From a loser to an immortal sage

Chapter 487 The Dawn of Alliance

I stood before the white marble railing of the martial arts arena, gazing at the Yuqing Mountain Gate gradually becoming clearer through the morning mist.

The screams of the disciples tormented by the Gu poison last night still echoed in my ears, and the pale blue snake pattern on Xiao Tao's neck felt like a thin needle pricking my heart.

Dark Moon's influence has already extended into the inner workings of Jade Purity. A single immortal sect cannot possibly dismantle this intricate and poisonous web.

"Thinking about an alliance?" Wen Chen's voice came from behind, carrying the coolness of melting snow on pine branches.

He draped a crane cloak over my shoulders without me noticing, the fringed edge brushing against the back of my hand like a docile little animal.

I turned around and saw that his brows were still covered with frost-like spots—he must have gone to the Xuanbing Cave again to investigate the Dark Moon communication array. "Before her death, Senior Sister Qingwei drew lines in her blood on the jade tablet, covering the locations of the thirteen immortal sects." I took out the jade tablet from my pocket, my fingertips tracing the darkened, snake-blood-stained marks. "Dark Moon doesn't want the secrets of any one sect; it wants the weakness of the entire immortal realm."

Wen Chen grasped my hand, which was tightly gripping the jade pendant; the calluses on his knuckles ached from the friction. "Yesterday I investigated the secret reports of seventeen immortal sects. In the past three months, each one has lost deployment maps, elixir formulas, or had disciples suddenly disappear." His gaze darkened. "They're testing our limits."

The mountain wind lifted my sleeves, revealing the lingering bruises on my wrists—the marks from when I was captured last night while subduing my crazed disciple.

I gazed at the smoke rising gradually from the foot of the distant mountains, and suddenly remembered what Xiao Tao had said about her mother's eyes, almost extinguished, when she was in the dilapidated kiln in Qinglan Town. "We must gather these lights into torches," I said, looking up at him. "We'll go to the Alliance meeting today."

Wen Chen lowered his eyes and tightened the silk sash of my crane cloak, his fingertips pausing at my Adam's apple: "I had someone send a letter first."

Fairy Zhao arrived last night, saying she wanted to seek justice for her master—the Cangwu Island Lord who was poisoned by Dark Moon.

At 3:45 AM on the second day, the green-tiled eaves of the Alliance meeting place were faintly visible in the morning mist.

As the scent of sandalwood mixed with pine branches wafted in, I was standing on the steps outside the hall, looking at the representatives of the Immortal Realm who were already mostly seated inside.

Wen Chen gently smoothed my wind-blown hair: "Don't be afraid. I'm here for you no matter what you say." His voice was low, but it was like a ballast stone, slowly steadying my trembling knees.

The moment I stepped through the palace gate, more than twenty pairs of eyes swept over me.

I recognized Elder Sun of the Ten Thousand Swords Pavilion as the one with the flowing white beard at the head of the table—he was the one who valued sectarianism the most; to the lower left, wearing a dark green brocade robe, was Special Envoy Li, who was in charge of mediating disputes between various immortal sects, and was now smiling and turning his teacup with narrowed eyes; when Fairy Zhao on the far right saw me, she immediately stood up, and the jade pendant in her sleeve made a clear sound—it was the relic of the Lord of Cangwu Island.

"Fellow immortals," I stepped onto the central cloud-patterned red carpet, my voice echoing through the ceiling, "Last night, the Jade Purity Immortal Sect cracked a case involving the Dark Moon Poison Gu. Among the threatened disciples were outer disciples from Cangwu Island, medicine boys from the Myriad Swords Pavilion, and even menial servants from Hidden Mist Mountain." I held up Senior Sister Qingwei's jade token, "Their target isn't just one family; they want to tear the entire Immortal Realm to pieces."

Quiet murmurs arose inside the hall.

Fairy Zhao quickly walked to my side, her knuckles white as she gripped the jade pendant: "What Fairy Xiao said is exactly what we were thinking!"

Last month, thirty disciples from Cangwu Island went to sea, and only seven returned. The ship bore the dark moon's black scale mark—this was an attempt to destroy our foundation! Her eyes reddened, her voice like the striking of bronze, "If we continue to fight amongst ourselves, the next to be slaughtered might very well be any of your sects!"

Representatives from several minor immortal realms echoed this sentiment.

Manager Liu of Hidden Mist Mountain slammed his fist on the table and stood up: "I agree to the alliance!"

Five Beast Taming Manuals have gone missing from our mountain in the last three months; it must be the work of Dark Moon!

I looked at Elder Sun, who was stroking his beard and looking at the bamboo shadows outside the hall, his fingers tapping softly on the stone table.

Special Envoy Li put down his teacup and said with a smile, "Elder Sun, why don't you tell us?"

"Forming an alliance is easy, but who will take charge?"

Who mobilized the troops?

"Who will take responsibility?" Elder Sun finally spoke, his gaze sweeping over Wen Chen and me. "Are you suggesting that a mere Foundation Establishment girl should command the three thousand disciples of my Myriad Swords Pavilion?"

The hall suddenly became so quiet that the popping of the candle wicks could be heard.

I clutched the warm jade that Wen Chen had secretly slipped into my sleeve; he had warmed it all night with the cold jade from the Xuanbing Cave. "Elder Sun," I said, looking him directly in the eye, "I propose that the alliance establish a council hall, with each sect sending a special envoy to meet on the first day of each month to discuss countermeasures. As for troop deployment—if Dark Moon attacks any sect, the other immortal sects must provide support within three days; those who fail to do so... will be condemned by all immortal sects."

Special Envoy Li clapped his hands and laughed: "That's a brilliant idea!"

This preserved the dignity of each family while also providing a constraint. He turned to Elder Sun, "What do you think?"

Fairy Xiao's suggestion, while not taking your military power in the Myriad Swords Pavilion, actually provides you with an extra layer of protection.

Elder Sun stopped pointing.

I saw his Adam's apple move, as if he was about to say something, but he was interrupted by the sudden sound of footsteps coming from outside the hall.

"You're all here early!"

The sound was like it was soaked in ice crystals, and the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end.

Looking up, I saw a person emerge from the shadows—a tall, thin figure wrapped in a dark cloak, with a dark red scar on his brow bone, staring at me with a half-smile.

It's a demonic shadow.

I heard Wen Chen take a soft breath behind me.

Zhao Xianzi's jade pendant clattered to the ground. She suddenly grabbed my sleeve, her nails almost digging into my flesh.

Elder Sun began tapping his fingers again, this time with greater speed and force; Special Envoy Li's teacup spun even faster, spilling tea onto the stone table and spreading out in patches of dark brown.

The demonic figure walked into the hall step by step, its boots crushing against Zhao Xianzi's jade pendant, making a soft, crisp sound.

His gaze swept over me like a snake spitting its tongue: "An alliance?"

"That's quite a tactic." He suddenly laughed, the scar spreading across his face. "But...who can guarantee that this alliance won't be another Darkmoon?"

The demon's words were like a red-hot coal, slamming into the still-warm teacup with a "thud".

Zhao Xianzi's fingernails almost dug into my arm, and her breath swept past my ear, carrying a sweet, metallic scent of blood—she must have gripped the jade pendant too tightly, causing blood to seep from her palm.

Elder Sun's knuckles tapped the stone table with a "thump, thump," like striking some kind of ancient warning drum; Special Envoy Li's teacup spun even faster, spilling tea onto his dark green cuff, spreading out into dark brown stains, like the black scales of a dark moon.

I stared at the scar on the Demon Shadow's brow bone, which twitched slightly with the cold smile at the corner of his mouth—it reminded me of the green snake pattern writhing on the neck of the disciple controlled by the Gu poison in the Jade Purity Dungeon last night.

The people of the Dark Moon even have scars that look like snake molts.

“Fellow Immortal Demon Shadow, your words are strange.” I heard my voice was more steady than I expected, as if someone had removed my trembling vocal cords for me. “Last month, three jars of Bone-Corroding Powder were lost from the Ten Thousand Poisons Cave, and the Soul-Guiding Bell in Mirror Flower Valley was melted down into scrap metal the day before yesterday. Could these things also be unrelated to Dark Moon?” I took out Senior Sister Qingwei’s jade token and held it in front of him. “Look at these blood patterns. From Cangwu Island to Ten Thousand Swords Pavilion, the lifelines of seventeen immortal sects are all in Dark Moon’s poison net.”

"If we really wait until they tighten their grip—" I paused, letting the bloodstains on the jade tablet glow an eerie red in the candlelight, ""who do you think Dark Moon will crush first?

A collective gasp filled the hall.

Suddenly, Fairy Zhao released me, staggered, and picked up the jade pendant from the ground. Her sleeve swept across the demon's boots as if she were hiding from something dirty: "Fairy Xiao is right!"

Before my death, the Lord of Cangwu Island held my hand and said, 'Don't let Dark Moon laugh at us—if we continue to fight over who is superior, we will truly be fulfilling their wishes!'"

The shadowy figure's pupils shrank to pinpoints.

He suddenly reached out, his fingertips almost poking my nose: "Xiao Yao, you're just a Foundation Establishment cultivator, what makes you..."

"Because she has the blood certificates of seventeen immortal sects in her hands." Wen Chen's voice was like a piece of iron tempered with ice, directly hitting the demon shadow's head.

He had appeared to my left at some point, his long, black sleeves cascading down like a waterfall. The Moon-Slaying Sword at his waist trembled slightly, its clang echoing through the hall alongside his voice. "Furthermore, I, Wen Chen, am willing to pledge my Immortal Venerable position as collateral—this alliance protects the gates of every sect."

Elder Sun's fingers finally stopped.

He stroked his beard and looked up, his gaze sweeping over the Immortal Venerable Token at Wen Chen's waist and the Blood Jade Token in my hand. Suddenly, he coughed lightly and said, "Young friend, you are right."

If we can truly ensure the safety of the Myriad Swords Pavilion...

"Ensure safety?" The demonic figure suddenly flicked his sleeve, overturning the tea table behind him.

Pieces of celadon flew everywhere, one of them grazing my earlobe and stinging.

His face flickered in the candlelight, the scar resembling a snake come to life: "Do you know that the alliance must establish rules?"

We need to submit the deployment map!

We must share the elixir!

He was going to tie his own disciple's life to someone else's belt! He suddenly laughed, his laughter like the hooting of an owl, "Xiao Yao, do you dare say you have no selfish motives?"

Wen Chen, do you dare say this alliance isn't just a pretext for expanding your power?

My back molars are aching from clenching them.

The people of Dark Moon are the best at picking at people's thorns—Elder Sun's gaze, which had just softened, tightened again. Representatives from several minor immortal realms whispered among themselves, and Manager Liu of Hidden Mist Mountain, who had been holding his hand up, slowly lowered it under the table.

“Since Fellow Immortal Shadow is questioning the rules, then we will establish even more detailed rules.” Envoy Li suddenly spoke, and the teacup finally came to rest in his palm.

He wiped the tea stains from his cuffs with a handkerchief and smiled like a spring breeze across a lake. "How about we try a small collaboration first?"

For example... Dark Moon recently started trading Gu poison in Qinglan Town, and each family sent three or five disciples to follow Fairy Xiao and Wen Chen to take down that stronghold.

If it succeeds, it proves the alliance was useful; if it fails, consider it a lesson learned. He turned to Elder Sun, "Brother Sun, what do you think of this method?"

Elder Sun stroked his chin: "Qinglan Town isn't far from the Ten Thousand Swords Pavilion... If we can really take down Dark Moon's stronghold, it won't be a loss."

Fairy Zhao immediately nodded: "My Cangwu Island Sect has ten disciples!"

Manager Liu's eyes lit up: "We have beast tamers in Hidden Mist Mountain who can detect poisonous fog!"

The demon's face turned from green to white.

He watched the increasingly heated discussion among the crowd, then suddenly flung his sleeves and strode towards the palace gate: "If you want to be suckers, I'm not playing along!" His boot crushed the last shard of porcelain. "But let me make this clear—if anything goes wrong, don't come begging me!"

"Take care," Wen Chen said calmly, his gaze fixed on the figure of the demon until the dark figure disappeared into the morning mist.

I loosened my clenched fist, which had gone numb, and then realized that Wen Chen's fingers had quietly hooked around my little finger without my noticing.

The warmth of his palms seeped through the calluses, like a gentle fire that wouldn't burn you.

“Then it’s settled.” Envoy Li made the decision. “Meet at the pavilion ten miles outside Qinglan Town at dawn three days from now.”

Led by Fairy Xiao and Immortal Venerable Wen Chen, representatives from each faction gathered. He turned to me, a meaningful smile playing on his lips, "Fairy Xiao, are you going to do us a favor?"

Just as I was about to agree, I suddenly heard hurried footsteps outside the hall.

Xiao Zhu—a messenger sent by Yuqing—shoved open the palace door, her knees slamming heavily onto the red carpet: "Xiao... Fairy Xiao!"

Outside the mountain gate...more than twenty dark figures, cloaked in black, were approaching!

My heart sank to the bottom. The Dark Moon people arrived so quickly?

Wen Chen's fingers tightened instantly, and the Zhan Yue Sword was drawn three inches from its sheath with a "hum," its cold light causing the candlelight in the hall to flicker.

Zhao Xianzi had already grabbed the sword tassel at her waist, and Steward Liu's beast-taming bag was trembling in his arms. Even Elder Sun stood up and placed his hand on the sword under the table.

"Everyone," I took a deep breath, forcing my trembling voice from my dantian, "Dark Moon is only in a hurry to disrupt things because they fear our alliance." I looked at Wen Chen; the icy glint in his eyes softened, replaced by a fiery light. "Wen Chen, go and set up the defensive array; Fairy Zhao, lead the Cangwu disciples to guard the east side gate; Steward Liu, have your spirit sable probe the intruder's cultivation level—"

"I'm going right now!" Fairy Zhao rushed out with her sword drawn, her robes billowing in the wind, causing the candlelight to flicker.

Wen Chen squeezed my hand, and as he turned around, his black wide sleeves swept across the back of my hand, as if to say, "Don't be afraid."

He walked to the temple entrance and then turned back. Moonlight streamed in from behind him, gilding his silhouette with silver: "I'll be waiting for you at the mountain gate."

Xiao Zhu was still kneeling on the ground, looking up at me with tears in her eyes: "Fairy Xiao, I...I'll go guard the back gate!"

"Okay." I patted the top of his head, like I would pat Xiao Tao's head. "Remember to stay in the shadows."

The footsteps outside the hall grew closer, mixed with heavy breathing.

I stared at the still-smoking teacup on the table and suddenly remembered what Xiao Tao had said: in the dilapidated kiln in Qinglan Town, her mother would always stuff the last half of a cake into her hand and say, "Hold it tight, don't let the wind snatch it away."

Now, I hold the hopes of seventeen immortal sects in my hands, and the wind... is coming.