The bloody storms of the cultivation world had continued for several months.
The conflict between the Nitian Alliance and the Lieyang Gang grew increasingly intense, with both sides paying a heavy price. Countless cultivators had fallen on the battlefield, and the foundations of countless sects had been shaken. Those once-prosperous sects now remained only as broken walls and ruins; those once-bustling cultivation grounds now held only a deathly silence. The air was filled with the scent of blood, and even the spiritual energy between heaven and earth seemed to have taken on a hint of murderous intent. The pattern of the cultivation world had been completely shattered in this bloody conflict. Yet, this war showed no end in sight, with neither side willing to yield even half a step.
On this day, Yuyi received a Sound Transmission Jade Talisman from Duan Changjian, summoning the leaders of each sect within the Nitian Alliance for a meeting.
Yuyi arrived at the Nitian Alliance headquarters' meeting hall to find it already filled with people. The sect leaders were either seated or standing, their expressions varied. Some had furrowed brows, some wore angry faces, while others looked utterly exhausted. The atmosphere in the meeting hall was oppressive and heavy, as if even the air had solidified. Seeing Yuyi arrive, Duan Changjian nodded slightly, gesturing for him to take his reserved seat.
"Everyone is here, let us begin." Duan Changjian said in a deep voice, "I have summoned everyone today mainly to discuss the current situation. The conflict between the Lieyang Gang and us has continued for several months, with both sides suffering heavy losses. If this continues, I fear both will be severely damaged."
The meeting hall immediately erupted in discussion, with sect leaders expressing their opinions one after another.
"Alliance Leader, we cannot just admit defeat like this! The Lieyang Gang has gone too far, we must show them some color!" A burly cultivator slammed the table and stood up, his voice like thunder, "Our sect has already lost more than thirty disciples. This blood debt must be repaid with the Lieyang Gang's blood!"
"Yes, Alliance Leader, we have lost so many fellow disciples, this debt cannot just be written off!" Another sect leader chimed in, his eyes filled with rage, "Those beasts of the Lieyang Gang kill, burn, and commit every evil. If we don't fight back, they will only become more arrogant!"
"Fight back? With what?" An elderly leader sneered, "Our sect's elite disciples have been killed or injured to the last, and those remaining are merely Qi Refining Realm disciples. With what shall we fight the Lieyang Gang?"
"Then what do you suggest? Should we just let the Lieyang Gang bully us?" The previous leader retorted angrily.
"I didn't say we should let them bully us, but blindly fighting back will only lead to death!" The elderly leader countered, "With our current strength, we are no match for the Lieyang Gang at all."
"So you mean we should just cower like this?"
"I didn't say cower, I said we need strategy!"
"Strategy? What strategy do you have? Speak up and let everyone hear!"
"I..." The elderly leader was momentarily speechless, unable to say a word.
The arguing in the meeting hall grew louder and louder, almost threatening to lift the roof. Some slammed tables, some stood up pointing fingers, while others shook their heads and sighed helplessly.
Duan Changjian raised his hand to signal for quiet, "I understand everyone's feelings, but we must also see the situation clearly. Right now, the Lieyang Gang's power is at its peak, while our Nitian Alliance is riddled with internal conflicts. If this continues, I fear we will be defeated one by one by the Lieyang Gang."
Yuyi leaned back in his chair listlessly, closing his eyes to rest. He had grown tired of attending such meetings. Every time, it was the same content, the same arguments, completely meaningless. He could even guess what would happen next—someone would continue shouting, someone would propose useless suggestions, and in the end, no problems would be solved.
Shaying sat beside him and, seeing this, gently nudged him, "Hey, listen seriously."
Yuyi lazily opened his eyes, a trace of disdain at the corner of his mouth, "If he had a solution, he would have had one long ago. Listening to his nonsense is worse than my cultivation."
Shaying was exasperated, "You can't do this, what if you miss something important?"
"Important matters?" Yuyi gave a light laugh, "In meetings like this, what important matters could there be? Just useless arguments."
"You..." Shaying sighed helplessly and could only prick up his own ears to listen.
Duan Changjian surveyed the crowd and said in a deep voice, "Regarding the current situation, I have a proposal. Our Nitian Alliance needs reform, needs to unite as one, to stand against the Lieyang Gang."
"How to reform?" Someone asked.
Duan Changjian said, "First, we need to establish a tighter alliance system. The various sects must share resources and information, working together against the Lieyang Gang. Second, we need to cultivate more experts to improve our overall strength. Finally, we need to establish the Nitian Alliance's prestige in the cultivation world, so that other forces dare not easily make enemies of us."
Everyone nodded one after another; this proposal indeed made sense.
Duan Changjian continued, "To achieve these goals, I propose that the Nitian Alliance establish a core decision-making layer, composed of sect leaders, to jointly discuss the major affairs of the Nitian Alliance. At the same time, each sect should send elite disciples to form the Nitian Alliance Enforcement Team, responsible for maintaining the interests of the Nitian Alliance."
The crowd discussed animatedly, some supporting, some opposing.
"Resource sharing? What about our sect's Spirit Stone veins?" A sect leader frowned, "Those are the lifeblood of our sect, how can we share them with others?"
"Enforcement Team? Who will command it? What if it's used by certain people?" Another leader questioned, "Why should our sect's disciples listen to others' commands?"
"Exactly, what if the Enforcement Team turns against us?" Someone else chimed in.
"Why should our sect's resources be used by others?"
"The command of the Enforcement Team should be rotated among the sects, it cannot be decided by one person!"
"Resource sharing is fine, but there must be limits, not everything needs to be shared!"
The meeting hall once again erupted in discussion, with opinions varying and no consensus reached. Some supported resource sharing, while others firmly opposed it; some thought the Enforcement Team was necessary, while others worried it would become a tool for certain people.
Duan Changjian was about to speak when Yuyi suddenly said, "I have a proposal."
Everyone turned to look at Yuyi, and Duan Changjian said, "Valley Master Yu, please speak."
Yuyi said indifferently, "The core decision-making layer of the Nitian Alliance should not only include sect leaders, but also some experts with strength and reputation. Only in this way can the correctness and execution of decisions be ensured."
Everyone nodded one after another; this proposal indeed made sense. If the core decision-making layer only consisted of sect leaders, inevitably some would make decisions unfavorable to the Nitian Alliance for their own interests. But with independent experts participating, they could serve as a check and balance.
"Valley Master Yu is right." A leader said, "The core decision-making layer should indeed have independent experts participating, this way the fairness of decisions can be guaranteed."
"But which experts are qualified to enter the core decision-making layer?" Another leader asked.
Duan Changjian said, "Valley Master Yu is right. Then, I propose that the core decision-making layer be composed of the following people: Duan Changjian, Xuantie, Liekong, Canglong, Yuyi, Bingxin, Yuehua Xianzi, and Shuanghan. Does anyone have any objections?"
The crowd discussed among themselves, but ultimately all agreed to this proposal. These eight were all renowned experts in the cultivation world, whether in strength or reputation, they were sufficient to command respect.
Duan Changjian continued, "Then, the Nitian Alliance Enforcement Team will be composed of elite disciples sent by each sect, under the unified command of the core decision-making layer. Does anyone have any objections?"
The crowd once again discussed, but ultimately all agreed to this proposal as well.
After the meeting ended, everyone dispersed. Yuyi was about to leave when Duan Changjian called out to him.
"Valley Master Yu, please wait."
Yuyi stopped in his tracks, "What does the Alliance Leader need?"
Duan Changjian said in a deep voice, "Valley Master Yu, I know you have never been very concerned about the Nitian Alliance's affairs. But right now, the Lieyang Gang's power is at its peak. If our Nitian Alliance cannot unite as one, I fear we will eventually be swallowed by the Lieyang Gang. I hope Valley Master Yu can contribute more to help the Nitian Alliance through this crisis."
Yuyi fell silent for a moment, looking at Duan Changjian's earnest eyes. He knew that what Duan Changjian said was true. The Lieyang Gang's power was indeed at its peak, and if the Nitian Alliance could not unite, they would eventually be defeated one by one. And Youyue Valley, as a member of the Nitian Alliance, could not remain uninvolved.
"I will." Yuyi nodded.
Duan Changjian smiled with relief, "With Valley Master Yu's words, I am at ease."
Yuyi returned to Youyue Valley, and Shaying hurriedly came to greet him, "How did it go? What were the results of the meeting?"
Yuyi said indifferently, "The Nitian Alliance is to be reformed, establishing a core decision-making layer and an Enforcement Team. I was selected for the core decision-making layer."
Shaying said in surprise, "Isn't that a good thing?"
Yuyi shook his head, "A good thing? Not necessarily. This means I have to bear more responsibility and worry about the Nitian Alliance's affairs."
Shaying smiled, "Didn't you always want to elevate your status in the cultivation world? Now that you have this opportunity, isn't that perfect?"
Yuyi fell silent for a moment, then nodded, "You're right. Since I have this opportunity, I should make good use of it."
In the days that followed, Yuyi began to actively participate in the Nitian Alliance's affairs. He not only sent Youyue Valley's elite disciples to join the Nitian Alliance Enforcement Team but also personally participated in the core decision-making layer's meetings, offering advice and strategies for the Nitian Alliance's development. Many of his suggestions were adopted, such as how to reasonably allocate resources among the various sects, how to cultivate new disciples, and how to respond to the Lieyang Gang's attacks. The Nitian Alliance's strength was gradually recovering.
With the efforts of Yuyi and others, the Nitian Alliance's strength gradually recovered, even becoming stronger than before. People in the cultivation world began to re-examine the Nitian Alliance, no longer viewing it as an organization on the verge of collapse. Many forces that had been观望 began to actively approach the Nitian Alliance, hoping to establish cooperative relationships.
When Zixiao received the news, his face grew dark. He hadn't expected the Nitian Alliance to be able to recover its vitality in such a short time, even becoming stronger than before.
"It seems I underestimated the abilities of Duan Changjian and Yuyi." Zixiao gave a cold laugh, "But so what? The Lieyang Gang's power is at its peak, and the Nitian Alliance will eventually be swallowed by us!"
Zixiao immediately summoned his subordinates and began planning the next course of action.
The bloody storms of the cultivation world continued.