Chapter 1433 Tolerance?
"Before I continue, I'd like to ask, do any of you have any more complaints to bring up?" Dyon asked calmly.
Seeing no one seemed to, Dyon nodded. "Good. I wonder, do any of you have any idea why the numbers shot up so much during this eighth year?"
Dyon once more received no response, but he could see some break out into a cold sweat.
"When I established the academies, I guaranteed that every youth would receive free admittance, allowing them and their parents to live worry free from the time they were 7 to 16 years old or until they became an essence gatherer.
"I established a grading system. Not only for the students, but for teachers as well. It was my way of keeping you all accountable. I even provided a dao expert to teach your children and had my Demon Generals take time out of their busy schedules to guide the youth.
"But, who would have known that I would come to find my good will had been corrupted beyond recognition?
"Teachers and Clans in cahoots, using their superior population to boost the rating of certain instructors so that they keep a job they're undeserving of. Then, those very same teachers hoarding resources I've provided for the sake of the next generation's growth, and giving them out in exchange for favors and backing. Then there are a bunch who can't seem to follow my rules. Circumventing and manipulating my words so that they can establish guilds and alliances.
"I bet you all had pretty good incentive to suppress the students of my academies, hm? If they were held down by a system I created, they would go running off to you once they didn't meet the sects' requirements. Then, you would bolster your numbers all while uses the resources I provided as your own.
"By the time this absent leader of yours returned, you would have consolidated your power and entrenched yourselves too deeply for this single ol me to uproot you all, is that it?"
The more Dyon spoke, the stiffer those in the room became.
"I have to say." Dyon laughed. "When I first got here, I was so angry that I thought of killing every single last one of you. These 6 months I took weren't for my sake, but for yours!"
The calmness in Dyon's eyes was suddenly replaced by a repressed fury.
What does it mean to have a divine sense capable of stretching 500 000 km? It meant that not a single blade of grass, not a single crawling ant, not a single silent wind, was missed by Dyon.
With the help of the Formation Cores, Dyon had the ability to not only multiply his power several fold on Planet Soul, but he could also project his soul onto its five branch planets using connected formations. For the past more than half year, not a single dirty dealing or private conversation was missed by Dyon's senses.
[Author's Note: Remember the Formation Cores =/= Mending Cores. Formation Cores are a treasure left behind by the Soul Rending Peak Ancestors that boost strength within their territory but are useless outside. This was what Dyon used to be able to seal Elder Nova all those years ago.]
Dyon was quite aware that this was a gross misuse of his power and an invasion of the privacy of many. Yet, he had done it anyway. For the sake of this meeting and for the betterment of his empire, he did it. Maybe it was the case that every evil dictator and war lord of the past started with thoughts just like Dyon had now, but Dyon didn't have a choice.
He didn't have the time to slowly form a culture, nor did he have the time to slowly ingratiate and assimilate these Clans. Every day of break he took, he couldn't help but grow more anxious. If it was really easy for him to laze around all day, then how could such a thing help temper his mind?
He would never tell these leaders how he did it. In fact, even if he did, they likely wouldn't believe him. What ungodly amount of soul strength did it take to monitor six planets at once? Even if the evidence was laid out before them, they wouldn't trust it.
No, instead, they would start looking over their shoulders. Every time they thought of committing a bad deed, they would think twice. Whenever greed overtook their hearts, they would think twice. Whenever they thought of defying him, they would think twice!
"Erea Niveus." Dyon's sharp gaze sent a shiver down Erea's spine. "Of the more than 20 000 women you've taken under your wing, are you aware of just how many of their futures you've cut off with your actions? Because you wanted to uphold the legacy of a woman who murdered an entire race of people, you schemed and bent them to your will time and time again."
"I would never –!" Erea tried to argue back. She was enraged that Dyon would say that she cut off their futures, but what pissed her off all the more so were Dyon's words about Matriarch Niveus. But, Dyon cut her off.
"Under your influence, more than 500 young women left the path I laid out for them, instead joining your guild. Among those 500, there are at least 20 with the potential to become inner disciples and more than 200 who could have become outer disciples without your interference.
"Because of your actions, all 500 of them have received less than 10% of the resources they would have under my charge. In addition, you force them to learn techniques of the Niveus Sect that many of them are not suited for.
"You've wasted their youth. Cut off their options. Fed them a pile of shit and yet have the audacity to come to me speaking about the stress and constraints I've placed on them and you. You're quite bold, aren't you?!"
Erea's breath hitched in her throat, and uncontrollable sob overwhelming her. She had once been a young girl with a bright future. She had countless pursuers, a talent that outshone most, and an elder sister and adoptive mother that had her back. Now, she had none of these… All that was left was despair.
Dyon didn't even bother with Erea's tears. No matter what her reasons, he was absolutely disgusted by her actions and even more enraged that she would dare to try and salvage the legacy of a woman Dyon hated to the core.
He proceeded to list many more perpetrators, digging them all up one by one. Their crimes were laid bare, and no one could refute them. Dyon's words were so deadly accurate that they felt there was a target on their backs. They suddenly felt that they couldn't trust anyone around them anymore.
"Three years… You all stifled the growth of not just my dreams, but the dreams of your future generations … For three years… Give me one reason why I shouldn't just kill you all now?!
"Of what use are you to me? You're too weak to take advantage of the opportunities I give you, yet you also dare bar others from benefitting as well?! How dare you?!"
Every one of Dyon's words were laced a Presence that trampled upon their hearts. Even those who wouldn't usually feel guilt for such actions suddenly became incredibly ashamed.
"The tasks of working disciples are too harsh?" Dyon sneered. "Do you have any idea how much the pills, the resources, the facilities, the technique books, I provide cost in the martial world?
"You all come from societies, clans and planets that would recognize mere 60% pure pills as heavenly treasures, yet I provide you with top grade pills. Those very same societies, clans and planets would never dream of laying eyes on even mere earth grade techniques, yet I provide you the opportunity to grasp heaven and even divine grade ones.
"Has anyone gone hungry under my leadership? Has anyone faced poverty and unconscionable hardship? Have you been a victim of unresolved crimes or tragedies?
"The answer is no. Then no again. And no once more.
"Today, forward, there will be resounding changes. With those changes will come severe penalties for those who fail to follow them.
"I am not a tolerant person, nor am I a patient one. I promise you all, from the bottom of my heart, that I've never meant the words I'm about to say more than anything else I've spoken in my entire life: If I ever catch you undermining my hard work again, I'll slaughter every last one of you."