After the founding ceremony, the Heavenly Dao Alliance officially entered the operational phase.
As the leader of the alliance, Snow Empress oversees the entire region. Qingyunzi serves as the chief protector, responsible for handling daily affairs within the alliance. Huiming serves as the law enforcement elder, responsible for upholding alliance rules and regulations. Yun Shang serves as the transmission elder, responsible for teaching martial arts techniques and skills. Leng Yue serves as the combat elder, responsible for commanding battles and executing missions.
Below the four elders are twelve halls, each responsible for a different area. The Buddhist Dharma Hall is headed by the abbot of Shaolin, the Swordsmanship Hall by the leader of Wudang, the Medical Hall by the leader of Emei, the Formation Hall Talisman Hall Qingcheng the leader of Kunlun, the Spirit Beast Hall by the owner of the Ten Thousand Beasts Manor, the Artifact Refining Hall by the owner of the Sword Forging Manor, the Pill Refining Hall by the leader of the Cinnabar Cloud Sect, the Intelligence Hall by the owner of Shadow Tower, the Logistics Hall by the owner of the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion, the Diplomacy Hall by the owner of Hundred Flowers Valley, and the Patrol Hall by the leader of the Heavenly Sword Sect.
Each of the twelve branches performed its own duties and cooperated with each other, forming a large and efficient organizational system.
The Heavenly Dao Alliance is headquartered in the Ziwei Sect, Ziwei Sect has thus become the center of the entire human cultivation world. Every day, a large number of cultivators enter and leave the Ziwei Sect, some to report, some to receive missions, some to learn, and some to exchange ideas. The Ziwei Sect is more than a hundred times more lively than before.
The Snow Empress was incredibly busy every day, handling various affairs from morning till night, sometimes without even time to eat. But she found joy in it, because she knew that everything she did was to protect the human world and uphold the laws of heaven.
Time flies, and half a year has passed in the blink of an eye.
In the past six months, the Heavenly Dao Alliance has achieved remarkable results.
First, the problem of residual Demonic Qi has been effectively resolved. The monks of the Buddhist Dharma Hall have been chanting Buddhist scriptures day and night to purify the Demonic Qi. In the past six months, they have purified most of the Demonic Qi in the cultivation world, and the remaining Demonic Qi is also within a controllable range.
Secondly, each hall cultivated a large number of outstanding disciples. The Swordsmanship Hall trained three hundred sword cultivators, each with superb swordsmanship and extraordinary strength. The Formation Hall trained two hundred array masters, capable of setting up various complex arrays. The Talisman Hall trained one hundred talisman masters, capable of drawing various high-level talismans. The Spirit Beast Hall tamed five hundred spirit beasts, which could serve as mounts and battle companions. The Artifact Refining Hall forged a large number of magical artifacts, Pill Refining Hall forged a large number of pills, ensuring the logistical supply of the Heavenly Dao Alliance.
Furthermore, the Intelligence Hall established an intelligence network covering the entire cultivation world, enabling it to obtain intelligence from various regions in a timely manner and providing strong support for the Heavenly Dao Alliance's decision-making. The Patrol Hall patrolled various regions, maintained order, and cracked down on evil forces, solving more than 30 cases and arresting hundreds of criminals within six months.
It can be said that the establishment of the Heavenly Dao Alliance has greatly enhanced the overall strength and cohesion of the cultivation world in the mortal realm. The cultivation world, which was previously a disorganized mess, has now become a united whole, and has enough confidence to face any threat.
However, just when everything was going well, an unexpected message arrived.
On this day, the Snow Empress was handling official business in the Ziwei Hall when the Intelligence Hall and the head of the Shadow Tower rushed over with a solemn expression.
"Alliance Leader, something terrible has happened." The owner of the Shadow Tower studio knelt on one knee, clasped his hands, and reported.
"What is it?" Snow Empress put down her pen and looked up at the owner of the Shadow Tower.
"Our spies in the north have sent word that a mysterious ruin has been discovered deep within the icy plains of the Far North. The ruin exudes a powerful Demonic Qi, a hundred times stronger than that of the Demon Venerable!"
"What?!" Snow Empress jumped to her feet, her expression changing drastically. "A hundred times stronger than the Demon Venerable's aura? Are you sure?"
"Confirmed." The Shadow Tower owner's expression was solemn. "Our spies are the Shadow Tower's best; their judgment is infallible. Moreover, he wasn't the only one who sensed it; several other spies felt the same way. They said that the Demonic Qi was too powerful, so powerful that they didn't even dare to approach it."
Snow Empress took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down, "When were the ruins discovered?"
"Three days ago," the Shadow Tower owner said, "Our spies stumbled upon the ruins while on a routine patrol. They intended to explore the ruins, but the Demonic Qi was too strong, making it impossible to get close. They had no choice but to retreat and send someone back at top speed to report."
The Snow Empress stood up and paced back and forth in the hall, her brow furrowed. Demonic Qi a hundred times stronger than the Demon Venerable's —what did this mean? Could it be that remnants of Ancient Demon God still lingered? Or did it mean that there were even more powerful beings in the Demon Realm?
"Immediately summon the four elders and twelve hall masters to the Ziwei Hall for a meeting!" the Snow Empress commanded.
"Yes!" The Shadow Tower owner accepted the order and left.
Half an hour later, the four elders and the twelve hall masters gathered in the Ziwei Hall.
When Snow Empress relayed the message from the owner of the Shadow Tower to everyone, the hall erupted in excitement.
" Demonic Qi a hundred times stronger than the Demon Venerable? How is that possible?" Qingyunzi said in disbelief.
" The Demon Venerable is already the most powerful being in the Demon Realm, how could there be someone more powerful than him?" Huiming also found it unbelievable.
"Could it be that the spies made a mistake?" Yun Shang asked.
The Shadow Tower owner shook his head. "No. Those spies are the Shadow Tower's elite; their judgment can't be wrong. Besides, multiple spies sensed the same aura; it couldn't be a hallucination."
"What could that be?" Leng Yue asked.
The Snow Empress pondered for a moment, "Whatever it is, we must examine it. If it truly is a threat even greater than the Demon Venerable, we must prepare in advance, not wait until the threat arrives to deal with it."
"The Alliance Leader is right." The Abbot of Shaolin Temple nodded. "We must take the initiative, uncover the truth, and prevent problems before they arise."
"I'll go myself," said the Snow Empress. " Qingyunzi, Huiming, Yun Shang, and Leng Yue, the four of you will come with me. The rest of you will stay behind at the Heavenly Dao Alliance to strengthen security."
"Yes!" everyone responded in unison.
Early the next morning, Snow Empress, accompanied by the four elders, set off for the Far North.
The Far North the northernmost point of the human world, a place covered in ice and snow all year round, with a harsh climate and few people. The Snow Empress and his five companions flew on their swords, traversing thousands of mountains and rivers, and finally reached the edge of the Far North three days later.
The sight before them made the five of them gasp in shock.
On the distant horizon, a dark cloud shrouded the sky, with lightning flashing intermittently, turning the earth a ghastly white. Below the cloud was a massive iceberg, and at its summit was a dark opening from which black Demonic Qi continuously poured out, staining the surrounding ice and snow black.
"That's it," Snow Empress said, pointing to the iceberg. "I can sense that Demonic Qi coming from that cave."