The days passed in a bustle of teaching Zhou Xue to cultivate during the day and cultivating himself at night. Meanwhile, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth in the cultivation world grew increasingly active, making it easier for cultivators to break through their bottlenecks. A great wave of powerful cultivators emerged. With the aid of the Spirit-Gathering Array, Zhou Yong also successfully broke through to the Early Out-of-Body Stage.
Spiritual energy throughout the Cultivation World grew denser and more active, nurturing a crop of heavenly treasures. This also sparked all manner of struggles and murders for treasure, making the situation increasingly complicated as conflicts between the various factions continued unabated.
To survive these complicated circumstances, the major factions began joining forces, and a host of organizations and alliances rapidly emerged in the Cultivation World. The strongest among them was the Cultivators' Alliance, known in short as the Dao Alliance.
The Dao Alliance's first leader, Feng Jinglei, was an Early Spirit Transformation Stage cultivator. He was the temple master of the True Martial Temple on Kunlun Mountain. The temple had originally been a first-rate faction, with Feng Jinglei at the Late Out-of-Body Stage. Taking advantage of the revival of spiritual energy, he had been among the first to break through to the Spirit Transformation Stage. After winning resounding victories in several clashes with other factions, he enjoyed unrivaled prominence for a time.
But as the spiritual energy of heaven and earth grew ever more active and more cultivators broke through, he began to feel threatened. Deeply calculating, quick-witted, and bold enough to fight and take risks, he swiftly gathered a number of factions to establish the Cultivators' Alliance, seeking to safeguard himself.
As more factions joined the Dao Alliance and its strength grew, Feng Jinglei's ambitions swelled as well.
As a righteous sect, the Righteous Qi Sect had grown increasingly powerful over the years. Its victories in the wars against both the Blood Devil Race and the Demon Race, in particular, had earned it tremendous prestige in the Cultivation World. In Feng Jinglei's eyes, the strength Li Dalong of the Righteous Qi Sect had revealed in the battle at Sect Master Zhou Yong's wedding had only been at the Late Out-of-Body Stage. Only a few short years had passed, and he did not believe Li Dalong could have reached the Spirit Transformation Stage. Even he, a veteran Late Out-of-Body Stage cultivator, had only managed that breakthrough with great difficulty. Thus, Feng Jinglei was not worried that Li Dalong's cultivation could surpass his own. He planned to swallow up the Righteous Qi Sect. If Li Dalong submitted to the Dao Alliance, he would give him a guardian's position. If he refused, Feng Jinglei would crush him.
Once his plans were settled, Alliance Leader Feng Jinglei dispatched the Dao Alliance's Left Guardian, Ouyang Lie, to the Righteous Qi Sect. Arriving before the mountain gate, Ouyang Lie said to the disciple guarding it, "Ouyang Lie, Left Guardian of the Dao Alliance, has come to visit Sect Master Zhou. Please announce my arrival."
"Fellow Daoist, please wait a moment! I'll inform the sect master right away."
"You've all traveled a long way. Please come over here for some tea," the gate disciple replied courteously.
"No need to trouble yourself. We'll wait here!" With that, Ouyang Lie paid the gate disciple no further attention and stood with his companions.
When Zhou Yong received the gate disciple's message, he considered the situation. The Dao Alliance's influence in the Cultivation World was now like the sun at its zenith, but most of the news about it was bad. With its Left Guardian leading a party here today, their intentions seemed anything but friendly. He immediately summoned the elders to the Righteous Qi Hall, then arranged for Elder He Hai of the External Affairs Hall to escort the visitors there so he could discover exactly what the Dao Alliance was plotting.
Before long, Elder He Hai of the External Affairs Hall arrived at the mountain gate. He cupped his hands toward Ouyang Lie, who stood at the front. "Left Guardian, fellow Daoists of the Dao Alliance, Sect Master Zhou has sent me, He Hai, to welcome you! The sect master is already waiting for you in the Righteous Qi Hall."
"Please, this way!"
Ouyang Lie cupped his hands toward He Hai in return. "Please!"
Ouyang Lie led a group of Dao Alliance disciples after Elder He Hai toward the Righteous Qi Hall. When they entered, Zhou Yong rose and said to Ouyang Lie, "The arrival of our fellow Daoists from the Dao Alliance brings luster to our humble Righteous Qi Sect!"
"I am Ouyang Lie of the Dao Alliance, here on our alliance leader's orders to pay my respects to Sect Master Zhou. Please forgive this presumptuous intrusion!" Ouyang Lie bowed to Zhou Yong as he spoke.
"You're too courteous, Guardian Ouyang. Please sit!" Zhou Yong said.
"Thank you, Sect Master Zhou!"
Ouyang Lie sat down, and the other Dao Alliance disciples took their seats in turn.
"Serve the tea!" Zhou Yong ordered the disciples on duty in the hall.
At the sect master's command, the disciples immediately brought everyone the spiritual tea they had prepared in advance.
"May I ask what guidance Alliance Leader Feng has sent Guardian Ouyang to offer our sect?" Zhou Yong asked, getting straight to the point.
"Sect Master Zhou, I've come on the alliance leader's orders to discuss our views on the current situation in the Cultivation World."
"You must be well aware of the present circumstances, Sect Master Zhou. A transformation of heaven and earth is imminent. Spiritual energy grows denser by the day, heavenly treasures are appearing in great numbers, and breakthroughs have become easier. But this has also thrown the Cultivation World's order into chaos, with conflicts breaking out every day."
"Seeing this chaos, Alliance Leader Feng was unable to sleep at night. Only after exhausting untold effort did he devise a solution. He joined with like-minded fellow Daoists and factions to establish the Cultivators' Alliance, first to protect ourselves, and second to uphold order in the Cultivation World and save the countless people suffering under oppression."
"As a righteous sect with both strength and deep foundations, the Righteous Qi Sect should now be contributing to the defense of justice in the Cultivation World. Thus, Alliance Leader Feng invites you and the Righteous Qi Sect to join the Cultivators' Alliance, Sect Master Zhou. Together with everyone in the Dao Alliance, we can uphold righteousness in the Cultivation World and restore proper order."
"What do you think, Sect Master Zhou?"
Ouyang Lie delivered his torrent of words to Zhou Yong.
After listening, Zhou Yong frowned slightly and glanced at Ouyang Lie before speaking slowly. "Guardian Ouyang, our Righteous Qi Sect is naturally aware of the circumstances you've described. However, although our sect has some standing in the Cultivation World, we have always sought only to protect ourselves and have no wish to become involved in too many disputes. Your alliance's aims may be admirable, but the tangled interests involved reach far and wide. The Righteous Qi Sect has no wish to be drawn into them."
Ouyang Lie raised an eyebrow, displeasure rising within him. He had not expected Zhou Yong to refuse so bluntly. He had assumed that the Dao Alliance's formidable strength and the turmoil in the Cultivation World would give Zhou Yong pause, yet Zhou Yong's stance was unexpectedly firm.
"What do you mean by that, Sect Master Zhou?" Ouyang Lie's expression darkened, and he said coldly, "Are you not afraid of our alliance's power?"
Zhou Yong smiled faintly. "Guardian Ouyang, the Righteous Qi Sect's legacy stretches back tens of thousands of years. The Dao Alliance may command tremendous influence, but our two sides should coexist. Everyone has their own aspirations. There is no need to say more."
"Sect Master Zhou, don't refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit!" Ouyang Lie slammed the table and sprang to his feet, shouting furiously. "If you refuse to join the Dao Alliance, I'm afraid your Righteous Qi Sect will find it hard to keep a foothold in this Cultivation World!"
Zhou Yong smiled disdainfully. "Guardian Ouyang, don't think the Dao Alliance can blot out the sky with one hand! Go back and tell your alliance leader-"
He slammed his palm down on the table, making the teacups tremble. The Dao Alliance disciples around him all started in alarm.
"And you! Who the hell do you think you are, speaking to me like that? Do you think our Righteous Qi Sect fears your Dao Alliance?" Zhou Yong roared.
Ouyang Lie's expression darkened as well, and he stared coldly at Zhou Yong. "Sect Master Zhou, do you think the Righteous Qi Sect can contend with our Dao Alliance? Let me tell you-"
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