The morning at Luoxia Mountain Range was torn apart by sword cries. Disciples of Xuantian Sword Sect stood in formation at the valley's front, their sword lights like a forest; facing them were the golden-bright Buddhist light and fierce gazes of Jingangmen's martial monks. Deep within the valley, the newly discovered spirit jade vein radiated an enticing luster. For this, the two sides had been facing off for seven days and nights.
"This vein is within Xuantian Sword Sect's territory and should belong to us!" The elder of Xuantian Sword Sect, his beard and hair both white, let his mid-Nascent Soul stage pressure cause the gravel in the valley to tremble slightly.
Jingangmen's abbot coldly snorted: "Bull! This vein was clearly first discovered by disciples of our sect! According to alliance rules, whoever discovers it owns it!"
Just as the two sides were at daggers drawn, the sky suddenly darkened. Not from dark clouds, but from an intangible pressure that enveloped the entire valley. Everyone felt breathing difficult; cultivators of even slightly lower cultivation directly collapsed.
A figure in blue robes appeared silently above the valley. Tang Xiao Qi stood with hands clasped behind his back, his gaze calmly sweeping below. He did not release any aura pressure, yet his Deity Transformation Dao rhythm flowed naturally, causing all cultivators present to feel instinctive reverence.
"We... we pay respects to the Alliance Leader!" The two leading elders hastily bowed, their voices involuntarily trembling.
Xiao Qi did not acknowledge them. Instead, he gazed at the vein deep within the valley. The spiritual energy there was indeed abundant, but what concerned him more was the faint demonic energy fluctuation coming from deep within the vein, it seemed this vein had already been eroded by demonic energy.
"Alliance law article thirty-seven states: all resource disputes must be submitted to the Resource Department for arbitration." Xiao Qi's voice was soft, yet it clearly entered each person's ears. "Do you know your offense?"
The Xuantian Sword Sect elder forced himself to speak: "Alliance Leader, please see, the vein is indeed within our sect's territory..."
"So you dare to mine privately?" Xiao Qi interrupted him. "Even to the point of threatening to wage war against allies?"
His gaze turned to Jingangmen's abbot: "And you, discovering the vein yet not reporting it promptly, wanting instead to secretly occupy it?"
Both men were immediately at a loss for words. According to alliance regulations, their actions had indeed violated the prohibitions.
Xiao Qi said no more. He raised his hand in a gesture of pressing down. An invisible force instantly enveloped the entire valley. All cultivators felt their spiritual energy completely suppressed; they could not even move their fingers. This was the absolute strength of the Deity Transformation stage, without any need for techniques, mere realm suppression was enough to make Nascent Soul cultivators have no power to resist whatsoever.
"Effective immediately, Luoxia Vein is taken under alliance direct administration." Xiao Qi's voice carried the authority of undeniable command. "Xuantian Sword Sect and Jingangmen are each fined three years' worth of resource quotas. The two leading elders, abolish their cultivation as a warning to others!"
"Alliance Leader, spare our lives!" The two elders' faces turned deathly pale as they knelt and begged for mercy.
Yet Xiao Qi was not moved in the slightest. Two rays of azure light shot from his fingertips, precisely entering the two men's bodies. Two miserable screams later, two Nascent Soul cultivators' cultivation was instantly abolished, turning them into ordinary old men.
Total silence. Everyone present was shaken by these thunderous measures. Abolishing cultivation was crueler than directly killing them, yet it was indeed the most effective deterrent.
"Take them away." Xiao Qi waved his hand, and law enforcement team members immediately stepped forward to escort the two away.
His gaze swept across the entire area: "Is there anyone else, who has objections to alliance regulations?"
No one dared to respond. The Deity Transformation pressure was like substantial weight, pressing everyone so low they could not lift their heads.
Yet at this moment, a sudden change occurred!
The vein deep within the valley suddenly quivered violently, and a jet-black demonic energy column shot skyward! It turned out this vein had long been eroded by demonic energy. The confrontation between the two sides, producing negative emotions, had become the catalyst for the demonic energy's eruption!
"Not good! It is a demonic energy eruption!" Someone cried out.
Jet-black demonic energy condensed into a massive demonic shadow in the air, emanating a nauseating aura. This shadow was more solid than any they had encountered before at Ten Thousand Poison Swamp. Clearly, after absorbing the vein's spiritual energy, it had become far more powerful.
"Hahaha!" The demonic shadow released a piercing laugh. "Thanks to your provided negative emotions, I have been reborn!"
It opened its enormous mouth, and a jet-black demonic light directly shot toward Xiao Qi!
Everyone held their breath. The power of this strike had already approached the Deity Transformation level!
Yet Xiao Qi's expression did not change in the slightest. He did not even draw the Nirvana Crimson Flame Sword, merely gently raised his right hand. At his palm center, a green lotus slowly bloomed.
The demonic light collided with the green lotus, like a clay ox entering the sea, not raising the slightest wave. The green lotus continued blooming, and pure purification power surged toward the demonic shadow like a tide.
"Impossible!" The demonic shadow released a disbelieving roar. "How can you be so powerful?"
It frantically drove its demonic energy to resist the purification power's erosion. But everything was futile. Before absolute realm disparity, any resistance was laughable.
The green lotus's light grew more and more brilliant, ultimately completely enveloping the entire demonic shadow. Amidst a miserable shriek, the demonic shadow was completely purified, transforming into a wisp of green smoke that dissipated.
The entire process took merely three breaths. A demon approaching the Deity Transformation level was resolved so casually and easily.
Xiao Qi retracted his palm, his gaze once more sweeping the area: "All of you see clearly? This is the outcome of internal strife, it only gives demons opportunities to exploit."
He said no more, turned, and walked away through the void. But the shock he left was deeply branded in everyone's hearts.
The news quickly spread through the three realms. When various sects learned that Xiao Qi had so easily eliminated a demon close to the Deity Transformation level, all discordant voices disappeared. Those forces that had been secretly hoarding resources voluntarily surrendered their hoarded goods; those sects that had been paying lip service while opposing immediately expressed full cooperation with alliance work.
"So this is what a true expert looks like..."
"With the Alliance Leader present, why worry about demons not being eliminated?"
Similar praises rang everywhere. After this event, Xiao Qi's prestige reached unprecedented heights. No one dared any longer to question alliance authority, and resource allocation work proceeded smoothly.
Yet Xiao Qi himself was not pleased. Upon returning to Qingxu Temple, he immediately summoned Second Senior Brother Luo Feng.
"The demons' evolution speed has far exceeded expectations." His expression was grave. "We must accelerate the Spiritual Network Plan's progress."
Luo Feng nodded: "The basic array formations have been designed, but we need various sects to open their spiritual vein nodes..."
"Leave that to me." A flash of determination appeared in Xiao Qi's eyes. "In extraordinary times, extraordinary measures must be employed."
He gazed toward the distance, knowing the true challenge was only beginning. Demons were evolving, human hearts were turbulent, and what he must do was establish an order sufficient to cope with any crisis before any of this spun out of control.
This road was destined to be full of thorns, yet he had no alternative.