Bright Moon Sword Sect.

In mid-air, a pink cloud surrounded by a halo of light drifted slowly.

Yuli Immortal Venerable and Lin Xuanyuan stood side by side on the cloud, silently gazing at the vast landscape below. Majestic mountains and rivers sprawled across the land, with grand cities nestled between plains and hills. Occasionally, beams of light could be seen rushing back and forth.

In key areas of important ley lines, large groups of disciples, under the command of elders, were maintaining the nodes of the mountain gate’s grand formation, replacing damaged parts of the formation base, supplementing new spirit crystals, and repairing damaged spiritual energy lines.

“It seems that during the last calamity of the Magic Clan, your sect suffered quite a bit of damage,” Yuli Immortal Venerable remarked after a long silence.

Lin Xuanyuan did not hide this fact. “Indeed, the losses were substantial. Originally, the sect’s losses were already exaggerated. To quell the anger of the Origin Star Palace, we not only had to return all the benefits we gained but also offer lavish gifts as an apology, almost emptying the sect’s reserves.”

The resentment, unwillingness, and bitterness in his words were hard to conceal. For such ambitious figures, who were always greedy and profit-driven, being forced to give up benefits they had already obtained was akin to having their flesh cut and bled.

However, the Origin Star Palace was an entity they absolutely could not provoke. The annihilation of the Armillary Sphere Star Palace and the Azure Fall Divine Sect were bloody examples. The overall strength of the Bright Moon Sword Sect was clearly inferior to the Armillary Sphere Star Palace, so they had no leverage to say no to the Origin Star Palace.

Thus, despite Lin Xuanyuan’s extreme reluctance and unwillingness, he had to endure the pain and make a significant concession.

Resources were external; they could be earned again if spent. But if the sect’s heritage was severed, everything would be lost.

Therefore, inviting the wealthy Qing Shen Palace to form an alliance and seek mutual support with the Bright Moon Sword Sect became one of Lin Xuanyuan’s few options.

Yuli Immortal Venerable smiled slightly. “Forming an alliance is not impossible. Of course, compared to the communicable Origin Star Palace, the enemy Lin Sect Master is most worried about is still the Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace, right?”

Lin Xuanyuan sighed helplessly. “With Yuli Daoist Friend’s wisdom, nothing can be hidden from you. Indeed, their power has been growing too rapidly recently. During the last calamity of the Magic Clan, those aberrations did not cause much trouble in their territory. With Xinyu Emperor guarding their mountain gate, they suffered no losses at all.”

“The matter with the Origin Star Palace, they didn’t participate back then either, so the Ice Toad Emperor didn’t bother them. Are we the only ones who deserve to die?!”

By the end, there was a hint of gritted teeth. The Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace had been thriving in recent years, almost rivaling its peak when it was first established. In contrast, the Bright Moon Sword Sect and the Nine Spirit Proto Gate were living in dire straits, getting worse by the day.

The Armillary Sphere Star Palace and the Azure Fall Divine Sect were directly annihilated, meaning that in the Cloud Dream Immortal Domain, there was no force left to suppress the Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace. Not only could they reclaim their lost territories, but they could also expand significantly and settle old scores. The Bright Moon Sword Sect was powerless against them.

Thus, unwilling to sit and wait for death, Lin Xuanyuan, after multiple discussions with his trusted elders, thought of roping in the Qing Shen Palace as an external ally to balance the pressure.

After all, the Qing Shen Palace and the Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace were long-standing enemies, with a feud that had lasted for many years and was beyond reconciliation. Naturally, they wouldn’t stand by and watch the Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace grow uncontrollably.

Yuli Immortal Venerable chuckled softly, her slightly narrow phoenix eyes flashing. She said leisurely, “Forming an alliance is mutually beneficial. Our palace can extend a helping hand in your sect’s difficult situation. However… our relationship could be even closer.”

Lin Xuanyuan turned to stare at her, his gaze complex.

With his level of scheming, he had basically guessed Yuli Immortal Venerable’s intention. However, if it came to this, it was uncertain whether the Bright Moon Sword Sect could maintain its past status and influence.

“My disciple Miaoming is still unmarried. How about you, Lin Sect Master, marry her? This way, our two sects would have a long-lasting bond, and we could support each other in many matters, ensuring the prosperity of our sects for hundreds of thousands of years!”

“Additionally, I heard you have seven sons and eleven daughters. Why not let them all join my Qing Shen Palace? I will take them as personal disciples and carefully nurture them! If they achieve success in the future, they can be conferred as Holy Sons and Holy Daughters, inheriting my legacy!”

Yuli Immortal Venerable gazed into Lin Xuanyuan’s eyes, smiling charmingly.

“……”

Lin Xuanyuan’s expression froze for a moment. He had thought Yuli Immortal Venerable was suggesting a marriage between one of his children and her disciple, but she directly targeted him?

What kind of situation was this?

Would he have to call Yuli Immortal Venerable his mother-in-law in the future? That would be quite humiliating.

Moreover, everyone knew what the Holy Daughters of the Qing Shen Palace were. They were nothing more than high-class brothel courtesans in the cultivation world, available for enjoyment as long as the price was right.

Although Miaoming was Yuli Immortal Venerable’s chief disciple, she had been with countless men since her debut. If Lin Xuanyuan married her officially, wouldn’t he have brother-in-law friends and fellow Daoists all over the Great Void?

Furthermore, Yuli Immortal Venerable wanted to take all his children. Everyone knew that the Qing Shen Palace was like a brothel in the cultivation world. Female disciples entertained guests, while male disciples were used as furnaces, medicinal residues, and tools.

Lin Xuanyuan considered himself a prominent figure. If he agreed to Yuli Immortal Venerable’s demands, he would undoubtedly become a laughingstock in the Great Void, bringing shame to his entire family and sect.

“Yuli Daoist Friend, your appetite… is indeed too large.”

After a long while, Lin Xuanyuan suppressed his anger and spoke expressionlessly.

This crazy woman was so reckless, wasn’t she just trying to swallow the foundation of the Bright Moon Sword Sect? Did she think Lin Xuanyuan was an idiot?

Yuli Immortal Venerable was not offended. She maintained her smile and said, “Lin Sect Master, you must understand the current situation. The Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace, Qinghuan Emperor of the Dao Court, and Tongying Emperor of the Goddess Sect are all very close. They clearly have the intention of forming an alliance. Can your Bright Moon Sword Sect withstand the combined might of three Emperors in the future?”

Lin Xuanyuan’s face stiffened. “How do you know this? And, Qing Shen Palace seems to have only one severely injured and sleeping Emperor. If they really form an alliance, what do you have to counter those three?”

The Qing Shen Palace’s intelligence network was clearly more extensive than the Bright Moon Sword Sect’s, but not by much. This was mainly due to the secrecy measures of the three female Emperors and the treasure of the Goddess Sect.

Yuli Immortal Venerable’s smile faded, and she spoke seriously, “Since I dare to propose such conditions, I naturally have enough confidence. Behind me are seven Supreme Dao Lineage powers, including the Demon Path Ancestral Court, the Heavenly Witch Divine Dynasty, and the Nine Spirit Proto Gate. If you join, it will be eight! As for the leader of this alliance, it is the Calamity Fate Palace!”

Lin Xuanyuan’s face changed drastically.

He knew the Calamity Fate Palace had connections with the Heavenly Human Clan, but he didn’t expect them to silently form such a new alliance.

“How many Quasi Holy Emperors are in this alliance?”

Lin Xuanyuan asked solemnly. This was the key issue. Without enough top-tier strategic power, their deterrence would be significantly reduced.

Yuli Immortal Venerable gently uttered a number, leaving Lin Xuanyuan stunned.

……

Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace Main Altar, Yunji Peak.

On the Ascension Platform, Qing Muling sat at the center, surrounded by Xuebing Xuan, Cheng Yulan, Qi Yalan, Luo Huan, and Fengxia, all looking anxious.

High above in the sky, dense tribulation clouds were gathering, layer upon layer, almost black enough to obscure vision. Deep within the clouds, a faint blood-red hue was visible, and an overwhelming terror emanating from the depths of their divine souls nearly suffocated them.

The power of the Golden Immortal Tribulation was far beyond that of the Xuan Immortal, and it lasted much longer, at least a full day and night.

In history, countless cultivators had fallen at the last moment of the heavenly tribulation due to exhaustion and depletion of their energy.