The Private Alliance

Alliances rose and fell across Dragon Island like weeds after a storm. Xiao Chen had no desire to fight alone forever. He did not necessarily need to join any particular alliance, but at the very least, he needed to build ties with reliable people—to have someone to watch his back when the storm came.

Moving with extreme caution, he slipped through the lush primeval forest without alerting a soul, eventually emerging onto a range of picturesque peaks. This was the seat of the Dharma Alliance. Scattered among the beautiful hills and hidden within the woods were humble wooden huts, simple yet full of meaning—as though this were the hermitage of some transcendent sage, detached from the strife of the world.

Guided by pure instinct, Xiao Chen walked toward one of the huts. Before he had come within thirty meters, the door swung open on its own. Yizhen the monk had sensed his approach. At the same time, the door of another nearby hut creaked open, and a second young monk leaned against the frame.

Xiao Chen knew this must be the senior brother Yizhen had mentioned so often.

“Xiao Chen,” Yizhen said with a warm laugh, “I knew you would come.”

The gray-robed monk who drew near was indeed his senior brother, whose Dharma name was Yichi. Like Yizhen, Yichi did not address Xiao Chen as “benefactor” nor refer to himself as “this humble monk.” Though they were ordained monks, their speech was no different from any ordinary person’s.

Both young monks wore gentle, kind expressions. Yizhen smiled and said, “You have quite a reputation now!”

Xiao Chen’s various “acts of self-preservation” had indeed made him a famous figure. The fiery blaze that had consumed Treefolk Valley had left Zhao Lin’er and her faction gnashing their teeth in fury. And today, his duel with Kaio—the first sanctioned fight under the new rules—had drawn intense attention. Then he had trampled the Spellmaster Dimens down from midair, earning gasps of astonishment from over a dozen alliances.

“Why not join us?” Yizhen asked.

“Aren’t you afraid I’ll bring you big trouble?” Xiao Chen replied with a faint smile. “I’ve offended quite a few people, you know. Treefolk Valley holds a blood grudge against me, and Yarode and Kaio are at daggers drawn with me.”

Yichi laughed. “We heard about today. You overwhelmed Kaio, struck fear into that barbarian’s heart, then stepped on the Spellmaster Dimens from the sky—a clean, effortless victory. Truly a master.”

Yizhen added, “I have to admit, I misjudged your strength. I was worried for you earlier, but it turns out you could handle Kaio easily. Don’t worry about the consequences—join us.”

Xiao Chen shook his head. “I don’t want to bring trouble down on you. I appreciate your goodwill, truly.”

“We’re not offering you charity,” the two young monks said frankly, without the slightest pretense. “You have the combat strength to qualify.”

Xiao Chen appreciated dealing with people like this. He said directly, “The troubles I’ve stirred up are far greater than you know. If you don’t mind, let’s support each other privately. On the surface, I won’t be a member of your alliance, but if you ever face a crisis, I will certainly come to your aid. Likewise, if disaster befalls me, I hope you will lend a hand. This way we form a pact without dragging you into my feuds.”

Yizhen and Yichi both laughed heartily and agreed without hesitation. For them, this was the best possible arrangement.

There was one matter Xiao Chen needed to clarify before he could rest easy. He desperately wanted to know whether the tree-man who had metamorphosed in Treefolk Valley had truly allied with Zhao Lin’er and her group. That tree-man emanated an aura that rivaled the fiercest dragons, and Xiao Chen regarded him with deep wariness.

To his surprise, Yizhen knew of this tree-man. The news had come through Yarode, who admitted he could not fathom the tree-man’s depths. As a result, many alliances treated Treefolk Valley with caution.

However, it was said that the powerful tree-man cultivated alone and forbade any of his kind from leaving the valley’s depths. Under his command, the other tree-men did not dare wander beyond the valley.

Hearing this, Xiao Chen’s hidden worry melted away.

“Senior Brother Yizhen, I’d like to know—what is the relationship between Yan Qingcheng and her fellow disciples?” Xiao Chen asked with a purpose.

The Undying Evil King’s legacy in the mortal world had always been rife with internal strife. Disciples of the same school were locked in fierce competition; many senior and junior brothers were at each other’s throats.

Xiao Chen wanted to know whether the same situation held true here in the World of Immortality. If so, his killing of Wang Zifeng and Liu Yue might be set aside.

“They don’t get along. There’s plenty of conflict among them. That’s why Yan Qingcheng chose to cooperate with Lande rather than her own fellow disciples,” Yizhen answered. Then, curious, he asked, “Why do you ask?”

“It’s a long story. Since both of you have asked, I won’t hide it. I trust you completely.” Whether he truly trusted them or not, Xiao Chen had to show his hand. “I killed Wang Zifeng and Liu Yue.”

“What?!”

“Is that true?”

Yizhen and Yichi were visibly startled.

Xiao Chen briefly recounted what had happened. If Zhao Lin’er had not known the truth, he could have let the matter remain an unsolved mystery forever. But now he had to deal with it properly before Zhao Lin’er could tell Yan Qingcheng and plant a seed of future enmity.

Since Yan Qingcheng was at odds with her own disciples, Xiao Chen hoped Yizhen could help mediate.

It was not that Xiao Chen was weak or afraid of trouble. He would never compromise with an avowed enemy—he neither needed to nor would stoop so low. But for someone who was neither friend nor confirmed foe, he wanted to try to resolve the issue. No one wished to make enemies on every side. Xiao Chen was no mindless killer; with the situation so complex, he wanted to reduce his list of adversaries.

Yet if mediation failed and he was marked as an enemy, he would show no mercy—just as he had done with Kaio and the others.

Truth be told, Xiao Chen quite wanted to fight Yan Qingcheng and Lande. The two had once looked down on him with contempt, and he burned to crush their arrogance with absolute force.

After hearing the brief account, Yichi sighed. “When you must act, you act. Brother Xiao Chen is decisive indeed. If you hadn’t struck first, given their strength, the outcome would have been hard to predict.”

Yichi was not speaking idly—Wang Zifeng and Liu Yue were both formidable. If not for Xiao Chen seizing the opening created by the Ancient Tyrant Dragon’s thunderous roar, the result could have been very different.

Yizhen understood what Xiao Chen was asking. He smiled and said, “Let me try. But Yan Qingcheng has a strong will and is not easily swayed. Though she is hostile toward her fellow disciples, they are still of the same school—this touches on sect dignity…”

“I am grateful for your help, Senior Brother Yizhen,” Xiao Chen said. He did not expect a complete resolution. If not, then let it be war.

Retreat was never the best way to resolve conflict. The more effective path was to strike until the enemy learned to tremble—provided, of course, you had the strength to do so.

As Xiao Chen took his leave of the two monks and walked through the territory where alliances were clustered, several cultivators in an open clearing were discussing something. It seemed some alliance wanted a decisive battle with him! An alliance of up to ten members challenging a single man—wasn’t that going too far?