Chapter 290: Chapter 236 Wuling Mountain Alliance! [3rd Update!]
But to rally these Demon Kings, mere ’fear’ is not enough.
There must also be ’profit’.
"Though poor in talent, I, Dai, possess some skill in Alchemy and Artifact Refining. If you join my alliance, there will be no shortage of pills or magical treasures in the future."
As Chen Jichuan spoke, he waved his wide sleeve, and dozens of pills instantly appeared before the Demon Kings, exuding a faint fragrance and a radiant glow.
Most of the dozens of pills were ’Fire Candle Pills’.
These are second-order pills that replenish Qi-Blood and are highly sought after by Life Dao cultivators. The demon kings present, all practicing Life Dao cultivation, needed such pills immensely, no explanation required.
By chance.
Chen Jichuan had mastered two and a half second-order pill recipes, one of which happened to be for the ’Fire Candle Pill’. Moreover, the recipe had been refined and improved by Chen Jichuan — as long as there were sufficient materials, he could not only supply the Demon Kings present but also amass significant wealth.
Aside from the ’Fire Candle Pill’, there were several other pills aimed at nourishing essence, restoring spirit, and replenishing Primordial Qi.
Most of these pills had been exchanged for resources in the Heaven Mending Sect, while a few were spoils of war from the past.
If future demand arose, refining new ones might take time, but bulk acquisition from the Heaven Mending Sect would be feasible. As the foremost Alchemy Immortal Sect in the world, the Heaven Mending Sect had an abundance of pills.
...
"Fire Candle Pill?"
Zi Han Demon King picked up a pill and carefully examined it in his hand, his heart racing.
Cultivation is hard.
Day after day of refining and circulating Qi-Blood, relying on natural treasure medicines for cultivation, progress was painstakingly slow. With the aid of pills, one’s strength could leap forward in the future.
Moreover—
Being neighbors to someone as formidable as Chen Jichuan, who had subdued the Fuling Demon King and crushed the Tornado Demon King, collaborating was undoubtedly a far better course of action than resistance.
Zi Han Demon King’s thoughts churned, weighing gains and losses thoroughly. Resolute, he stood up, walked to the center, bowed deeply to Chen Jichuan, and proclaimed loudly, "Zi Han of Black Water Pond pledges allegiance to you, Master, as the Alliance Hierarch, to rally support and amplify renown!"
"..."
"..."
"..."
The seventeen Demon Kings present all turned to Zi Han Demon King in unison, and soon after, resentment bubbled in their hearts.
It wasn’t that they rejected or were utterly opposed to Chen Jichuan’s proposal of ’uniting’.
But when someone suggested an idea, wasn’t it customary to deliberate thoroughly, determine responsibilities, obligations, and entitlements? Without discussing specifics, at least an overarching framework should be clear.
Yet, as soon as the suggestion was made, Zi Han Demon King prostrated without a second word—wasn’t that a little too—
"Fake!"
"Could he be a stooge?"
"Had Black Water Pond already joined forces with Wuling Mountain long ago?!"
...
Some Demon Kings glanced at Zi Han Demon King, then furtively at Chen Jichuan seated above.
It wasn’t only these Demon Kings.
Even Yinbo and the Fire Crow Demon King, who were well-acquainted with Zi Han Demon King, were shocked by his abrupt action, casting doubts in their minds.
With suspicion stirred, fear crept in.
The thought of possibly conspiring with a ’mole’ left them panicked and unable to contemplate further.
The two exchanged a glance, then stood together beside Zi Han Demon King. Both clasped their fists and cupped their hands toward Chen Jichuan, calling out in unison, "Yinbo of Scorpion Mountain (Fire Crow of Fire Crow Mountain) pledges allegiance to you, Master, as the Alliance Hierarch, to rally support and amplify renown!"
The three led the charge.
The remaining fifteen Demon Kings began wavering.
"We pledge allegiance to the Alliance Hierarch!"
One after another, more than half of the Demon Kings present decided to yield. These were mostly those near Wuling Mountain or of weaker strength. With such powerful enemies close by, they had no choice but to comply.
As soon as more than half submitted, the few holdouts began to panic as well.
And so—
"We pledge allegiance to the Alliance Hierarch as well!"
No matter what the Demon Kings truly thought, at least for now, in Fuling Cave, every single one declared their willingness to follow Chen Jichuan as their Alliance Hierarch!
"Good!"
"From this day forward, we shall be known as the ’Wuling Mountain Alliance’. Centered on Wuling Mountain, all within a three-thousand-mile radius shall prosper in allegiance or perish in defiance! Any who fail to come to Wuling Mountain to join the alliance within one month shall face collective attack!"
Chen Jichuan was overjoyed, standing tall with radiant confidence.
...
"Wuling Mountain Alliance—"
Green-eyed Demon King and Wind-Riding Demon King left Wuling Mountain, heading eastward. For a while, neither spoke, their thoughts lingering on the simple pact formed during the alliance’s first council meeting.
After a long silence.
Wind-Riding Demon King sighed and broke it: "Our Alliance Hierarch has grand ambitions!"
"Hmph!"
"I only fear such ambition will overwhelm him!"
Green-eyed Demon King snorted coldly, still harboring some dissatisfaction.
He had originally come to seize Wuling Mountain but ended up being swept into joining the Wuling Mountain Alliance. This left him feeling aggrieved.
"Not necessarily."
"I believe there’s great potential in this endeavor."
Wind-Riding Demon King was more pragmatic, having weighed all considerations before saying to Green-eyed Demon King, "The most formidable Demon Kings are all at the borders; the barbaric hinterlands have been divided by various Demon Kings, each looking only after themselves. We were no more than scattered sand, vulnerable and precarious. Now, with someone as powerful as Dai Zong establishing an alliance, dozens of Demon Kings united might even stand against Fourth or Fifth Layer Heaven Demon Kings."
One can hardly compare going it alone to being part of an organization.
Especially for Demon Kings like Wind-Riding Demon King, who were stuck somewhere between strength and mediocrity at the Second Layer Heaven—
Alone, they could scarcely get a bite of meat, but within the alliance, they could simply follow closely behind and sip the soup with ease.
In truth, it wasn’t a bad deal.
"Don’t be too optimistic."
"That Dai Zong is domineering. Who knows how he’ll twist us in the future? After cleansing internal dissent, we’ll surely be pushed into external battles. Who’s to say there won’t be casualties? And who’s to say that we won’t be among the casualties?"
"Even if new territories are conquered, how will the spoils be divided? Let’s not end up fighting among ourselves."
"The Demon Kings in this alliance are all schemers. To expect unity is laughably naive!"
Green-eyed Demon King continued his pessimism.
However, what he pointed out indeed represented challenges urgently needing resolution—or perhaps even insurmountable ones—for the Wuling Mountain Alliance. Whether it soared or crumbled would depend on the Alliance Hierarch’s tactics.
Wind-Riding Demon King didn’t argue, only smiling as he said, "Don’t worry so much. All we need to do this time is persuade Big Brother to join the alliance, and we’ll earn great merit, along with a sizeable share of pills. The pills we receive won’t be fake, will they?"
Wind-Riding Demon King’s grin suggested his cheerful mood.
At the mention of pills, a smile also appeared on Green-eyed Demon King’s face: "That’s true. It’s just a pity Dai Zong is intentionally dangling pills as bait. If we try to play it safe without contributing, the pill share will be woefully small, insufficient for cultivation."
The pill share.
It referred to the allocation quota.
Only members of the Wuling Mountain Alliance could purchase pills from Wuling Mountain, and even then, the number of pills they could purchase was capped based on their contribution levels.
"Securing a pill share isn’t difficult."
"This time we’re merely going through the motions. With Little Tornado around, how could Big Brother refuse to join the alliance? Moreover, when dozens of Demon Kings within three thousand miles pledge allegiance to Wuling Mountain, stubborn resistance will only lead to collective attack in no time."
"For someone as shrewd as Big Brother, he won’t fail to see reason."
As Wind-Riding Demon King spoke, his pace quickened noticeably.
Although Green-eyed Demon King grumbled, his movements didn’t slacken either.
Before long, they left Wuling Mountain far behind, vanishing into the eastern domain.
...
A month later.
Wuling Mountain, Fuling Cave.
Chen Jichuan sat at the head position, with twenty-four Demon Kings seated on either side. On the left, leading the pack in embroidered robes, was the ’Tornado Demon King’. At the farthest end of that side sat Little Tornado, respectfully silent and upright.
On the right, the leader was an elderly figure with white hair.
This was the ’Shuiqing Demon King’, the only other Soul Refining Third Layer Heaven Demon King besides Tornado Demon King present. He had been persuaded by Silver Robed Demon King to come to Wuling Mountain and join the alliance a few days prior.
By today—
The Wuling Mountain Alliance had been established for an entire month.
In its three-thousand-mile domain, a total of twenty-six Demon Kings had been united, leaving only two exceptions: the ’Golden Lotus Demon King’ of Cangtou Mountain in the west, and the ’East River Demon King’ of the Northwest East River Water Mansion, both of whom were unruly and defiant, ignoring the Wuling Mountain Alliance.
"Cangtou Mountain has a natural formation of golden lotuses, forming a Golden Lotus Formation. With this formation, the Golden Lotus Demon King disregards even Fourth or Fifth Layer Heaven Demon Kings."
"The East River Water Mansion boasts an army of three thousand elite Shrimp Soldiers and Crab Generals, unparalleled in strength. The East River Demon King has even proclaimed himself ’East River Dragon King’, and his own power is extraordinarily formidable."
Zi Han Demon King addressed Chen Jichuan and the assembled Demon Kings, providing an overview of the current situation.
The establishment of the Wuling Mountain Alliance immediately created a sensation.
The Demon Kings within the alliance’s domain were all anxious and uneasy. When urged to join and learning about the plentiful supply of pills within the alliance, they came flocking.
Aside from Golden Lotus and East River, no other Demon Kings dared defy the alliance. There were not even cases of fleeing their territories in fear.
The alliance was loosely organized, but it offered tangible benefits. Even the most independent-minded Demon Kings had little objection.
The alliance’s might was visible to all.
Take the Tornado Demon King, for instance—
Despite having clashed with Chen Jichuan and even fleeing in desperation, abandoning his son, once Green-eyed and Wind-Riding Demon Kings visited and played the part, it only took a few days before he personally came to Wuling Mountain to capitulate.
Then there was Shuiqing Demon King—
A Soul Refining Third Layer Heaven Demon King. Upon learning of the alliance’s influence, he too voluntarily joined.
Within merely a month, the Wuling Mountain Alliance had undergone its initial organization and expansion, taking shape remarkably.
"Since Golden Lotus and East River remain obstinate, there is no need to force their hand. We shall follow the previously agreed-upon regulations and seize their domains by force."
Chen Jichuan’s gaze swept across the twenty-four Demon Kings seated on either side of him. When no one volunteered, a cold sneer flickered in his heart. He raised his voice and asked, "This being the first battle of the Wuling Mountain Alliance, which Demon King is willing to lead the charge?"
Chen Jichuan’s eyes lingered deliberately on Tornado Demon King and Shuiqing Demon King.
Both the Golden Lotus Demon King and the East River Demon King were Soul Refining Third Layer Heaven cultivators.
To deal with them, only these two strongest Demon Kings in the alliance could take the task. However, the cunning Shuiqing Demon King feigned indifference, and Tornado Demon King, harboring lingering resentment, was even less likely to take the initiative.
"Ahem!"
When no one responded and the tension grew palpable, Zi Han Demon King had no choice but to intervene and smooth things over: "Cangtou Mountain enjoys natural advantages, while the East River Water Mansion’s forces are both numerous and elite. Furthermore, the two Demon Kings are powerful. Capturing them will require careful planning."
"Ha! We have twenty-five Demon Kings in our alliance. Are we to fear Cangtou Mountain and East River Water Mansion?!"
Chen Jichuan slammed the table in frustration and declared, "Tornado Demon King, with your superior cultivation, you shall lead fourteen Demon Kings from the alliance’s western division, muster the troops, and march on Cangtou Mountain. The mountain must be seized!"
...