CHAPTER 362: CHAPTER 26 COOPERATION, REUNION

Standing atop the grand hall of the Horn Shadow Clan, Chen Jiuge immediately spotted familiar figures on the Flying Boat.

War Song, who had cultivated and fought alongside Yue Jun, showed a hint of joy. He fidgeted awkwardly, as if overwhelmed with excitement yet uncertain how to express it.

Black Eye remained as unflappable as ever, his black fur dancing freely in the light breeze.

A touch of happiness also emerged on the faces of Li Kui, Ming Yujing, and Yang Huan. However, restrained by their usually aloof personas, they were content to stand silently.

Bai Ya, now adorned with several new scars, gracefully crouched at the prow of the boat.

Silver King, Ao Yi, Ao Li, and Yue Li were all smiles, their bodies gyrating nonstop, vibrating with an excitement akin to that of someone high on ecstasy.

The childlike Bali couldn’t wait and sprang from the Flying Boat, darting first to Chen Jiuge’s side.

As for his Second Senior Brother, still a child, he merely looked somewhat dazed.

「Inside the grand hall」

Chen Jiuge, observing the crowd of Spiritual Beasts before him, couldn’t help but laugh heartily. "It’s good you’re back, good that you’ve returned."

Jun Linseng wore a faint smile as he spoke, "Finding your Spiritual Beasts this time was largely thanks to Yu Heng’s help."

A small jade figure spoke with a glimmer of pride, "It’s nothing, truly nothing. I’ve simply lived a few more years than you all, and it’s thanks to the good fortune of these youngsters that no mishaps occurred."

"Thank you," Chen Jiuge said earnestly.

"I had Shu Yiming look after you, deliberately placing you in what seemed like the safest zone, the Third Zone. I never anticipated such a catastrophe, nor could I have imagined the extraordinary experiences that would follow for you," Ye Sheng said, somewhat moved.

After exchanging a few casual words, it was time to discuss serious matters.

Chen Jiuge immediately addressed the Spiritual Beasts below, who seemed to have a thousand words to share, "Go and find Yue Meng and the others for now. They should be in the Green Bamboo Realm. First Senior Brother, I’ll trouble you to lead the way."

Wudao Tian gestured dismissively. "A small matter, leave it to me."

「」

For a moment, only three people remained in the grand hall, and the atmosphere fell silent. Chen Jiuge didn’t know what to say, while Ye Sheng and Jun Linseng seemed a bit sheepish.

After a lengthy hesitation, Ye Sheng spoke first. "Let me speak."

"The main aim of this cooperation is to secure a foundation for the Myriad Beasts Sect, a territory suitable for establishing a new sect. Practically all appropriate locations already have owners, so to claim a piece of land for ourselves, we’ll inevitably need to wage war."

"However, since the Myriad Beasts Sect is an external force, any action we take will certainly attract the enmity of the Star Sea Realm’s indigenous powers. Hence, we need strong allies to deter other races and prevent them from interfering at will," Ye Sheng explained.

Chen Jiuge understood. "So, you want me to lead the Asura Clan into battle on your behalf, to show that the Asura Clan is in alliance with the Myriad Beasts Sect? By doing so, we’d deter other races from meddling?"

"Exactly, that’s the idea," Jun Linseng said, looking reassured. "Apart from the Asura Clan, we’ve also entered into collaboration with the Netherworld King Clan. Once the target is set, they too will send support. With the involvement of two top-tier clans, other races will most likely not dare to object."

"I need to ask the Asura Elder who came with me about this," Chen Jiuge responded, not daring to make a decision lightly. Since it involved the Asura name, it was better to be cautious and inquire first.

"That’s appropriate."

Before long, Luo Wencheng appeared in the grand hall, asking casually, "Divine Son, what do you need?"

"Brother Cheng, it’s like this... there’s something I need to ask you about," Chen Jiuge began, explaining the situation.

After listening to Chen Jiuge’s account, Luo Wencheng looked somewhat astonished. "For such a trifle, Divine Son, you can make the decision yourself. The Great Leader won’t mind."

"If the Divine Son is willing to forsake his affiliation with the Myriad Beasts Sect, I believe the Great Leader would be willing to give you a territory outright."

Chen Jiuge replied with an awkward smile, "That won’t be necessary."

Luo Wencheng shrugged and left the hall.

Noting the surprise on the faces of the other two, Chen Jiuge shook his head. "That’s just how the Asura are."

"Well, Sect Master, Great Elder, I have no objections on my end. Just let me know when we start."

Jun Linseng and Ye Sheng hadn’t anticipated such a smooth agreement. A slight smile appeared on their faces. "Alright, although it will still take some time. We’ll notify you, Jiuge, when we’re ready. There are some gifts on the Flying Boat as a token of appreciation for this cooperation."

Chen Jiuge was about to refuse when Ye Sheng gestured to stop him. "Cooperation is cooperation; don’t let personal feelings interfere. Besides, you’re still a disciple of the Myriad Beasts Sect, and it’s proper for the Sect Master and me to take care of an outstanding disciple of our sect."

Seeing three extra Grotto Heavens in the grand square, Chen Jiuge chuckled wryly. "This gift is truly not light."

These three large Grotto Heavens, each with a complete ecological system, could continuously produce Spiritual Beasts and various Spiritual Medicines. Their worth was considerable.

The Sect really is generous. It seems they’re serious about this. But why, exactly? With the resources of the Heavenly Realm and the Infinite Star Sea, the Myriad Beasts Sect shouldn’t have any resource shortage issues, right? Chen Jiuge was somewhat puzzled.

「」

Putting these vexing issues aside for the moment, Chen Jiuge’s mood greatly brightened at the thought of his Spiritual Beasts having returned safely.

The return of the Spiritual Beasts also brought considerable combat strength, especially War Song’s Great Saint Army. They were battle-hardened, and the survivors were almost entirely True Immortals, which greatly alleviated the problem of insufficient manpower.

After making a series of arrangements, Chen Jiuge found that he, once again, had no one available to assign tasks to.