The central hall of the Void Immortal Sect was silent.
Alone, Xu Tianran sat upon the throne-like chair at the head of the hall.
Suddenly—
Bang!
The door burst open. A young disciple stumbled in, breath ragged, face pale.
"S-Sect Master!" he cried out, falling to his knees in a hasty bow. "Urgent news!"
Xu Tianran's eyes shifted toward him, calm yet absolute. The pressure alone froze the disciple's thoughts, but he forced the words out.
"The Crimson Thunder Sect… their Sect Master is here. He has come to visit—personally!"
A flicker of surprise might have crossed Xu Tianran's eyes. Perhaps.
"Crimson Thunder Sect… Luo Feng? A Core Formation cultivator, and a cautious one. Why now?"
"Is this curiosity? Or a veiled probe into who now leads the Void Immortal Sect?"
Xu Tianran's voice cut through the silence, cold and precise.
"Let him in."
The disciple bowed again and scurried out.
At the worn stone path leading to the Void Immortal Sect's main gate, three figures stood like titans among mist.
Luo Feng, Sect Master of the Crimson Thunder Sect, exuded an unshakable calm. His storm-etched eyes scanned the mountainous ruins with faint amusement. At his side stood two high Foundation Establishment experts—Elder Xia Yun, silent and sharp as a saber's edge, and Elder Feng Baoyang , broad-shouldered and crackling with repressed battle spirit.
The Void Immortal Sect's disciple arrived hastily and bowed. "The Sect Master will receive you. Please follow me."
As they stepped onto the moss-cracked path, Xia Yun glanced at the surroundings, her tone clipped.
"This sect… hasn't changed much after all these years. Still so humble."
Feng Baoyang snorted. "Humble is one way to put it. Crumbling is another."
Luo Feng's golden eyes remained ahead.
"If it weren't for their Sect Master, I would not have come."
Feng Baoyang raised a brow. "Why are you so eager to meet him?"
Luo Feng's voice was low, thoughtful.
"With the way he crushed the Ironwood Sect… and the rumors about taming bandits like dogs… I want to see what kind of man he is. Or… what kind of monster."
The disciple reached the large stone doors of the central hall and pushed them open with both hands.
A pulse of spiritual pressure greeted the visitors instantly. It was like walking into the eye of a lightning storm—and yet the center was deathly still.
There, seated in silence, was Xu Tianran.
His cultivation couldn't be sensed. He simply was, beyond the limits of perception. Luo Feng's brows twitched. Even the Core Formation within him recoiled, unable to judge the realm of this man.
"He's not just powerful… Absolute. This pressure… it rivals the Supreme Sect Masters… No—perhaps stronger."
Xia Yun felt her legs tense instinctively, while Feng Baoyang's expression darkened. This was not an opponent. This was a sovereign.
Infront of Xu Tianran stood Elder Huang Zhenhai and Yan Ruyue , her crimson hair gleaming in the light like bloodied silk.
A single chair awaited opposite Xu—prepared out of etiquette, though the imbalance of presence made it feel like a throne before a tribunal.
Luo Feng stepped forward and sat.
Xu Tianran finally spoke.
"Why did you come?"
Luo Feng replied, without hesitation, "To see the man who revived a dying sect… and bent bandits to his will without bloodshed."
Xu Tianran's gaze lingered. "Is that truly all?"
At that, Elder Huang's eyes narrowed. "Sect Master?"
Luo Feng smiled faintly. "So you noticed. I expected no less."
He leaned forward. " The Ironwood Sect will not stand alone. They are rallying others—sect alliances, desperate bids for survival. The other factions won't sit still while a new power rises unchecked."
Yan Ruyue tilted her head. "An alliance? How adorable. Shall we crush them one by one?"
Huang Zhenhai muttered, "So it's true… they're seeking allies."
Xia Yun spoke then, her voice as cutting as her sabers.
"Ironwood Sect knows they can't withstand another attack. They'll rally anyone who fears your rise."
Feng Baoyang nodded. "And fear spreads quickly."
Luo Feng turned to Xu Tianran again.
"I know you could destroy them. Perhaps you don't even need to lift a finger—your subordinates would suffice."
Yan Ruyue smirked. "We enjoy doing the Sect Master's will. No need to involve him unless he wants the sky to fall."
Xu Tianran's voice cut in, flat.
"Get to the point."
Luo Feng's smile vanished. He bowed his head slightly.
"I came to propose an alliance."
Silence stretched in the grand hall.
The word "alliance" lingered like smoke in the air, but Xu Tianran showed no visible reaction. He remained seated, gaze unreadable, as if peering through Luo Feng rather than at him.
Yan Ruyue scoffed, folding her arms across her crimson robe.
"Alliance? Seriously?"
Her golden eyes sparkled with mischief. "I thought mid-tier sects would have more pride."
Luo Feng met her stare calmly. "This isn't about pride, Elder Yan. It's about foresight."
He raised his hand, and a jade storage ring materialized between his fingers.
"I offer this as a token of sincerity."
He extended the ring forward. Xu Tianran received it. As his divine sense swept through its contents, his brows lifted faintly.
"...a gift worthy of a mid-tier sect's treasury."
Luo Feng straightened.
"Void Immortal Sect has power. But no access. No resources. No invitation to events. That limits your growth."
"We offer mutual defense. Limited trade. And… access."
Xia Yun added, "The Golden Sky Auction in Lianhua City opens in two months. Only recognized sects are allowed to enter. With us, your disciples can attend."
Luo Feng stood slowly, not yet leaving, but allowing the weight of his words to settle.
"I know what you're thinking, Sect Master Xu. That we came to tie ourselves to your strength. That we fear your rise. And you're right."
He met Xu Tianran's gaze without flinching.
"But we also see opportunity. If the Void Immortal Sect continues like this… it won't remain Rank 60 for long."
Yan Ruyue let out a soft chuckle. "So, you're just here to benefit from our rise?"
Luo Feng nodded slightly. "Better to walk alongside strength… than stand in its way."
Xu Tianran finally spoke. "Then so be it. For now… an alliance."
Luo Feng bowed deeper than before. "This decision honors us."
Luo Feng gestured to his companions, but paused near the door.
"One last thing—if you wish to attend the Lianhua auction… you may do so under our name. No one in the empire knows who you are. That anonymity… is your greatest shield."
With that, the three thunder-borne guests exited the hall—silent as fading lightning.
After the doors shut, He turned toward Huang Zhenhai and handed him the ring formally.
"Use the spirit stones to expand the training grounds. Assign pills to core disciples and rebuild sect."
Huang Zhenhai bowed deeply.After the doors shut, He turned toward Huang Zhenhai and handed him the ring formally.
"Use the spirit stones to expand the training grounds. Assign pills to core disciples and rebuild sect."
Huang Zhenhai bowed deeply.
"Yes, Sect Master."
Xu Tianran leaned back into his chair, eyes half-lidded.
"An auction… an alliance… "
In the jade-tiled hall of the Emerald Serpent Sect , the scent of incense curled lazily into the air, mixing with a faint herbal bitterness. The inner sanctum, lined with green stone pillars carved into coiling serpents, was dimly lit—yet the tension was sharp.
At the center stood Sect Master She Yunhai , robed in deep emeralds, his expression cool and unreadable. Beside him stood his four elders, arranged like coiled vipers around a prey.
Opposite them, standing with hands clasped, was a visitor clad in gnarled black and green robes.
Elder Wu Zhen of the Blackwood Sect .
She Yunhai spoke first, his voice mild but edged with suspicion.
"So, Elder Wu… you want us to strike against the Void Immortal Sect?"
Wu Zhen inclined his head. "Correct. You may not see them as a threat now… but in time, they will be."
Elder Mei raised a brow, arms crossed. "You claim they threaten us? They're a backwater sect led by a ghost of a reputation."
Wu Zhen's expression twisted into something close to amusement.
"You think so? Then you haven't been paying attention."
He took a step forward, the shadows beneath his robes shifting unnaturally.
" He *subjugated bandits*—ruthless ones—and turned them into *elders*. Even the Cloud Sect itself was taken without a proper battle."
The Emerald Serpent elders fell into silence. Only the faint flicker of serpent-fire lamps filled the pause.
Wu Zhen continued, calmly pressing the blade.
"Ironwood Sect's forces were nearly wiped out By the *bandits alone*. Now imagine what will happen if the Void Immortal Sect targets their Sect next."
She Yunhai narrowed his eyes. "You mean to say they'll wipe out Ironwood Sect completely?"
Wu Zhen nodded.
"That's their next move. And once that's done… do you think they'll stop there?"
Elder Li's eyes narrowed. "So you want us to attack them preemptively… when they march against Ironwood Sect?"
Wu Zhen clasped his hands behind his back. "Exactly. It's the perfect opportunity. Right now, Ironwood Sect is scrambling for allies. They've likely already approached the **Cold Sun Sect**… though I doubt Cold Sun Sect will act unless they feel safe. But if *we* stand beside Ironwood Sect, Cold Sun Sect will follow."
Elder Zhang scowled. "You speak of alliances, but aren't you only the voice of your sect? Where is Sect Master Hei Mu in all this?"
Wu Zhen's expression didn't change. "Sect Master Hei Mu supports this move. We've already made contact with Ironwood Sect. Now we come to you."
She Yunhai leaned forward slightly, his gaze sharp. "You want to form a four-sect alliance… to destroy Void Immortal Sect?"
Wu Zhen nodded. "Blackwood, Ironwood , Cold Sun, and your Emerald Serpent Sect."
Zhang folded his arms. "But you just said Cold Sun won't move unless others join. So they're not truly committed."
Wu Zhen shrugged slightly. "They'll join once they see we are serious. They have a grudge against Void Immortal Sect. They just want someone to act first."
She Yunhai stood still for a long moment, then exhaled slowly.
"No."
Wu Zhen blinked. "Pardon?"
"I said," She Yunhai repeated, "we won't be joining."
Elder Mei chuckled coldly. "You truly thought we'd entangle ourselves in your schemes?"
Wu Zhen's eyes darkened. "You would pass up this opportunity? When the balance of power among the lower sects is shifting?"
She Yunhai's voice remained calm.
"We are aware. But unlike you, we do not gamble on unstable flames. The Void Immortal Sect is… not ordinary. That much is clear."
He turned slightly, signaling the end of the conversation.
"Forget this. We will not join your alliance."
Wu Zhen's expression turned rigid. He bowed stiffly.
"Very well. So that is your final decision."
He turned to leave, his long sleeves trailing behind him like withered vines. Just as he reached the door, he paused.
"If you change your mind," he said without turning, "send word to the Blackwood Sect."
Then he vanished into the shadows of the corridor.
After Wu Zhen's departure, the air grew lighter.
Elder Mei snorted. "Fools. They think we would dance to their tune."
Elder Li glanced at She Yunhai. "Sect Master, are we truly staying neutral?"
She Yunhai walked slowly toward the window, gazing out over the fog-draped peaks surrounding their sect.
"I don't know yet," he said softly. "But for now… it is better to stay neutral."
He narrowed his eyes.
"Something about that Sect Master… unsettles me."