Alliance

The Ancient Realm of Good Fortune had two restrictive rules. First, anyone who had entered the Ancient Realm of Good Fortune could not enter a second time. Second, anyone who had entered the Ancient Realm of Good Fortune could not disclose the contents of the trials within. The purpose of both rules was to ensure the trials of the ancient realm remained as fair as possible. Consequently, whether it was the demon race present or the pure-blooded humans, no one knew a thing about the Ancient Realm of Good Fortune. These two rules were not absolute restrictions, of course. If Eldest Senior Sister were here, she would likely be able to come and go through the ancient realm without facing the slightest hindrance. However, that required far too high a level of skill; Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou could not replicate it. "This ancient realm originates from antiquity, so it shouldn't be simple. How about finding an ally?" Lu Yang suggested. The Golden Core stage offered the highest malleability. How well one cultivated during the Golden Core stage and how their core was formed would affect a cultivator for the rest of their life. A prime example was the Immortal Fairy. Although her Invincible Core had shattered to form her Nascent Soul, its profound influence persisted to this day. For that reason, the Ancient Realm of Good Fortune restricted entry to the Golden Core stage. To the entire Demon Domain, Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou were outsiders. Even if they were skilled fighters, if the demon prodigies swarmed them all at once, not even an Invincible Core would save them. The safest approach was to secure an ally. "That works too," Meng Jingzhou agreed with a steady nod. Not only were the two of them humans, but they also carried the dual prestige of the Dao Seeking Sect and the Meng Family. If their identities were truly exposed, it was the demon domain's prodigies who would likely be in grave danger. "What about the Phoenix Clan? The Phoenix Clan has some ties with the Dao Seeking Sect, and I have acquaintances among them as well," Third Senior Sister suggested from the side. Right now, she had a pair of tiger ears, wore a blindfold, and swished a tiger tail behind her. She was temporarily posing as a member of the Qiongqi Clan. "The Phoenix Clan... Senior Sister, do you know who wrote *Dragon Phoenix Transformation*?" "No idea." "Our master wrote it." Third Senior Sister was stunned for a moment; she truly had not known that. Once again, she felt that their master's misdeeds were countless and inexhaustible, threatening to surface at any given moment. She immediately sighed. "Had I known that earlier, I wouldn't have hit them so hard during our fight against the Dragon and Phoenix Clans last time." "...Just how hard did you hit them?" Meng Jingzhou asked cautiously. "I'm afraid the inner demons of their future cultivation might take my form." "Never mind that. It has nothing to do with what's at hand. The Dragon and Phoenix Clans shouldn't know about Master's atrocities yet, so we can still join forces." "What about the Dragon Clan?" "The Dragon Clan won't do. Back when I wanted to advance through battle, I often sought out members of the Dragon Clan for one-on-one duels. My relationship with them isn't very good." "Back then, I was at the peak of the Soul Formation stage. Seeking a breakthrough, I wandered around the Dragon Clan's territory. Whenever I ran into someone roughly on my level, I challenged them, and whenever I met someone I couldn't beat, I hid." "Not just the Dragon Clan—I fought the White Tiger Clan, the Zhuyan Clan, the Taowu Clan, and others as well." "..." The two of them felt that Third Senior Sister's bounty was still set too low. "The time with the Phoenix Clan, I was caught, so I had to ask Eldest Senior Sister to back me up. Eldest Senior Sister handled the elders, while I fought against those of my own generation." "The Phoenix Clan knows my identity and has never leaked it, so they're quite reliable." "Then we'll cooperate with the Phoenix Clan." Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou nodded in unison, trusting Third Senior Sister's judgment. The three walked toward the Phoenix Clan, drawing wary looks from the clan members and the avian races following them. "Halt! Who are you?" Jiang Shan barked, eyeing the trio vigilantly. He watched Third Senior Sister in particular, sensing an ominous danger from her. "It's me, Gan Tian," Third Senior Sister said coldly, stating her name. Upon hearing that name, Jiang Shan took several hasty steps backward. Not only Jiang Shan—two other members of the Phoenix Clan recalled the day they were pinned to the ground and beaten by Third Senior Sister. Their faces instantly drained of color, and they stumbled back several paces as well. The one escorting the Phoenix Clan's peerless talent Jiang Shishi was a Phoenix Clan elder who had once exchanged pointers on cultivation with Eldest Senior Sister, so he knew Third Senior Sister's identity. "We have a matter we would like to discuss with everyone from the Phoenix Clan. Could we find a quiet place?" Third Senior Sister was referring to the Phoenix Clan's followers; while the Phoenix Clan could be trusted, the same could not be said of their retainers. "Very well." The Phoenix Clan elder, Jiang Shan, and Jiang Shishi were called aside by Third Senior Sister. "Allow me to introduce them. These two are my junior brothers, Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou." Jiang Shishi was visibly moved upon hearing their names, scrutinizing the two with wonder. As the peerless talent of the Phoenix Clan and its future clan leader, she had always held herself to the highest standards, paying close attention to the peerless talents of Great Xia—especially those of her own generation. These two were the ones mentioned most frequently in the intelligence she had gathered. Lu Yang possessed peerless spellcraft and was rumored to be a sword cultivator, yet no one had ever seen his sword leave its scabbard. Meng Jingzhou possessed a Pure Yang Body that repelled ghosts and evil spirits, diligently trained as a body cultivator, and had attained the unity of fist and spell, with his true trump cards still unconfirmed. She considered herself exceptionally gifted, yet she was not confident she could defeat either of them. "What do you want?" the Phoenix Clan elder asked. "To form an alliance and enter the ancient realm alongside you." The Phoenix Clan elder did not immediately refuse, but carefully considered the matter, weighing the pros and cons. These two were Great Xia's strongest Golden Core pair; in terms of combat power, they were definitely far stronger than the Phoenix Clan's followers. Furthermore, the two were from the Dao Seeking Sect. Ever since her birth, Jiang Shishi had been pampered and fawned over, leaving her with an overly pure heart and thin skin—traits that would not do for a clan leader. It would be good for her to let some of the Dao Seeking Sect's influence rub off on her. Although the Dao Seeking Sect had a notorious reputation in the Demon Domain, the Phoenix Clan elder knew they never betrayed their own people, maintaining a solid track record of integrity. "Agreed." "Fellow Daoist Jiang, I look forward to working with you," Lu Yang said with a smile, cupping his hands. Jiang Shishi was a beat late to react before returning the courtesy. "Fellow Daoist Lu, likewise." "Senior Brother Jiang Shan, we meet again," Meng Jingzhou said, clasping his fists. Now that an alliance was formed, they could address each other as senior and junior brothers according to Great Xia custom. "It has been quite a while. The last time I saw you two, you were still in the Foundation Establishment stage. I knew back then you would shine brightly in the Golden Core stage, but I never imagined you would become this formidable," Jiang Shan remarked with deep emotion. "Shishi, who are these two?" A hearty laugh came from nearby. It was the young master of the Jiuying Clan, followed by a Jiuying Clan Dao Protector who exuded a faint, lingering pressure. Though his laugh was hearty, a subtle gloom tinged his gaze as it swept over Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou. Jiang Shishi frowned, displeased by the Jiuying young master. "Qin Feng, I've told you many times: we aren't that close. Don't call me so familiarly!" "Who's that?" Lu Yang asked Jiang Shan via voice transmission. "Qin Feng, the young master of the Jiuying Clan. He was taken as the personal disciple of a Tribulation Transcendence stage ancestor of the Jiuying Clan, giving him a status on par with their clan leader." "Ever since making a name for himself, he has pursued Shishi without success. He likely sees the two of you as rivals now, so be careful." "Understood." Qin Feng did not pester Jiang Shishi further. After casting a warning glare at Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou, he turned and left. The Jiuying Dao Protector had not spoken a word from start to finish, but the pressure he deliberately released spoke volumes. Third Senior Sister frowned slightly as she noticed this. Two more hours passed, and the ancient realm finally opened. Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou followed Jiang Shishi inside. The Dao Protectors of each clan remained outside the ancient realm. Once her two junior brothers had entered the ancient realm, Third Senior Sister slipped away from the Phoenix Clan's retinue. Before leaving, she dropped a parting remark to the Phoenix Clan: "When I return in a bit, act as though you don't know me." Another half hour passed, and Third Senior Sister came flying in from afar atop an animal hide. She wobbled unsteadily, blood dripping from the hide—her own blood. Third Senior Sister was gravely injured. "Look, that's the Demonic Sound Heavenly Maiden!" a sharp-eyed expert recognized her. "It's her! How did she get injured?!" Third Senior Sister was severely wounded, biting her lip and relying purely on willpower to fly this far. She roared in fury: "Qiongqi Clan! You deceitful wretches! You asked me to explore the ancient tombs of the various clans to uncover their secrets, and now that the job is done, you cast me aside and send assassins after me!" "Even if I die, I'll drag you down with me!"