A Sect from a Spirit Vein

Chapter 136 - 115: The Two Northern Sects

After the establishment of the Shuangye Alliance, if the entire alliance is viewed as a whole, plus the two vassals, Qingli Mountain and Liuhua Valley, the main combat forces include one Foundation Establishment Feather Scholar, twenty-four Late-Stage Qi Cultivation cultivators, ninety-three Mid-Stage Qi Cultivation cultivators, and two Floating Battleships.

If you only look at the numbers, the Shuangye Alliance doesn’t even measure up to the former Chaosheng Sect. At least back then, the Chaosheng Sect had two Foundation Establishments. Among the remaining five Foundation Establishment Sects in Zhongming County, it ranks at the bottom, barely able to protect itself. Additionally, with the alliance cultivators normally guarding their respective mountain gates, the power is scattered, and they can only be extremely cautious, praying no incidents occur.

However, now within the alliance, the Zhou family’s power is waning, the Yunshan Sect has just been reborn, and these three small sects are banding together for warmth, merely hoping to hold their mountain gates and develop peacefully, with no ambitions for external expansion. If they can protect themselves, it is enough.

With the alliance oath established, Zhou Chao had been prepared and found an open space among the red maples to set up a banquet for celebration. Everyone admired the scenery while drinking and chatting, finding it quite enjoyable.

However, when Lu Qian mentioned plans to visit and interact with the two northern factions, the three sect leaders looked at each other in surprise, and Zhou Chao was startled: "Alliance Leader, you haven’t been in Zhongming County long enough to understand the situation here. Visiting other sects may be feasible in other well-ordered commanderies, but in Zhongming County, unless you have absolute confidence in your strength or good relations with the sect you’re visiting, a sect leader would never dare to visit another’s mountain gate. If the other party suddenly causes trouble and detains you..."

Lu Qian was taken aback. He had thought that the war between the Zhou family and the Chaosheng Sect was just a feud and had not expected that the disputes in Zhongming County had become so blatant, with all pretenses of decorum and morality dropped. Anything was possible if there was profit.

This is also why the Zhou family and the three sects are willing to ally with the Yunshan Sect, entrusting their power to Lu Qian’s leadership. Without the protection of Foundation Establishments, they might not survive even a month on their own.

In such an environment, only profit is the main theme, and achieving one’s goals without profit is impossible.

Zhou Chao continued: "If there is indeed something to discuss, it’s best to use letters or arrange a meeting at the ’Baojing Square’ near the Xuanguang Sect’s mountain gate. This marketplace is established by the Xuanguang Sect, and discussing there ensures safety."

Lu Qian nodded. Though in his mind, he reconsidered—advancing while forming distant alliances and attacking nearby enemies was wise. He and the northern factions were natural competitors, but the Yunshan Sect had no interactions with the other two Foundation Establishment Sects in the northwest of Zhongming County. They might be more willing to become friends with the Yunshan Sect.

The specific situation would have to wait for Lin Le to return with intelligence.

After chatting a bit more, Lu Qian took out a Thousand-Mile Mirror and handed it to Zhao Xianzong, the Sect Leader of Spirit Snake Peak. The Zhou family had a pair of Thousand-Mile Mirrors, one with Zhou Chao and one with himself. He also had another pair of mirrors seized from the Chaosheng Sect, and now by giving one to Zhao Xianzong, he could directly communicate with the three sects.

The cost of the Thousand-Mile Mirror is extremely high, and even typical Foundation Establishment Sects can afford only one pair. Initially, Lu Qian had planned to keep it for himself, but with a deeper understanding of the tense situation in Zhongming County, he felt it necessary to strengthen communication among the sects, allowing him to mobilize the power of the entire alliance.

The mountain gates of these three sects are not far apart. With Zhao Xianzong receiving the Thousand-Mile Mirror, he can now directly contact Lu Qian, meaning the three sects have officially shed their vassal status, achieving equal status with the Zhou family. They were now joyous and cherished the mirror.

Just as the people of the Shuangye Alliance were enjoying their banquet, eight hundred miles away from Red Maple Valley, within the mountain gate of Linglu Mountain, a scholarly-looking middle-aged man sat at the head in the main hall. He was none other than Yinn Hongbo, the Sect Leader of the Spirit Talisman Sect. At this moment, he raised an eyebrow and asked in surprise, "Yunshan Sect? Where did this Yunshan Sect come from? Are you sure you didn’t see it wrong?"

The disciple below hurriedly replied, "Sect Leader, I stealthily went to three big counties; there’s no mistake. The former banner of the Chaosheng Sect is gone, replaced by that of the Yunshan Sect."

This disciple had been patrolling the Spirit Talisman Sect’s territory and, upon reaching a county, noticed that it was across a river from a county in the Chaosheng Sect’s domain. When the disciple accidentally looked up, they saw that the indigo flag of the Chaosheng Sect had been replaced with a moon-white Cloud Pattern Banner, with the three dragon-flying characters "Yunshan Sect" on it, fluttering high, taking him by surprise.

Fearing they had made a mistake, the disciple cautiously went to two other counties adjoining their territory to secretly observe and confirmed the banners had changed, and immediately returned to report to the mountain.

This news was significant, so Yinn Hongbo, the Spirit Talisman Sect Leader, gathered the elders of the sect to urgently discuss the matter.

"Where did this Yunshan Sect come from? Have any of the elders ever heard of this name?"

Everyone present shook their heads. Sitting at the first lower-left position from the Sect Leader was the Grand Elder, Zhuang Qing, the other Foundation Establishment besides Yinn Hongbo.

Zhuang Qing also furrowed his brow, "About a month ago, I had a conversation with Zhang Shouchang from the Chaosheng Sect and knew that their last attack on the Zhou family was unsuccessful. But their strength hadn’t been diminished. Even if we consider the possibility of them being defeated by the Zhou family, they couldn’t have been destroyed so quickly."

The other elders also speculated, "The territory adjacent to our Spirit Talisman Sect was already as far north as the Chaosheng Sect extended. Losing even the mortal lands here indicates that the Chaosheng Sect wasn’t just partially annexed but was completely wiped out by this Yunshan Sect."