When Zhao Sheng verbally agreed to join the Spring and Autumn Alliance, Meng Quyi was overjoyed and no longer regarded Zhao Sheng as an outsider.
As a Foundation Establishment Elder, Meng Quyi wanted to curry favor with Zhao Sheng, so he began to give a detailed account of the recent situation of the Spring and Autumn Alliance.
"The Spring and Autumn Alliance has a history of more than 6,000 years since it was founded by the Spring and Autumn Ancestor. At present, in addition to Alliance Leader Kong, who is in the late stage of Golden Core, and two Supreme Elders in the Golden Core realm, there are also some Foundation Establishment realm elders, island lords and guest ministers, totaling more than 40 people.
Besides, the Spring and Autumn Alliance also has nearly a hundred affiliated islands. The smaller forces on these islands are considered peripheral forces of the alliance, and the island lords mostly serve as guest advisors to the alliance.
"Fellow Daoist Meng, I didn't expect your alliance to have three Golden Core seniors. It seems your alliance is quite powerful!" Zhao Sheng said politely with a smile. The Spring and Autumn Alliance was not bad in strength, and it was a good place to stay temporarily.
"Not at all, not at all! Fellow Daoist Zhao flatters us. Among the many forces in the Shattered Star Sea, although our Spring and Autumn Alliance is one of the Thirty-Six Constellations, we can only barely claim the reputation of having a large number of people. In terms of strength, we are among the lowest-tier and cannot compare with other large sects and forces."
However, unlike those cultivation sects, our alliance has many rules and regulations that restrict its members. Not only do we have more freedom of action, but we also have many advantages.
Once you become a Foundation Establishment Guest Elder, you can not only browse the cultivation manuals in the library for free, but also enjoy certain discounts when purchasing various cultivation resources in the shops opened by the alliance.
Furthermore, many Foundation Establishment cultivators within the alliance regularly hold various experience-sharing meetings. Moreover, the alliance leader and the Supreme Elders occasionally step in to offer guidance, which is why our alliance has flourished so greatly.
At this point, Meng Quyi paused, then said sincerely:
"To be honest, Fellow Daoist, the Spring and Autumn Alliance is divided into nine halls. I, Meng, very much hope that Fellow Daoist Zhao can serve as a guest elder in the External Affairs Hall. The External Affairs Hall offers generous benefits, is eager to recruit talented individuals, and has the support of the Supreme Elder, True Person Qifeng. What do you think, Fellow Daoist?"
"I appreciate Fellow Daoist Meng's kindness, but please allow me a few days to consider it. Once we arrive at Jiuzhen Island, I will certainly give you an answer," Zhao Sheng replied with a laugh.
Seeing this, Meng Quyi was not angry. Instead, he changed the subject and began to chat with Zhao Sheng about the various forces in the Shattered Star Sea and some major events that had recently occurred.
Through this casual conversation, Zhao Sheng gained a deeper and clearer understanding of the situation in the Shattered Star Sea.
Overall, the most core and prosperous region of the Shattered Star Sea is the Inner Star Sea. The Inner Star Sea is ruled by the so-called "One God, Four Saints, and Thirty-Six Constellations" and other immortal cultivation forces.
"One God" refers to the Star God Palace, the uncrowned king of the Shattered Star Sea. The Star God Palace is filled with experts and its power is unfathomable. All the Supreme Elders in the palace are Nascent Soul Ancestors, and the Palace Master is rumored to have crossed the Nascent Soul Heavenly Threshold and become a Transformation True Monarch, a rare achievement in the Heavenly Pillar Realm.
The "Four Saints" refers to the Four Saints Islands named after the four sacred beasts: Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Black Tortoise, and Vermilion Bird. Each island is home to a Nascent Soul level immortal family, each with over ten thousand years of history, tens of millions of family members, and an incredibly profound foundation.
Legend has it that each of the four great families possesses an ancient spiritual treasure. These ancient spiritual treasures are incredibly powerful; a Nascent Soul ancestor wielding one can contend with a Divine Transformation True Monarch.
Therefore, the status of the four major families is as stable as Mount Tianzhu, second only to the Star God Palace in the Shattered Star Sea.
Below the Four Saints are the so-called Thirty-Six Constellation Spirit Islands, each with at least one Golden Core True Person.
Furthermore, if a Nascent Soul Ancestor is stationed on the island, it is called Tiangang Spirit Island, which means "the Nascent Soul Ancestor can break through the nine layers of Tiangang atmosphere, briefly fly into the outer void, and collect the mysterious spirits from the heavens."
The Starry Spirit Island, which does not have a Nascent Soul Ancestor presiding over it, can also be called the Earthly Fiend Spirit Island, which is derived from the idea that "Golden Core True Persons refine their Golden Core by using Earthly Fiend Spirit True Persons in the Realm to enhance their cultivation and condense their supernatural powers."
Most of the thirty-six constellations on the Spirit Island are cultivation sects, such as the Tianyang Sword Sect, Zhenwu Mountain, Qianyu Pavilion, Xuanxiao Sect, and so on, which have been the most prominent sects in the last hundred years.
The Spring and Autumn Alliance nominally occupies Jiuzhen Island, one of the Thirty-Six Constellations, but in reality, it is backed by the "Vermilion Bird" Gu Yan family.
As for middling Golden Core level forces like the Spring and Autumn Alliance, they must pay a certain amount of tribute to the Gu Yan family every year and deal with some dirty business that they can't bear to see.
The Gu Yan family was responsible for ensuring that the Spring and Autumn Alliance was not swallowed up by other major clans.
It is said that Meng Quyi was quite eloquent and had a witty way of speaking.
Moreover, they didn't shy away from discussing the inner workings of the Spring and Autumn Alliance; on the contrary, they were quite candid. Their casual chat over tea wasn't at all dull.
...
Five days later, the ship sailed across thousands of miles of sea, passing several islands in succession, and finally arrived near a large, bustling island at noon, with countless ships coming and going.
Zhao Sheng and Meng Quyi stood at the bow of the boat, gazing at Jiuzhen Island.
"Haha, finally home! Brother Zhao, please!"
Meng Quyi laughed heartily, and with a flick of his wrist, a scroll radiating spiritual light suddenly flew out from his sleeve. As soon as the scroll unfurled in the air, he grabbed it and cast a spell into it with his other hand.
The scroll was immediately illuminated by a white light, followed by a clear bird song. Then, a ray of light rolled out and transformed into a giant sea eagle, over two zhang tall, with blue wings.
After the two boarded the spirit eagle's back, Meng Quyi gave a low shout, and the spirit eagle immediately spread its wings, stirring up a gust of wind, and soared into the air, quickly flying towards Jiuzhen Island.
"Below is the headquarters of my Spring and Autumn Alliance, Jiuzhen Island," Meng Quyi said with a smug look, pointing to the island below.
Zhao Sheng looked in the direction the other person was pointing and saw that the Nine True Islands were not one, but nine closely spaced spiritual islands.
The nine sacred islands range in size from hundreds of miles to tens of miles. Some are covered with lush mountains and cliffs, while others are densely populated with shops and buildings, making them all beautiful islands.
From the sky, Jiuzhen Island looks like a large round cake divided into nine pieces of different sizes.
The islands are connected by a series of large stone bridges spanning the sea. There are as many as eighteen piers on the bridges that shimmer with array light, and when viewed from the sky, they look like giant dragons lying across the strait.
As Meng Quyi urged his spirit bird to fly, he proudly introduced:
"The population of Jiuzhen Island is several million, with more than ten thousand cultivators. Based on the direction and concentration of spiritual veins on the island, Jiuzhen Island is divided into two parts: the Upper Spiritual Three Islands and the Lower Spiritual Five Islands."
The most central and largest island, Spring and Autumn Island, is the headquarters of the Spring and Autumn Alliance. The island boasts a high concentration of spiritual energy, and most of the Qi Refining disciples and some Foundation Establishment cultivators reside there. The Lower Five Islands are more diverse, mainly consisting of markets and a large number of independent cultivators.
As Zhao Sheng listened to Meng Quyi's description, he noticed that the buildings on the three islands below were mostly white and light blue, and were mostly made of huge stones, but the tops were made of an unknown silver-white metal, which looked quite peculiar.
It was midday, and under the blazing sun, the buildings on the three islands reflected large swaths of dazzling white light, making it hard to see anything below.
A moment later, the eagle suddenly lowered its body, folded its wings, and swooped down toward the largest island, Spring and Autumn Island, finally landing in the square in front of a large palace building built against the mountain.
"Brother Zhao, please!"
After Zhao Sheng dismounted from the spirit eagle, Meng Quyi also leaped down and flicked his sleeve, releasing the scroll. A burst of light swept out, taking the spirit eagle back.
Then, with a beaming smile, he led Zhao Sheng toward the Spring and Autumn Hall.
Looking around, the Spring and Autumn Palace is very magnificent. The main body is made of huge square blue stones, each two zhang in length, width and height. The palace walls alone are tens of zhang high.
Around the main hall, there were also many smaller stone buildings, where people came and went, mostly dressed in green robes and white clothes, making it quite lively.
Every now and then, one can see cultivators flying from afar, using flying swords, cloud boats, or other flying magical artifacts, or riding spirit birds, and landing in this cluster of buildings in the blink of an eye.
Led by Meng Quyi, Zhao Sheng bypassed the Spring and Autumn Hall and ventured deep into the buildings and courtyards. After twisting and turning around the heavily guarded halls, he finally arrived at a sizable, antique-style courtyard.
Before the courtyard gate stood a massive white jade tablet, three zhang tall, inscribed with the four ancient and profound characters "Spring and Autumn Endure Forever." The characters subtly emanated an astonishing, restrained yet powerful aura.
If one did not recognize the Taiyi Spiritual Script, an ordinary cultivator would likely be humiliated and made a fool of himself under the jade stone in a single encounter.
"This is where our alliance entertains distinguished guests. Fellow Daoist Zhao, please rest for a while and enjoy some of our alliance's spiritual tea. The Supreme Elder will be here shortly!"
Meng Quyi led Zhao Sheng to an elegantly decorated living room with a tranquil and peaceful atmosphere, and then gently clapped his hands.
Just then, three pretty maids filed in. One of them served a pot of spiritual tea, while the other two set out the teacups. Then the three of them quietly withdrew.
Zhao Sheng and his companion then sat in the hall, sipping tea and chatting for a while about the refined and anecdotes of the Spring and Autumn Alliance.
After a short while, a burst of laughter suddenly came from outside the living room.
"Haha, Qu Yi, I heard you invited a Foundation Establishment cultivator today. Since the Alliance Leader isn't on the island, I've come to meet him first."
Before the words were finished, an old Taoist priest with a sallow complexion, long beard, and white hair, wearing a green robe, stepped in from the doorway.
"Elder." Meng Quyi quickly stood up.
Zhao Sheng's expression shifted, and he stood up as well, his demeanor displaying just the right amount of respect.
Judging from Meng Quyi's address to this person, this old Taoist in green robes should be the Supreme Elder of the Spring and Autumn Alliance, True Man Qifeng.
As the old Taoist priest in the green robe entered, the living room was suddenly enveloped by a sharp and invisible aura. The room seemed to have become a "vacuum," with every wisp of air falling under the control of the kind-looking old Taoist priest.
"Elder, this is Fellow Daoist Zhao," Meng Quyi introduced with a broad smile.
"I am Zhao Chonghe, paying my respects to the True Man. May the True Man live a thousand years!" Zhao Sheng bowed to the True Man Qifeng with clasped hands. He did not give his real name, but instead gave his name from his previous life.
The old Taoist in green robes glanced at Zhao Sheng, his gaze lingering on his face, and said with a hint of meaning, "Young friend Zhao, why don't you show your true face? Do you not trust my Spring and Autumn Alliance?"
Upon hearing this, Zhao Sheng frowned.
By saying this right after meeting him, Master Qifeng was clearly giving him a little bit of a show of force.
Now we'll see how he responds.
Zhao Sheng's brows relaxed, and he said loudly, "Senior, you may not know this, but I have cultivated a special technique. Before I mastered it, my appearance was completely destroyed, so it was inconvenient for me to show it to the outside world."
Surprisingly, Master Qifeng did not press the matter further, but instead let it go and invited the two to sit down.
While Zhao Sheng was surprised, he was quite impressed by Master Qifeng's skillful and adept manipulation of people.
The three sat down according to their status as host and attendant. Master Qifeng took the seat of honor without hesitation. At his command, a maid immediately came in to remove the old tea and serve new spiritual tea.
After some casual conversation, Zhao Sheng subtly indicated that he was willing to accept the offer, but still had reservations.
Old Daoist Qi Feng's expression turned solemn, and he said earnestly, "Since that's the case, I won't mince words. The Spring and Autumn Alliance is currently eager for talented individuals. Young Friend Zhao, if you have any concerns, please feel free to voice them in advance. There are some areas where things can be negotiated later; I can make the decision on behalf of the Alliance Leader."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Sheng's expression wavered somewhat. After a moment's hesitation, he asked:
"I would like to ask, if the Spring and Autumn Alliance were to engage in conflict with a hostile force, would the guest elders necessarily be required to participate?"
Upon hearing this, the old Taoist Qi Feng was taken aback at first, then chuckled and said earnestly, "
"Unless the Spring and Autumn Alliance faces annihilation, the Alliance will set up a mission and offer a reward if it needs the help of its guest elders. The guest elders can decide whether to accept or not, and the Alliance will never force them."
"What if I become a guest elder and then wish to withdraw from the Spring and Autumn Alliance?" Zhao Sheng pressed further.
"If you are not satisfied with our alliance, young friend Zhao is free to withdraw on your own. Our alliance will not deliberately obstruct you," said the old Taoist Qi Feng in a very magnanimous manner.
Upon hearing this, Zhao Sheng's face showed a hint of satisfaction, and he nodded, saying, "In that case, I, Zhao, can agree to join your alliance and become a guest elder."
Upon hearing this, the old Taoist Qi Feng smiled with satisfaction, while Meng Quyi was overjoyed.
After all, any Foundation Establishment cultivator in the Shattered Star Sea is extremely rare.
A Foundation Establishment cultivator can easily become the lord of an island, and can also support a small cultivation force.
Most importantly, Zhao Sheng is clearly young, has much greater potential than ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators, and has more time to cultivate his feelings for the Spring and Autumn Alliance.
For the External Affairs Hall alone, the addition of a Foundation Establishment Guest Elder will immediately and greatly enhance the strength of the entire hall.
Next, the old Taoist Qi Feng left under the pretext of having something to do, leaving Meng Quyi to explain the specific benefits of being a guest elder to Zhao Sheng.
The guest elders of the Spring and Autumn Alliance are also divided into different levels. Those who are in the early stage of Foundation Establishment can become ordinary guest elders, and when they advance to the middle stage of Foundation Establishment or above, they will naturally become senior guest elders.
In addition, the Spring and Autumn Alliance promised to allocate an independent cave dwelling to each guest elder. The cave dwellings are all built on the core spiritual veins, and most of them are concentrated in some hills and valleys in the northwest of Spring and Autumn Island.
In addition, guest elders receive a certain amount of spirit stones and elixirs as stipends each year.
Although Zhao Sheng didn't care about this little thing, it represented the attitude of the Spring and Autumn Alliance.
After explaining the terms and conditions, Meng Quyi formally invited Zhao Sheng to join the Foreign Affairs Department.
After a moment's thought, Zhao Sheng nodded in agreement.