Chapter 3162: Room to Maneuver! What Noble Sentiment Is This?

Yao Feng Zhen Shen was caught between a rock and a hard place.

He knew full well that this situation offered him no advantage at all.

On the ground, two true gods—Chi Huang and Zhu Long—held him in check; above, the star emissaries of the Hall of Stars sat poised, watching.

Even if he wished to turn the tide, there was not a single opening for him.

This state of affairs was truly suffocating.

His so-called allies were utterly useless at this moment.

If they had been of any use, they wouldn’t have made him wait so long.

A pack of worthless trash!

It was laughable, really—though Yao Feng Zhen Shen and his allies had not exchanged a word, an undercurrent of discord had already begun to form between them.

Each side looked down on the other.

Each believed the other lacked strength.

Alliances, it seemed, were often so fragile—bound only by shared interests, nothing more.

Wang Teng observed the scene, thoughts flickering through his mind.

Though he could not know what each party thought, he could sense the awkward tension between them, and the faint but unmistakable rift forming.

So Yao Feng Zhen Shen and his allies weren’t as solid as iron after all.

There was room to maneuver!

The others now turned their gazes toward Yao Feng Zhen Shen, awaiting his response.

They actually hoped he would keep pressing forward.

After all, it was quite entertaining!

Everyone loved to watch the drama unfold.

Yao Feng Zhen Shen’s expression shifted. He knew full well that if the star emissary dared speak thus, he must have confidence in his rebuttal.

If he continued to press, he would only suffer the loss himself.

But to give up now? That was unthinkable.

He couldn’t back down!

“If we’re here to dispel doubts, then we shall dispel them completely.”

With a casual wave of his hand, a gust of wind swept through, straightening the chair. He settled into it slowly, speaking with calm detachment.

…

The crowd was almost impressed by his audacity.

After everything, he still had the nerve to carry on.

No wonder he was a true god—such thick skin!

Impressive!

Wang Teng glanced at him in surprise, feeling both amused and exasperated.

That was it?

Where had that burst of fury gone just moments ago?

Crushed instantly by the combined might of Zhu Long and Chi Huang, was it?

Should he praise him for being able to bend and stretch like a reed?

“Then let us discuss strategic value,” said the emissary from the Hall of Stars, unflinching.

“Wang Teng’s strategic value can be assessed from several aspects.”

The audience was taken aback.

Several aspects?

What in the world?

Just how thoroughly had the Hall of Stars analyzed Wang Teng?

In fact, when they first heard the term “strategic value,” they had already been stunned.

A domain master-level warrior—talking about strategic value?

None of them had ever received such treatment.

Sure, every immortal-level being carried immense strategic significance.

But when it came to actual battlefield influence across vast domains, their contributions were negligible.

Unless their abilities were extraordinary enough to sway the course of war.

But did they possess such power?

The immortals present pondered their own circumstances carefully, each silently shaking their heads.

And so, their curiosity about Wang Teng’s supposed strategic value grew even stronger.

Some began quietly speculating, analyzing Wang Teng’s performance on the battlefield to deduce what strategic value he might hold.

This was a topic worth exploring deeply.

If Wang Teng truly possessed great strategic value, then they would have to treat him with greater seriousness.

Of course, given his current status as a second-rank star emissary, it was already difficult not to take him seriously.

At that moment, the emissary raised one finger.

“First: battlefield containment.”

“You all should recall that during the final battle, the Dark Species attempted multiple counterattacks.”

“Numerous powerful beings from various dark races tried to turn the tide—sheep-headed demons, moth spirits, bone spirits, blood clans…”

“These races were all formidable, and with the [Calamity Demon Body], each one approached the level of semi-gods or higher.”

“But Wang Teng held them back.”

“Imagine this: a domain master-level warrior managed to restrain so many dark species warriors. What does that mean for the entire battlefield?”

The crowd nodded in agreement.

This point was undeniable.

Wang Teng’s role on the battlefield was like a massive magnet, drawing the dark forces’ firepower relentlessly toward himself.

One didn’t realize until thinking about it—then the shock hit.

So acting unpredictably, thinking outside the box, could actually serve a purpose?

They had thought he was recklessly throwing his life away, but in truth, he was drawing fire—what noble sacrifice!

A wave of shame washed over the group.

Yao Feng Zhen Shen’s eyes darkened, as if recalling Wang Teng’s performance on the battlefield. A tremendous turmoil stirred within his soul.

Though he had paid close attention to Wang Teng and was well aware of the other’s formidable abilities,

he had never truly considered Wang Teng’s strategic value.

Only now, as the Star Messenger of the Celestial Hall spoke, did he finally grasp it.

Wang Teng was no longer merely gifted—nor could his capabilities be reduced to mere “astounding methods.”

In a sense, he had already attained strategic significance.

“So, what do you think is the reason behind this?”

The Star Messenger asked.

The others exchanged glances. They wanted to say it was because Wang Teng was reckless, always drawing fire from the Dark Beings—

but with such a serious inquiry, they found themselves at a loss for words.

It couldn’t possibly be what they thought.

That explanation was too absurd.

“If I’m not mistaken,” said Starfall Venerable, one of the few who knew Wang Teng intimately, “it’s because all of Wang Teng’s techniques—and even his power—are capable of countering the Dark Beings.”

“Correct!”

The Star Messenger nodded. “You’ve hit the nail on the head.”

“Let’s begin with the [True Vision Eye] that Wang Teng demonstrated earlier—a technique capable of piercing through the Dark Beings’ disguises.”

“As everyone knows, the Dark Beings excel in concealment, disguise, and ambush.”

“But before the True Vision Eye, those skills become meaningless.”

“With that foundation, let’s discuss Wang Teng’s Light Force and his Light-based techniques.”

“Together, they are enough to keep the Dark Beings constantly on the defensive—so much so that they would want nothing more than to eliminate him.”

“This has led to one result: Wang Teng alone has tied down a significant portion of the Dark Beings’ elite forces.”

“According to post-battle statistics, due to Wang Teng’s presence, your combat pressure was reduced by an average of at least thirty percent.”

As he dissected each point, the crowd fell silent.

This… was this really possible?

Because of Wang Teng alone, their combat pressure had dropped by thirty percent?

Just thinking about it felt unbelievable.

But the truth was, they hadn’t actually felt it during the battle.

Not that they didn’t recognize Wang Teng’s help—

in fact, when facing the [Calamity Demon Body], they had clearly benefited from his aid. That was undeniable.

But to claim a thirty-percent reduction in pressure? That seemed wildly exaggerated.

Yao Feng True God furrowed his brow, suspicion flickering in his eyes.

Reducing the pressure of immortal-level beings by thirty percent? He felt the man was stretching the truth.

“Am I really that powerful?”

Wang Teng muttered under his breath, turning to Roundy.

“Based on my calculations, it should be a little over thirty percent,” Roundy affirmed. “The Celestial Hall’s statistics aren’t as accurate as mine.”

“Oh?” Wang Teng said, surprised. “How so?”

“I’m always right beside you,” Roundy explained. “So I know every move you make. Combined with the combat data of those immortal-level beings, it’s easy to calculate the most precise figures.”

“But the Celestial Hall can’t compare to me—they don’t know you as well as I do.”

“Still, being able to estimate thirty percent is quite impressive.”

“It seems the Celestial Hall does pay considerable attention to you.”

Wang Teng frowned slightly. “I don’t like being overly watched—especially when I’m unaware of it.”

“There’s always a trade-off,” Roundy reassured. “If they didn’t know your situation, how could they dare place such heavy bets?”

“You have a point,” Wang Teng nodded, muttering. “But I’ll need to be more careful from now on.”

“They can’t be allowed to uncover all my trump cards.”

Roundy chuckled quietly. He sensed Wang Teng was just like an old coin—no matter what, he needed a backup plan.

Otherwise, he’d feel completely insecure.

In a way, wasn’t this a form of extreme caution?

In truth, ordinary geniuses would gladly welcome the Celestial Hall’s attention.

Their own hidden cards were trivial compared to the Hall’s vast knowledge—so exposure wouldn’t matter.

But Wang Teng was different. His trump cards were astonishing—even true gods sometimes marveled at them.

It was right to keep them hidden.

“You may not feel it,”

the Star Messenger said calmly, as if reading their thoughts,

“but this is the truth. Without Wang Teng’s restraint, your task would have been far harder.”

“Moreover, here are the statistics compiled by the Celestial Hall. Take a look.”

He waved his hand, and a luminous screen materialized, filled with dense data—some even including simulations and projections.

Real data combined with simulated predictions added immense credibility.

The crowd pondered, forced to accept the results.

Even upon seeing the simulations, several faces paled slightly—as if glimpsing a far worse outcome.

It wasn’t just injuries.

It was deeper contamination—more darkness and calamity seeping into their souls.

Now, thinking back, without Wang Teng’s help, they might not have defeated the [Calamity Demon Body] at all—let alone anything else.

That alone was enough to prove the point.

Yao Feng True God fell silent, abandoning any thought of confrontation.

“Second,” the Star Messenger raised a second finger.

“Earlier, we mentioned that the intelligence Wang Teng gathered was extremely valuable.”

“But you may not realize—he didn’t just collect information about the [Calamity Demon Body].”

“Wang Teng’s True Vision Eye doesn’t only see through the Dark Beings’ disguises—it also gathers battlefield intelligence in real time, then transmits it to the coalition’s high command.”

“In the final battle, Wang Teng identified multiple critical weaknesses in the Dark Beings’ defenses.”

“These included the array defenses of their lair, the Demon God Palace, the [Calamity Demon Body], and the final dark barrier.”

“These four locations were the most crucial. Other minor points are omitted for brevity.”

“In short, thanks to this intelligence, our side was able to deploy in advance, preventing the deaths of at least four immortal-level venerated ones.”

"Therefore, information itself is a manifestation of his strategic value."

The crowd fell into silence once more.

And this time, the silence stretched far longer than before.

Averting the fall of at least four Immortal-level Venerables...

What did that signify?

It meant that Wang Teng, single-handedly, had saved the lives of at least four Immortal-level existences!

Exaggerated?

Exaggerated indeed!

Yet it remained an undeniable fact; quite a few present had already matched the Star Envoy's words with real events.

Some had witnessed firsthand the terror of that dark array, though it was ultimately breached.

Others had witnessed the explosion of the Demon God Palace, and while they knew not what transpired within, it now seemed linked to Wang Teng.

Still others had personally experienced the horror of that Calamity Demon Physique, and had ultimately defeated it with Wang Teng's aid, reaping the benefits.

Finally, the shattering of that dark barrier had utterly shifted the tide of battle, granting final victory to the Universe of Light, a spectacle seen by all.

The sheer awe of that moment was something those present would never forget.

All of this was more than enough to illustrate the paramount importance of that intelligence.

Though they knew not how Wang Teng had gathered such information, they knew they could never have achieved it.

The mere thought of the might behind those dark methods left everyone feeling utterly helpless.

True God Yaofeng likewise relapsed into silence, unable to utter a single word.

How could this even be refuted?

To contest what everyone already knew would only invite a slap to the face.

He grew subdued!

He even felt a touch of regret for having demanded the other party to clarify further.

It seemed entirely unnecessary now!

The more that was said, the more advantageous it became for Wang Teng, while he would only degenerate into an absolute laughingstock.

"Third..."

At that moment, the Star Envoy raised a third finger.

"There is still more!"

Hearts trembled as the crowd stared open-mouthed at the Star Envoy.

Had it not all been said already?

From contributions of intelligence to strategic value, and onward to the influence over the entire theater of war, what else was left unsaid?

Doubts sprouted in everyone's minds, unable to fathom what the Star Envoy intended to say next.

One thing was certain, however: the Hall of Stars' analysis of Wang Teng was indeed profoundly deep.

True God Yaofeng had completely chosen the wrong target to question.

The crowd could not help but cast pitying glances at True God Yaofeng once more.

The pupils of True God Yaofeng's eyes contracted sharply, an expression of disbelief coloring his face.

More?

What else could there be?

Impossible!

But he had learned his lesson this time; taking a deep breath, he repressed the urge to speak and waited quietly for the Star Envoy to proceed.

The answer would reveal itself soon enough anyway, so there was no need to leap forward in haste.

"Morale boost!"

"Another immense role Wang Teng played was boosting morale!"

Seeing that True God Yaofeng did not speak, the Star Envoy actually looked somewhat disappointed and could only continue.

"Boosting morale?!"

Not a single soul present failed to daze for a moment, murmuring those words in surprise as if weighing their significance repeatedly.

None of them had expected the role uttered by the Star Envoy to be the boosting of morale!