CHAPTER 499: CHAPTER 246: ALLIANCE OF A HUNDRED SECTS (SEEKING MONTHLY PASS)

The Hundred Sects Alliance.

The time had swiftly arrived.

「Inside the Council Hall.」

Mighty figures from various sects gathered. Some sects sent only one representative, while others brought several. From over a hundred sects, the actual number of attendees added up to two or three hundred.

Fortunately, the Council Hall was spacious enough. It could accommodate not just two or three hundred people, but twice as many without issue.

Chang Yin’s gaze swept over the others, his expression calm. There sure are a lot of people—

Although many sects were present, not a single one could compare with the Qingyu Sect. The Supreme Sect, in any prefecture, was a rare entity. Even now, though the Qingyu Sect no longer had a Grandmaster Peak powerhouse and had fallen from the rank of Supreme Sect to that of a top-tier great sect, its foundation still made it the strongest among them. Moreover, Chang Yin believed it wouldn’t be long before the Qingyu Sect produced another Grandmaster Peak expert. Returning to the position of a Supreme Sect wouldn’t be a significant problem at all.

While he was sizing up others, many powerful individuals from other sects also cast their glances, some more overtly than others, toward the Qingyu Sect.

It couldn’t be helped. Of all the sects that had arrived, the Qingyu Sect was the strongest. Even some of the top-tier great sects couldn’t stand tall before the Qingyu Sect.

Since the experts from the Demon-Subduing Division had not yet arrived, the Qingyu Sect was naturally the center of attention. As a result, quite a few people came forward to exchange greetings, aiming to get acquainted. Chang Yin nodded in acknowledgment to each.

Not long after, the atmosphere suddenly quieted, and many gazes fell upon the lead seat.

Seeing this, Chang Yin couldn’t help but follow their gaze. Suddenly, his pupils shrank.

Somehow, a man in green robes now occupied the seat that should have been empty.

He recognized the newcomer. Or rather, there were few in the Jianghu of South Nether Prefecture who didn’t recognize him. He was, after all, the Defender Envoy of South Nether Prefecture—a unique existence.

Others from various sects also noticed Shen Changqing’s arrival and involuntarily closed their mouths. The previously noisy hall instantly fell silent.

Like Chang Yin, no one else had noticed Shen Changqing’s arrival; it was as if he had appeared abruptly, yet also as if he had been sitting there all along. Such an unpredictable and mysterious method naturally commanded their awe. Even the Grandmasters present could detect no clues.

For a moment, everyone’s reverence for the Defender Envoy of South Nether Prefecture increased significantly.

Once the hall had quieted down, Shen Changqing finally spoke calmly, "I trust there is no need to elaborate on who I am, for you are all well aware. I have convened this Hundred Sects Alliance because I wish to discuss with you all how the situation in South Nether Prefecture should proceed in the days to come."

As his voice trailed off, no one below dared to respond hastily.

After a while, Yun Yi spoke with a smile, "The situation in South Nether Prefecture rests entirely in Lord Shen’s hands. Whatever Lord Shen decides, our Qingyu Sect will fully support it."

As he spoke, the expressions of many from the other sects subtly changed. They were unaware. Since when had the Qingyu Sect secretly pledged allegiance to the Demon-Subduing Division? Or perhaps the Qingyu Sect hadn’t yet pledged allegiance but was already entertaining the idea, hence their open display of goodwill at this juncture.

Regardless, after Yun Yi spoke, some sects could no longer sit still.

"Indeed, if Lord Shen has any orders, our Jade Mountain Sect will certainly obey."

"Our Purple Frost Sect is at Lord Shen’s beck and call!"

"I—"

One after another, representatives of the sects began to speak, clearly intending to pledge allegiance to the Demon-Subduing Division on the spot.

In truth, everyone understood the situation perfectly. The current situation in South Nether Prefecture simply didn’t allow any sect to remain neutral. They either had to side with the Heaven Alliance or with the Demon-Subduing Division. Even if some sects had wanted to stay neutral, after news of the Hundred Sects Alliance spread, neutrality was no longer possible.

Coming here indicated their preparedness to pledge allegiance to the Demon-Subduing Division. Not coming would mean defying the Demon-Subduing Division; after the Hundred Sects Alliance, they would undoubtedly face destruction.

It could be said that the Hundred Sects Alliance was essentially the Demon-Subduing Division forcing all sects to take sides. The sect representatives gathered here were all prepared to pledge allegiance to the Demon-Subduing Division. Previously, they were merely contemplating how to find an opportune moment.

With the Qingyu Sect taking the lead, the other sects simply followed suit to express their intentions.

Throughout the process, everything proceeded so smoothly that Shen Changqing himself was surprised. Given how perceptive these sects were, some of his prepared remarks no longer seemed appropriate.

He made a gentle pressing gesture with both hands. The hall quieted once more.

Shen Changqing looked at everyone and said, "I understand your intentions. Since you all acknowledge the Demon-Subduing Division, I am willing to cooperate with your sects."

Then he turned his gaze toward the Qingyu Sect, a look of approval in his eyes.

That single glance made both Yun Yi and Chang Yin’s hearts surge with joy. They understood. The Qingyu Sect’s proactive stance had further improved Defender Shen’s impression of their sect.

After a pause, Shen Changqing continued, "The South Nether Prefecture is now suffering from natural disasters. With troublemakers like the Heaven Alliance causing mayhem, the situation is turbulent, and the common people suffer indescribably.

"However, one thing must be clear: whether natural disasters or the Heaven Alliance, they are but temporary problems. It won’t be long before I uproot the Heaven Alliance entirely and exterminate all its members.

"Therefore, the current enemy of both South Nether Prefecture and the Great Qin is singular: the Demon Evil!

"Since the Demon Evil descended upon our world more than three hundred years ago, the Demon Evil Clan has been the great enemy of our Human Clan. If we do not eradicate all Demon Evil, our people will never know peace.

"However, Demon Evil employ sly and dangerous methods. For us martial artists, confronting them involves considerable risk. I know that all of you here despise Demon Evil and possess the resolve to eliminate them. In the past, when Demon Evil caused chaos, each sect stepped forward to assist, earning a commendable reputation in the Jianghu and considerable prestige among the common people.

"At the same time, some sects have suffered heavy losses in the fight against Demon Evil, leading to their decline, or even complete disappearance. Though these sects have vanished from the Jianghu, they are recorded in the Demon-Subduing Division’s registers.

"Therefore, to enhance the strength of each sect, ensure they can eliminate Demon Evil to the greatest extent, and maintain stability in South Nether Prefecture, I have decided that any sect capturing Demon Evil can use them as vouchers at the Demon-Subduing Division to exchange for merit points. Once enough merit points are accumulated, you can obtain various martial arts resources from the Demon-Subduing Division."

At these words, aside from the Qingyu Sect, which remained composed, the expressions of those from other sects changed dramatically, their eyes growing fervent.

"Is Lord Shen saying that if we capture Demon Evil and bring them to the Demon-Subduing Division, we can obtain merit points and exchange them for martial arts resources?"

"Indeed!" Shen Changqing nodded.

Immediately, someone else asked, "May I inquire, Lord Shen, what kind of martial arts can we exchange for? Or rather, is there an upper limit to the rank of martial arts available for exchange?"

"May I inquire, Lord Shen—"

Many people began asking one after another, their impatience evident.

It couldn’t be helped; everyone knew the Demon-Subduing Division possessed abundant martial arts resources. Obtaining these resources would be a tremendous boon for many sects. After all, in the Jianghu, powerful martial arts are closely guarded treasures, not casually shared.

"Everyone, please be quiet!" Shen Changqing raised his hand, signaling for them to calm down.

When the hall quieted again, he resumed, "For one Ghostly Level Fiend, you can obtain one Ghostly Level Merit Point—"

Shen Changqing repeated what he had originally told the Qingyu Sect, then finally clarified further, "Martial arts of the same rank can be exchanged for as little as one merit point. For example, martial arts at the Pulse Condensation Realm can be exchanged with only one Ghostly Level Merit Point. The lowest exchange rate for Innate Martial Arts is one Innate Merit Point. Grandmaster Martial Arts and even Great Grandmaster Martial Arts follow the same principle. Among all Great Grandmaster Martial Arts, the Flesh cultivation arts that I myself practice will also be available for exchange. But the prerequisite is that you have enough merit points."

Shen Changqing threw out an even bigger temptation.

His Divine Heaven Golden Body was now at Perfection. Once his Divine Soul improved, he could elevate the Divine Heaven Golden Body to the next level. Consequently, the Divine Heaven Golden Body would no longer be as crucial to him. Moreover, even now, revealing the preliminary stages of cultivation for the Divine Heaven Golden Body wouldn’t be an issue. The difference lay merely between an incomplete version and the complete one. Of course, what he considered an incomplete version might be deemed more precious than the Sect-Defining Martial Arts of a Supreme Sect by other sects.

No one spoke; only the sounds of rapid breathing rose and fell within the Council Hall. The temptation he offered was too great, unsettling their resolve.

Undoubtedly, what Shen Changqing proposed was an irresistible temptation for every sect present.

Even though Yun Yi had already discussed this with him, hearing it repeated still stirred his emotions. Compared to other sects, the Qingyu Sect lacked nothing. However, if it involved the Great Grandmaster level, then in reality, the Qingyu Sect was lacking in everything.

"Gentlemen, Demon Evil in the world are as numerous as the stars. As long as you can capture enough of them, there will be no issues with exchanging for any martial arts you desire, even those beyond the Great Grandmaster level. But there is one prerequisite: you must have enough merit points. As long as you have merit points, everything is possible."

A faint smile appeared on Shen Changqing’s face. He could foresee just how quickly the strength of these hundreds of sects would improve as they captured Demon Evil for him.