kvmb Chapter 254 Joining the Alliance and Showing Off One's Talent
Chapter 254 Joining the Alliance and Showing Off One's Talent
Zhuang Yu accepted the invitation, his fingertips tracing the gold-embossed patterns on it, a faint scent of sandalwood lingering in his nostrils.
He had heard of the Spirit Realm Alliance before. It was a loose alliance composed of various sects in the Spirit Realm, nominally for the purpose of maintaining peace in the Spirit Realm, but in reality, it was rife with internal strife and each sect had its own ulterior motives.
Joining the alliance will undoubtedly drag him into this complex vortex.
But if he doesn't join, how can he protect Wang Yao in this perilous Spirit Realm on his own?
Thinking of this, Zhuang Yu felt a warm current surge in his heart, and Wang Yao's gentle smile appeared in his mind, which strengthened his resolve.
"Senior, I am willing to join the Spirit Realm Alliance." Zhuang Yu bowed with his hands clasped, his tone firm.
The old man stroked his beard.
Zhuang Yu followed the old man into the teleportation array. After a spatial fluctuation, they arrived in front of a magnificent palace.
The palace was magnificent and resplendent, with carved beams and painted rafters, exuding an imposing aura; it was the headquarters of the Spirit Realm Alliance.
As soon as I stepped into the main hall, I heard a commotion.
In the center of the hall, a bloated man in a golden robe was pointing at a thin old man and cursing, "Why should our Golden Money Sect only get so few resources? We put in a lot of effort!"
The man in the golden robe was the leader of the Money Sect. He was greedy by nature and meticulous about every penny. At this moment, he was arguing heatedly with representatives of other sects over the issue of resource allocation.
The gaunt old man was the leader of the Qingfeng Sect. He was also furious, blowing his beard and glaring as he said, "The Money Sect is contributing? I think you're contributing to plunder resources! If it weren't for young friend Zhuang Yu's timely intervention, our Spirit Realm would have been destroyed by the Dark Night Demon Lord's schemes long ago!"
"Nonsense! We, the Money Sect..." The Money Sect leader was about to argue when he was interrupted by another woman in a blue robe, "Enough! What time is it to be arguing like this! The Dark Night Demon Lord is watching us like a hawk. If we don't unite, we'll be defeated one by one sooner or later!"
Inside the main hall, representatives from various sects were arguing and creating complete chaos.
Zhuang Yu observed everything with a cold eye.
He walked forward slowly and cleared his throat...
Zhuang Yu cleared his throat, and the originally noisy hall instantly fell silent, with everyone's eyes focused on this young man who had just joined the alliance.
He stood tall and straight, with piercing eyes. Although he was a newcomer, he possessed an aura that commanded respect.
"Esteemed seniors, I am Zhuang Yu, a newcomer and not yet familiar with the rules of the alliance. However, I believe that arguing about resource allocation at this moment is unwise." Zhuang Yu's voice was not loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears, carrying an undeniable firmness.
The leader of the Money Sect snorted, his obese body leaning forward, and said with displeasure, "Boy, what do you know! Without resources, how can our sect develop? How can we fight against that demon?"
Zhuang Yu's lips curled slightly as he glanced at the crowd and slowly said, "Resources are naturally important. But how to allocate them is a skill in itself. I have a plan here, and you may wish to hear it." He paused, then continued, "How about this, the alliance can divide the resources into three parts: one part for daily expenses, one part for special contribution rewards, and the third part as reserve resources to deal with emergencies."
He pointed at the leader of the Money Gate and said, "Although the Money Gate has contributed to the battle against the Dark Night Demon Lord, it hasn't been enough to obtain a large amount of resources. However, if your sect can provide effective intelligence or make a significant contribution in future battles, you will receive a special contribution reward. This resource will definitely not disappoint the Money Gate. What do you think, Leader?" Upon hearing this, the Money Gate leader's eyes lit up, and the dissatisfaction on his face instantly disappeared. He stroked his beard and revealed a cunning smile. "Hmph, that's more like it! As long as there are benefits, I will naturally go all out."
Zhuang Yu turned to the representatives of other sects and continued, "As for the other sects, their daily expenses will be allocated according to their contribution points. The greater the contribution, the more resources they will receive. Furthermore, any sect that steps forward in a critical moment will also receive a special reward."
This plan takes into account the interests of the Money Sect without causing losses to other sects, and instead encourages everyone to actively participate in alliance affairs, making it a comprehensive solution.
The people in the hall whispered among themselves, all expressing their approval of Zhuang Yu's plan.
The strategist of the alliance, Mr. Zhuge, stroked his beard.
Just as everyone was admiring Zhuang Yu's coordination skills, a young figure squeezed up next to Zhuang Yu. He was excited and said in an excited tone, "Senior Zhuang Yu, you are really amazing! My name is Xiao Wu, and I have always admired you!" Xiao Wu had a youthful face, clear eyes, and was full of passion and a sense of justice.
Looking at Xiao Wu, Zhuang Yu seemed to see his former self, that young man who had just entered the world of cultivation and was full of hope for the future.
He smiled gently, patted Xiao Wu on the shoulder, and said, "Xiao Wu, let's work hard together from now on."
The atmosphere inside the hall gradually became harmonious, and representatives from various sects began to discuss countermeasures against the Dark Night Demon Lord.
Just then, hurried footsteps sounded outside the main hall, and an alliance disciple rushed in, pale-faced and breathless, saying, "Report...report, there...there is an unknown force approaching!"
Everyone looked at each other, and the atmosphere instantly became tense.
"Unidentified forces? Who are they?" a representative from one of the sects asked.
The disciple shook his head, his eyes filled with terror, and stammered, "They...they all have strange black markings on their bodies..."
Zhuang Yu's gaze sharpened, a hint of unease flashing through his mind. A thought crossed his mind: Could it be...?
Just as he was pondering, a chilling laugh came from outside the hall. The sound seemed to come from hell, making everyone present tremble.
After the chilling laughter, a series of noisy footsteps came from outside the hall, mixed with the metallic clang of clashing swords.
The crowd surged to the entrance of the hall, where they saw a group of cultivators dressed in black robes with ferocious faces approaching.
Their bodies were covered in eerie black patterns that writhed and twisted like living creatures, emitting a nauseating stench.
These monks brandished weapons of various shapes and made strange noises, like a group of evil spirits crawling out of hell.
"They're the Dark Night Demon Lord's men!" an alliance member exclaimed, his voice trembling slightly.
"These guys actually dared to come to our door, they're asking for death!" The hot-blooded young man, Xiao Wu, roared and was about to rush out to fight, but Zhuang Yu grabbed him, "Don't be impulsive!"
Zhuang Yu's eyes were sharp as he stared intently at the approaching black-robed cultivators.
He discovered that although the group's attacks seemed chaotic and disorganized, closer observation revealed that their movements contained a hidden pattern, subtly forming a formation that trapped the alliance members within it.
An invisible sense of oppression swept over them, making all the alliance members present feel somewhat uneasy.
The alliance strategist, Mr. Zhuge, who was standing to the side, also noticed something amiss. He frowned, stroked his beard, and said in a low voice, "This formation is rather strange."
Zhuang Yu took a deep breath, his gaze sweeping over everyone present, and said in a deep voice, "Everyone, this formation is called the 'Soul-Locking Formation.' It may not seem very powerful, but it can gradually erode our spiritual power, which will be disadvantageous in a prolonged battle. Don't panic, listen to my instructions!"
He quickly devised a battle plan, dividing the alliance members into several groups, each responsible for breaking through different nodes of the formation. He himself took the lead, charging ahead to lead everyone in attacking the core of the formation.
Under his command, the alliance members' attacks became well-organized, flowing like mercury, precisely striking the weaknesses of the formation.
With a series of loud bangs, the black-robed cultivators' formation collapsed instantly, and their attacks became completely chaotic.
The morale of the alliance members soared, and they unleashed their best skills, routing the invading enemy forces.
"Good! Well done!" The alliance members erupted in cheers, applauding Zhuang Yu's command skills.
Seeing Zhuang Yu's prowess, the leader of the Money Gate's eyes, which had been filled with greed, flashed with a glint of cunning. He squeezed next to Zhuang Yu, his face beaming with smiles, and said, "Young friend Zhuang Yu, you are truly a young man of great talent, I admire you! Why don't you come to my Money Gate? I guarantee you'll live a life of luxury, and have whatever you want!"
Looking at the fat face of the Golden Money Sect leader, Zhuang Yu felt a surge of disgust. He smiled faintly and said in a distant tone, "Thank you for your kindness, Sect Leader. However, I joined the alliance only to fight against evil forces and protect the cultivation world. I have no interest in anything else."
The smile on the face of the leader of the Money Sect froze instantly, and the representatives of the other sects showed even more respect for Zhuang Yu upon seeing this.
Just then, Zhuang Yu suddenly sensed a strange energy fluctuation. He raised his head, his gaze fixed on the distance, and muttered to himself, "No, is this... just the beginning?" Before he finished speaking, his expression suddenly changed, as if he had discovered something.
Zhuang Yu frowned, tapping his fingers lightly on the table, making a rhythmic "tap-tap" sound.
He repeatedly recalled the details of the battle: the strange formations of the black-robed cultivators, the eerie black patterns, and the crazed light that flashed in their eyes before they died...
All this made him feel uneasy.
“They…don’t seem like ordinary cultivators.” Zhuang Yu muttered to himself, a flash of inspiration striking his mind. “Although the Soul-Locking Array is insidious, its power isn’t that great. With the strength of the Dark Night Demon Lord, he shouldn’t have sent out such a rabble.”
He suddenly raised his head, his eyes fixed intently on Mr. Zhuge. "Strategist, I suspect this is just a test from the Dark Night Demon Lord!"
Mr. Zhuge stroked his beard, his eyes gleaming with wisdom. “Young friend Zhuang is right. Although the Soul-Locking Array trapped us for a while, it did not cause any real harm. It was more like a trap set to test our strength.”
“That’s right!” Zhuang Yu said firmly. “The Dark Night Demon Lord’s true goal is probably not to break through the alliance, but rather…” He paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone present, and said in a deep voice, “but to find the most threatening person in the alliance, and then… defeat them one by one!”
Upon hearing this, the atmosphere in the hall immediately became heavy. Everyone looked at each other, their eyes revealing a hint of worry.
“Young Master Zhuang’s analysis makes sense,” Mr. Zhuge said with a solemn expression. “If that’s the case, then we must be even more cautious in our next actions.”
Zhuang Yu nodded and explained his thoughts and strategies to Mr. Zhuge in detail. The two then began to work together to develop the next step of the plan.
The alliance members gathered around them, listening to their discussion.
"Senior Zhuang Yu is truly amazing! He actually saw through the Dark Night Demon Lord's conspiracy!" Xiao Wu looked at Zhuang Yu with admiration, his eyes sparkling with excitement.
The other alliance members also nodded in approval, expressing their admiration for Zhuang Yu's wisdom and strategy.
After some discussion, Zhuang Yu and Mr. Zhuge devised a bold plan—to use a counter-strategy to lure the snake out of its hole!
Just as the alliance members were preparing to act according to plan, a chilling laugh suddenly came from outside the hall. The laugh seemed to come from the depths of hell, sending shivers down everyone's spine.
"Hehehe... I never expected that the Spirit Realm Alliance would have such a clever person. I am truly impressed!"
With laughter, a tall figure slowly appeared at the entrance of the hall. He was dressed in a black robe, his face hidden in the shadows, and he exuded a suffocating aura.
"The Dark Night Demon Lord!" someone exclaimed, their voice tinged with fear.
The Dark Night Demon Lord slowly raised his head, revealing a sinister smile. His gaze swept over everyone present, finally landing on Zhuang Yu, and he asked in a playful tone, "You... are Zhuang Yu?"