"Only five people interested in the four leader positions for the sect alliance?" Following these words from the Great General, everyone inside the meeting hall remained quiet and just stared at the four people from the major sects. None of the people from the remaining sects inside the meeting hall dared to fight with the major sects for the four leader positions of the sect alliance. The only people who would do something like that, was the independent sects that were already enemies with the different major sects and had nothing to lose from going against them.
"I see... Then I won't waste any time and will move on to the voting part! First, let's start with the elder from the Sparrow Sect." Rolling his eyes upon seeing that nobody dared stepping forward due to the major sects rather colourful reputation when it came to dealing with those who went against them, the Great General didn't bother wasting any time, as he directly moved on to the voting process.
"Hehe, I hope everyone here will vote for me!" The elder from the Sparrow Sect, one of the Sky Empire's major sects, happily stepped forward with a smile on his lips after hearing what the Great General said.
Clearly, he already believed that getting the leader position was only a matter of time. The fact that Xu Bao had decided to also stand up didn't bother him in the slightest, as he understood that nobody other than the few independent sects present would dare to vote for him. After all, everyone present knew what would happen if they went against the major sects...!
Not to mention, there was no benefit in them supporting the independent sect openly, outside of angering the major sects-
"I support the elder from the Sparrow Sect!"
"I support the Sparrow Sect-"
Because of this, many the representatives from the different sects that were present all stood up in support of the elder from the Sparrow Sect, while also showing off their cultivation base for the Great General to see and count their votes correctly.
"357 votes in total for the Sparrow Sect, next, we will move on to the elder from the Rock Fire Sect..." As the first of the votes came to an end, the Great General directly announced the total number of votes that the elder from the Sparrow Sect had managed to gather before moving on to the next person among the four people from the major sects.
"I support the Rock Fire Sect in getting the leader position!"
"I support-"
The elder from the Sparrow Sect was not even allowed to gloat over how many votes he got before the voting continued moving on to the next person.
...
Even with my support, it looks like it will just barely be enough for Xu Bao to secure a single leader position.
Thinking this to himself as he observed the four people from the major sects, Xuan Hao could not help glancing towards the elder from the Sparrow Sect with a small smile on his face.
Although everyone from the four major sects had managed to get around the same number of votes, the person with the lowest number of votes, was the elder from the Sparrow Sect. The reason for this being rather obvious from his arrogant and condescending expression.
If given the choice, it was obvious that the rest of the sects inside the meeting hall would choose one of the other three people from the major sect instead of the one from the Sparrow Sect. In turn this had resulted in the difference in votes between him and the three other representatives from the major sects being a little over 50 votes...
"Let's start the final vote!" As the vote for the four people from the major sects concluded, it did not take long before the final vote for Xu Bao began.
"I vote for Senior Xu Bao!"
"I vote for..."
Not wasting any time after the vote for Xu Bao began, the different experts from the independent sects didn't waste a single second before standing up in support of Xu Bao. Not forgetting to show off their cultivation base in the process.
"Hehe, do they really think that they have enough people to get a leader position? Even if they have 10 or so Domain Lords, most of them are in the early stages of the realm. If not for that old man Xu Bao, there is no way that the independent sects would have been able to survive until now!"
Watching the different people from the independent sects getting up to show their support for Xu Bao, the elder from the Sparrow Sect could not help snickering to himself with a disdainful expression on his face. Not at all impressed by the display of the independent sects.
The number of Domain Lord Realm Experts and Nascent Soul Realm Experts among the independent sects had long since become known to these major sects over the many years they had spent trying to weaken and destroy them.
Even if they did not recognize Xuan Hao who was sitting beside Xu Bao, they were not at all worried about one stranger being able to change the tide in the favor of the independent sects. At most thinking that he might be an old ancestor from one of the independent sects that was around the middle stages of the Domain Lord Realm.
As for him being someone above the Sixth Stage of the Domain Lord Realm? This thought never crossed the mind of the people from the major sects.
Normally, the appearance of another Domain Lord Realm Expert on the side of the independent sects would not be able to make a difference when it came to the vote for who got the leader positions... But unfortunately for the major sects, they were about to discover that their carelessness and disregard for the independent sects would cost them one of the four leader positions!
"I vote in support of Xu Bao for the leader position of the sect alliance!" Just as the last among the independent sects had finished showing their support for Xu Bao to take on the leader position, Xuan Hao got up in a similar fashion and voiced his support for Xu Bao-
Boom-!
Not a second later, he released his cultivation base that was at the Peak of the Seventh Stage of the Domain Lord Realm with the help of the necklace. Instantly causing everyone present to feel a shiver run down their spine due to the powerful aura of a Late Stage Domain Lord Realm Expert.
Even the people from the major sects were no exception, as all of them opened their eyes wide while fearfully looking towards Xuan Hao who was disguised as an old man. Not a single one of them expected that the old man sitting quietly beside Xu Bao to actually be a terrifying expert that had reached the Late Stage of the Domain Lord Realm!
"This- When did the independent sects gain such a terrifying expert!?"
"It should be an old ancestor that has just recently broken through to the Seventh Stage of the Domain Lord Realm..."
"Just recently broken through to the Seventh Stage of the Domain Lord Realm!? What are you talking about!? This old senior is clearly already at the Peak of the Seventh Stage of the Domain Lord Realm. Only a single step away from reaching the Eighth Stage of the Domain Lord Realm!"
"This... If that is the case, how come we have never heard about this senior before...?"
"How would I know? Perhaps he has been cultivating in seclusion ever since reaching the Seventh Stage of the Domain Lord Realm..."
As everyone inside the meeting hall began discussing the sudden appearance of such a powerful expert on the side of the independent sects, the faces of the people from the major sects transformed from one of surprise and fear, into one of regret.
Given that they were all powerful experts at the Domain Lord Realm, it did not take them long to realize that the total number of votes for Xu Bao would end up surpassing the elder from the Sparrow Sect.
Even worse, the number of votes that Xu Bao would surpass the Sparrow Sect with, was no more than twenty!
"This- How can this happen!?" Realizing that he would not be getting a leader position, the elder from the Sparrow Sect felt like a bucket of cold water had been dumped on top of his head as his eye's filled with disbelief.
Not a second later, his face twisted into one filled with fury before he turned to look towards the smaller sects that had chosen not to vote for him with killing intent.
From the fact that he had only been beaten by twenty votes, he very clearly understood that he would have been able to avoid this if some of these smaller sects had chosen to vote for him instead of the three other major sects!