Did they know? Of course they do. However, they couldn't reject it when the Violethaven Temple invoked the Vanguard Accords. At least, they're now free from it. The next time the temple asked again, they could choose to decline or not agree fully to their request.

Watching the minute changes in their expressions, Lin Mo also caught that detail. No matter how reluctant they were, it was something they had to follow through with.

"Alright. There's no need to answer my question, esteemed guests. It must be a difficult situation. However, I'm certain you're aware of the implications regarding what the Violethaven Temple plans to do." He paused for a moment to let them digest his words.

"Here in our Eastern Abyssal Domain, we have just managed to secure an Anchor and sever the Dimensional Bridge that they're trying to stabilize. If the temple's objective is to join hands with the Outer Realm, there will be no reconciliation whatsoever between us anymore. If you also approve of the way they do things and given that you're allies, I'm afraid our store will not be able to welcome you as a potential patron anymore."

"I'm aware you cannot just break that alliance, considering how the Immortal Realm branch of your sects and the divine beings you worship control your path to ascension. However, let me offer you a different perspective."

If it were only Lin Mo, they would probably not take him seriously but at the moment, the three Patriarchs remained completely silent. Their eyes focused on the young man who dared to lecture them on the machinations of the upper realms while a literal goddess sat sipping coffee beside him.

"You view your alliance with the Violethaven Temple as a historical necessity that originates from the fact that the divine beings you worship belong to the same faction in the Third Heaven," Lin Mo continued, leaning back into the plush velvet of his seat. "However, we are currently in the First Heaven. Not only that, we are facing an invasion from four different Outer Realms that those above us were already aware of."

"Zhenren Lihua and the Divine Pantheon that she belonged to have long informed me about it. And I believe the reason for the store's existence is to become the beacon of hope in repelling the invaders. As for you, maybe you'll receive an order from above soon. The question is… can you afford to wait for it? What if your territory already has undiscovered Anchors and they're close to stabilizing soon? Will you also stand back and just watch the foreign entities cut a piece of your territory and claim it as their own while spreading their terror in our realm?"

Patriarch Skyflame's fists were clenched so tightly, the ghostly remnants of his suppressed flames seeming to writhe beneath his skin in agitation. Patriarch Jadebone stared into his half-empty cup, the reflection of the ceiling dancing in the dark liquid as his expression became a mask of conflicting loyalties.

And once again, it was Matriarch Deep-Root who finally broke the stillness.

She gulped down the contents of her cup and placed it down before staring directly at Lin Mo.

"Your question puts us in a bind, Shopkeeper. Our alliance with the Temple is not a simple treaty written on paper. It is something that exists in the upper realms as well. If we receive an order to support the Violethaven Temple, we will be powerless against it. Of course, we will still defend our territory if they truly invade, but divine retribution will consume our very souls if we disregard the orders from above."

"Is it divine retribution, Matriarch, or just terrible upper management?" Lin Mo countered, devoid of mockery but sharp with pragmatic logic.

He set his teacup down and folded his hands on the table.

"Consider the situation objectively, as if evaluating a long-term investment. The Violethaven Temple is currently pursuing a strategy with a 100% failure rate. They are attempting a hostile merger with an Outer Realm that views our realm as land to conquer. If you continue to invest your sect's futures in their failing enterprise, you will share in their bankruptcy. And in the cultivation world, bankruptcy means eradication."

"Take this recent Vanguard Accords invocation as an example. They didn't ask for your aid. They simply forced you to subsidize their catastrophic losses with your future generation. In business terms, we call that shifting the liability. Because they are afraid to deplete their own pool of young cultivators, they drag your disciples as cannon fodder to help them carve a path towards an uncertain future. If your divine founders will stand with this farce, then I must say that they do not care about their lineage anymore."

Patriarch Skyflame shuddered as he almost rose from his seat. "Watch your words, merchant! You sit beside an Exalted One, yet you dare insult the wisdom of the High Heavens!"

Before Lin Mo could respond, a soft sigh echoed next to him.

Zhenren Lihua placed her delicate porcelain cup on the saucer with a gentle clink.

The sound sent a ripple of absolute, pacifying harmony through the room, instantly quelling Skyflame's rising ire and forcing him back into his seat.

"The Shopkeeper's terminology may be... unorthodox," Lihua began, her voice a soothing melody that nonetheless commanded absolute obedience. "But his assessment of the situation in the Third Heaven is surprisingly accurate. Sit down, child of flame. Listen."

The three experts froze, their eyes wide with terror and awe as the Goddess addressed them directly.

"The Violet Deity is currently entangled in a rather tedious political stalemate within the Divine Realm. The faction he leads stands in the middle. He is obsessed with maintaining a rigid, stagnant order. He views these Outer Realm incursions not as a crisis requiring adaptation, but as an annoying blemish that he can take advantage of. He possibly believes that by sacrificing enough pieces on the board, he can eventually overwhelm the anomaly and force it into submission."

She smiled, a serene expression that somehow felt incredibly dangerous. "Our Pantheon, however, prefers a more... proactive approach. We see the crumbling walls and choose to build better ones, rather than simply throwing bodies into the breach. The Violet Deity cannot see the forest for the trees. If you blindly follow his earthly representatives, your sects will be hollowed out before the true invasion even begins."

Patriarch Jadebone swallowed hard, his gemstone-like skin paling. "Exalted One... if what you say is true... what are we to do? We are bound by our faith. If we withdraw our forces now, the Temple will declare us apostates. We will face a war on two fronts: the Outer Realms and our own former ally."

"Esteemed guests, I am not asking you to declare open rebellion tomorrow. Our store maintains one core principle. Spreading convenience." Lin Mo interjected smoothly, seamlessly picking up the thread from Lihua. "We can also offer it to you. Regarding our conflict with the temple, we only ask you not to remain neutral."

"And if… an order from above truly arrives one day and points you to follow the Temple's example, my only hope is for you to think it over carefully. A betrayal against our realm isn't just something our store stands against. It's also the Heavens'."

Lin Mo let those words hang in the air, allowing the weight of the First Heaven's Will to settle over them.

He had faced its wrath during his tribulation and he saw the artifact tribulation when the immortal-grade artifacts left the store premises.

He knew intimately that this realm was not a passive stage, but a living, breathing entity that violently rejected anomalies.

Allying with the Outer Realms was the ultimate anomaly. If the temple continues its foolishness, he won't be surprised if they truly suffer a misfortune.

"The Heavens' Will..." Matriarch Deep-Root murmured, her eyes widening in sudden realization. She looked toward the ceiling, her gaze piercing through to gaze at the night sky blanketing above them. "You are saying that if we follow the Temple into this unholy alliance, the very world we stand upon will reject us."

"It's a high probability," Lin Mo confirmed, "We cultivators defy the will of the heavens. Why do you think it will tolerate its inhabitants joining hands with its invader and scheme against it? Of course, the divine beings might have some means to shield against its perception, but how long?"

The three experts became silent for a long while.

In the end, the three eventually stood up and respectfully bowed in front of Lihua and Lin Mo as they seemed to have come to a decision.

"Shopkeeper, and Exalted One, this matter… is not something we can decide on the spot. We'll be returning first. I offer you our gratitude for receiving us tonight. It has been a truly enlightening experience, but the fate of our sects rests on our shoulders."

Matriarch Deep-Root finished, her voice carrying the heavy, ancient timbre of a leader who truly had her worldview flipped. This is what her curiosity gets her.

Patriarch Skyflame and Patriarch Jadebone mirrored her deep bow. There was no trace of the blazing arrogance or the diamond-hard pride they had arrived with, but it was easy to see the conflict warring within their eyes.