim Family is massacred. At that time, I could take revenge against the people responsible for the slaughter as long as they are within my power. Furthermore, they should be within my power. After all, those who eye my Territory are those powers that have fallen in the large Territories."
"As long as I leave this seat, I would have no face left to meet my ancestors and my brothers after my death!"
"Ancestor..." The younger generation became moved.
For the first time in their life, they felt that they were a burden.
Living in the Alstreim Family, they considered themselves to be all-powerful, but never did they think that there would be a considerable discrepancy between the three types of Territories.
It could be said that the place they lived in had blinded them since wherever they went in this Territory, people would scramble to lick their feet if they said so, and sometimes even without saying, there would be people willing to give themselves up as a slave to them, perhaps to make their ends meet.
Such events had already left their nose high up in the skies, making them feel that they were the undisputed rulers for time to come and eternity.
However, looking at their Ancestor state that they would die once he left, they were forced to understand the difference between the three types of Territories.
They were just the frogs looking at each other and croaking in their well, unable to see nothing other than the small narrow space of sky that is directly above them.
Nora Alstreim looked at the pale and wry face, feeling complex emotions that she never felt for her Ancestor before. Even she had never thought that just by staying and doing nothing, Ancestor Dian Alstreim protected the family from powerful external threats. Although it was self-evident when one thought about it, she and the others didn’t know it had much impact on the family.
After all, their sights and overview, even if extended, were still amidst the Nine Eastern Territories rather than the entire Fifty-Two Territories. The Nine Eastern Territories all possessed equal strength more or less, and that only served to increase their own arrogance, thinking that they were all hegemons of their own Territory.
They did not truly understand that their Territory could be easily destroyed by a major power from the large Territories.
However, it was not their fault, honestly.
They were simply not told about the prowess of the large Territories because it might affect their law-heart, making them wastrels in the process of tempering. After all, after reaching a specific cultivation base, it is normal for a person to think that their current strength is enough. They would start to live their lives within the family in an elegant and luxurious manner, and looking at them, their peers might also follow suit, producing a batch of wastrels in the end.
Their tempered wills would grow weaker with time, and by the time they finally realize that they’re stagnating, only a single thought would mostly pop out in their head.
’Whatever... It’s not like I can catch up to the ones who are already so high above me...’
That puts a nail on their coffin. In their lives, they probably would never rise again, resulting in them becoming mediocre for the remaining period of their lives.
This was why they were not explicitly told that the large Territories were far frightening that the small Territories. It also had to do with the fact that the younger generation only slightly lost out a bit in terms of prowess when compared to the younger generation of the large Territories. However, that too was only until the Law Manifestation Stage.
From the Law Dominion Stage onwards, the younger generation in the small Territories would not be able to compare to the younger generation from the large Territories. While the younger generation would find it harder to comprehend laws, the larger Territories possessed unique areas that would help their younger generation in comprehending Laws.
It was the difference in resources.
That’s why most of their talented younger generation, once grown as they extend their wings, would be sent to mid-sized Territories or large Territories to grow, but they would all more or less end up crippled or dead. This lets the powers stay in a deadlock while their prowess stagnated, and their resources lessened.
Although it may not be their fault, it is their ignorance to not learn once grown!
Nora Alstreim turned to look at her grandfather, Grand Elder Valdrey Alstreim.
’So that’s why they all respect Ancestor... Then...’
’Am I wrong?’ Nora Alstreim bit her bottom lip.
She had secretly held a grudge against the Ancestor since a tender and young age.
If only the Ancestor was not in seclusion...
If only the Ancestor took care of the family’s internal matters...
If only the Ancestor had paid attention and went to that danger zone to save her parents, where only Ninth Stage Experts could possibly save people...
Her parents would have never died!
She blamed the Ancestor in her mind, but she knew she was just unreasonable.
Nora Alstreim abruptly noticed that Grand Elder Valdrey Alstreim was looking at her. She looked at him, and both of their expressions said that they needed to perhaps, address a few matters.
Davis possessed renewed respect for this so-called Ancestor. Perhaps, if he was born in this Alstreim Family, he wouldn’t mind calling this man Ancestor. Staying back to take care of the growth of the family even though Ancestor Dian Alstreim possessed potential more than ten thousand years ago when he just became a Law Rune Stage Powerhouse...
What kind of sacrifice and emotions for the family were required?
To make it sound exaggerated, these people in the Grand Welcoming Hall and even the entire Alstreim Family were not his direct descendants or people who were in his direct line. They were all just his siblings’ descendants and other Alstreim descendants.
He didn’t possess a dime of responsibility to take care of them, yet he restricted his own wings and stayed to protect the nest. Such people really did move a chord in his heart.
Davis felt complicated.
It was easy to do evil things, but the same could not be said about the right things. There were strong men, but what makes a great man?
Does this make a great man?
He didn’t know, but no matter how he tried, he would never be able to take care of a vast family that did not consist of his descendants. He knew that he was not such a man and was incapable of doing so.
Although Davis felt respect for Ancestor Dian Alstreim, he also felt that it was entirely stupid!
Ancestor Dian Alstreim’s ten thousand years life had all gone to waste!