The entrance to the pocket world lay within Qiongjing Prefecture. Returning alongside the squad of cultivators was a Dao Integration cultivator from the Taiyan Sect.
Acting as the representative of the Taiyan Sect, this person visited Qiongjing Heavenly City and posed a question in public: "The Taiyan Sect wishes to join the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals in its entirety. May we?"
Meng Shufu, the Castellan of Qiongjing City, was also a Dao Integration cultivator. Even so, he dared not presume to make a decision regarding a matter of such magnitude on his own.
After temporarily appeasing the visitor, he hurried in person to the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals headquarters to report the situation. Meanwhile, the Dao Integration expert of the Taiyan Sect appeared leisurely and content, showing not the slightest hint of nervousness.
It was as though he had long foreseen the outcome of Meng Shufu's journey. Sure enough, not long after, the Alliance officially issued an announcement.
In order to further accelerate the pace of Xuanhuang's unification, reduce unnecessary casualties among cultivators, and lessen the burden on the Manor of Rebirth,
forces and sects across every pocket world were welcomed to merge into the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals. The Alliance would not displace any who voluntarily submitted from their current dwelling grounds.
They needed only to cooperate in completing the Heavenly Profound Treasure Mirror's work of "Surveying the Heavens and Discerning the Earth." Furthermore, the Alliance would provide preferential support regarding resources and cultivation techniques.
Additionally, cultivators who successfully persuaded forces within grotto-heaven pocket worlds to submit would still receive the corresponding merit rewards.
Once the announcement was released, the minds of many cultivators across the realm instantly stirred with ambition. Fighting might be difficult, but carrying the Alliance's banner alongside such generous terms to persuade others to surrender—how hard could that be?
Thus, cultivators who had previously grown somewhat slack leaped into action once more upon catching wind of the news. Meanwhile, within Qiongjing Prefecture, as Meng Shufu looked at the Taiyan Sect Dao Integration expert opposite him, realization struck him.
No wonder the man had shown no trace of concern from start to finish. Since antiquity, the Taiyan Sect had been renowned throughout the realm precisely for its arts of deduction.
This surrender had undoubtedly been calculated long beforehand!
*Cultivators of antiquity are truly not to be underestimated.* Feeling a secret chill in his heart, Meng Shufu politely ushered the Taiyan Sect Dao Integration expert into the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals headquarters to discuss the specific terms of assimilation.
Three days later, a piece of news spread like wildfire. Not long before, the Sect Master of the Taiyan Sect had deduced that the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals was on the verge of unifying the Xuanhuang Realm.
Following deliberations, the entire sect had reached a consensus to conform to the mandate of Heaven and cease all futile resistance.
He had personally come to negotiate on this occasion. From this day forward, the Taiyan Sect was formally integrated into the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals. It was also the very first pocket world force to voluntarily surrender and be accepted.
When the news broke, the Alliance cultivators were extraordinarily invigorated. After all, even rogue cultivators had heard of the Taiyan Sect's illustrious name.
For them to surrender of their own accord to the Alliance indicated that the day of Xuanhuang's unification was truly not far off.
Cultivators instantly felt a surge of urgency, vowing to seize this final opportunity to earn as many merits as they could.
Within the Valley of Longevity.
"I once had the disciples inquire about those ancient sects, and all said that the Taiyan Sect had perished long ago in the great calamity."
"Yet who would have thought they were still alive and well?" Liu San sneered.
"Then again, the Taiyan Sect's deduction arts were peerless under heaven. How could they fail to prepare against the arrival of the calamity?"
"Still, for them to cast aside their former pride and voluntarily surrender to the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals came somewhat as a surprise to me. Given their temper back in the day, unless at least half of their cultivators died, they never would have consented." Liu San's tone was entirely unsparing; he clearly harbored no goodwill toward the Taiyan Sect.
"It is merely that the general trend cannot be resisted. What is pride or face? Compared to one's own life, it is simply not worth mentioning," Fang Zaiji remarked dismissively.
"This actually presents us with an opportunity," Xu Bai suddenly spoke up. "We can observe what kind of treatment one receives after submitting to the Alliance. If it is truly as the announcement stated—allowing them to retain their dwelling grounds and preserve a degree of independence—then surrendering directly would not be a bad choice."
At these words, Liu San, Fang Zaiji, and Jiang Yushan all stared blankly at Xu Bai. None of them seemed to have expected him to utter such words.
Xu Bai, however, remained nonchalant. "Elder Liu, haven't you always wanted to release the other elders and disciples from the Medicine King Cauldron? If the Alliance can provide cultivation technique support, there will be no need to fear that they might slaughter each other due to the restriction where dharmas cannot be cultivated concurrently."
"We have been awake for so long; keeping them confined inside the Spring and Autumn Great Dream Formation indefinitely is not a solution either." Xu Bai's tone was rather relaxed.
Liu San parted his lips slightly, but paused inexplicably. In the end, he asked somewhat hesitantly, "Isn't doing this a bit hasty?"
Xu Bai waved a hand. "Elder Liu worries too much. The Taiyan Sect is well-versed in deduction; if submission were truly detrimental to them, they would never have acted in such a manner."
"Since they chose to surrender at this moment, it indicates there is no serious harm."
"In fact, the earlier one chooses to merge into the Alliance, the greater the benefits one is likely to obtain. After all, the Alliance needs to set a good example for the remaining pocket worlds. If they say one thing and do another, it will only backfire and provoke fierce resistance from the pocket worlds."
"For the present Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals, unifying the Xuanhuang Realm and completing the upgrade of the Heavenly Profound Mirror are the top priorities. A few techniques and resources are practically negligible." Xu Bai explained in great detail with ample reasoning.
Liu San found himself unable to refute him for the moment.
"Splendid! Surrendering is splendid! In truth, I wanted to propose this long ago, but I feared you would blame me, Sect Master, so I never brought it up," Fang Zaiji said cheerfully, wholeheartedly in favor of Xu Bai's suggestion.
"Old Fang here has long wanted to stroll around the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals. I've heard their artifact-refining techniques have advanced vastly compared to our era. I truly want to see it with my own eyes."
"Yushan, didn't you want to spar with that woman again? In the future, you can openly issue a challenge fair and square."
Jiang Yushan remained silent.
She was not a disciple of the Medicine King Sect to begin with. She had stayed within the Medicine King Sect only to suppress the baleful qi of the Indeterminate Prison.
She felt little sense of belonging toward the Medicine King Sect, so she had no objections to Xu Bai's decision.
Seeing this, Liu San sighed softly in his heart. As he looked at Xu Bai, doubts welled up within him.
"Very well. Let us settle the matter like this for now. Once the Taiyan Sect is completely assimilated, we will pay a personal visit to see whether the Alliance's words ring true."
"Presumably, that day is not far off," Xu Bai smiled faintly.
"By the way, Mr. Fang, how is your research on the End Stone Platter progressing?" he suddenly changed the topic.
The smile on Fang Zaiji's face instantly froze.
He immediately turned toward Liu San. "Old Liu, how are those little fellows doing specifically? Have any succeeded in establishing the foundation with oneself?"
"Without results from your side, my research cannot move forward either," Fang Zaiji asked with righteous indignation.
Chapter 775