Chapter 623 429: Alliance

"Are you really going to kill that Chunyu Hua in the Black River Daoist Palace's arena?"

Returning to the group of Qingyuan Sect Cultivators, Tu Dai'Er had witnessed everything Fang Qingyuan had just done. She couldn't understand why he was targeting Chunyu Hua so aggressively. After hearing the vicious words Fang Qingyuan had left him with, she couldn't help but ask via voice transmission.

'He's a direct descendant of a Divinity Transformation Clan, not some Loose Cultivator with no backing. Although the honor duels in the Beast Taming Sect are relatively fair, and they don't allow seeking trouble with the victor afterward, killing a member of their clan will inevitably make an enemy of them.'

Tu Dai'Er didn't believe Fang Qingyuan could be so irrational, but when she observed his expression, she felt like the man was actually serious. So she decided to ask, hoping to get an answer from him that she could report to Tu Wuzhao.

In response, Fang Qingyuan gave a smile that wasn't quite a smile and said seriously,

"That will depend on Chunyu Hua's strength. If he's too weak and can't last more than a few moves, then it's his own fault if he dies. If I can't kill him within ten moves, I'll spare his life. After all, the weak don't deserve forgiveness."

Killing Chunyu Hua in the arena was not Fang Qingyuan's true goal. His ultimate target was still that Hao Shi.

'If Chunyu Hua is defeated, then as his guard, wouldn't Hao Shi have to redeem his master's honor? If Chunyu Hua dies, wouldn't Hao Shi have to die with him?'

'These things were uncertain, but based on Fang Qingyuan's understanding of the Beast Taming Sect, the more ancient a sect, the more outdated customs it had. The rule that a servant could not outlive their master was still preserved in the traditions of some Divinity Transformation Clans.'

What Fang Qingyuan planned to do was force Hao Shi to fight him in a duel, and then kill him openly and justly.

Even though Fang Qingyuan was no longer a disciple of the Beast Taming Sect, as long as he dared to propose an honor duel, any disciple from the sect would have to seriously consider the consequences of refusing.

The disciples of the Beast Taming Sect had their own pride. When it came to challenges for honor duels, they didn't care who issued them. Outsiders might find them inflexible on this point, but Fang Qingyuan believed it was a sign of their firm principles and their faith in honor.

This was something the White Mountain People would never understand; even many sects in the Cultivation Realm failed to grasp it. Yet, this was part of the profound heritage of a super-sect. Whether you called it moral fiber or faith, when a sect was in decline, only these things could support future generations in their struggle forward. As long as that faith endured, the sect would never fade into the dust of history.

Currently, the Qingyuan Sect was sorely lacking in this kind of foundation. But compared to the other sects in White Mountain, the Qingyuan Sect's ethos was still considered decent.

After briefly explaining his stance to Tu Dai'Er, Fang Qingyuan turned his attention to the approaching group led by Xiong Feng.

At the same time, upon sensing Xiong Feng's arrival, the expressions of all the Cultivators present grew solemn.

This was the first time in nearly ten thousand years that such a large group of Ancient Beasts of the Wilderness had submitted within the White Mountain Territory.

Well, the official story for the outside world was that Xiong Feng had submitted to humankind. Just calling it an alliance would be difficult to justify.

But Xiong Feng didn't care about this phrasing, so they just went with whatever was most convenient.

The entire handover process was rather uneventful. Under the control of the three Nascent Soul Cultivators from the Beast Taming Sect, the unexpected drama the onlookers had been hoping for never materialized.

As Xiong Feng led his massive beast herd on the journey home, guided by the group from the Qingyuan Sect, the Beast Taming Sect's military formations, which had been waiting for some time, quickly marched into the Barbaric Wilderness ahead.

And so, the two massive, unified bodies of will simply brushed past each other, each heading toward its own bright future.

.....

The Qingyuan Sect was not its usual bustling self today. The massive sky-port was completely closed, no Flying Boats were departing, and mountains of goods sat quietly in the warehouses.

Although the shutdown would cost the Qingyuan Sect a significant amount of Spirit Stones in lost income, preventing outsiders from prying into today's major event was far more important.

It wasn't just the sky-port. The taverns, bazaars, and trading markets at the foot of the mountain all had to make way for this once-in-a-millennium event for the Qingyuan Sect.

Fortunately, Fang Qingyuan was clear-headed and vetoed Liu Xun's proposal to clear the area for half a month. He only suspended business for three days. This was also to prevent the demon beasts brought by Xiong Feng from frightening the mortal Servants, and to avoid having the overly complex environment startle the numerous, not-yet-fully-civilized Qi Refining Bear Beasts.

After the ninth toll of the bell, Fang Qingyuan led Xiong Feng and stepped onto the first of the great stairs at the Qingyuan Sect's mountain gate.

Fang Qingyuan was in the lead, with Xiong Feng behind him. The rest of the procession consisted of the Qingyuan Sect's Foundation Establishment Cultivators, each accompanied by a Golden Core Bear Beast.

For example, beside Jiang Wanqin was Qiqi, who had voluntarily shrunk her body until she was even less conspicuous than Jiang Wanqin herself.

There was also Liu Xun, with Xiong Ba by his side. Next was Jiang Tianfang, accompanied by the Golden Core Bear Beast named Crescent, and beside Chen Huicheng was Confusion Insect.

And so it went. On the wide mountain stairs, the disciples of the Qingyuan Sect were on the left, and the Bear Beasts were on the right. For the most part, the cultivation realms of the Bear Beasts were significantly higher than those of their Qingyuan Sect counterparts.

After Fang Qingyuan had traversed the long flight of stairs step by step, he and Xiong Feng stood at the highest peak of Celestial Eagle Mountain, where an altar had already been constructed.

In front of the altar, the view opened up dramatically. From here, one could see for miles, observing the patchwork of farmlands, the chicken coops and dog kennels, and the humans bustling about everywhere.

"So this is the world of humans?"

Xiong Feng took a deep breath of the air. Unlike the omnipresent miasma of the Barbaric Wilderness, the air here was exceptionally crisp and clean.

Fang Qingyuan's face filled with pride. The peace and prosperity of the population for nearly a hundred li around was all thanks to his protection.

Compared to the great war now raging in White Mountain, where even Cultivators—those high and mighty Immortal Masters in the eyes of mortals—were dying in droves, one could only imagine how much worse the plight of the mortals in the war-torn territories was.

As a result, the population within the Qingyuan Sect's territory had been rising rapidly in recent years, and was about to reach a total of one and a half million people.

"Brother Xiong, if you please!"

Fang Qingyuan led Xiong Feng onto the altar, then took a Soul Contract from his robes for Xiong Feng to inspect.

This was a high-grade Soul Contract, capable of binding even a Nascent Soul Level existence. Liu Xun had won it at an auction in the Qi Yun Territory for a hefty price.

On the large Soul Contract, only a few simple clauses were written, such as not betraying the other party without reason and not harming people indiscriminately—relatively lenient terms.

The penalty for violation wasn't direct death, but rather the loss of something, such as lifespan or a portion of one's cultivation realm.

This was because Xiong Feng's cultivation realm was far higher than Fang Qingyuan's. Given their current relationship, Fang Qingyuan couldn't impose any terms that were overly restrictive.

On the other hand, Xiong Feng also needed to rely on Fang Qingyuan, so through prior negotiations between their two powers, they had settled on these mutually acceptable terms.

Xiong Feng accepted the Soul Contract. He scanned it with his powerful Divine Sense and, after confirming there were no issues, signed his true name upon it with his blood.

Afterward, Xiong Feng felt a sudden chill run through his body, as if he were being scrutinized by something. When he subconsciously tried to locate its source, he felt it vanish completely.

Shaking his bear head, Xiong Feng thought to himself, 'This Soul Contract is truly uncanny. It's no wonder it's the most recognized contractual document in the Cultivation Realm. Even with my level of cultivation, I can't discern how it operates in the slightest.'

After Xiong Feng signed, the Soul Contract was passed to Qiqi, followed by the other three Golden Core Demon Beasts: Confusion Insect, Xiong Ba, and Crescent.

After they had all signed, the Qingyuan Sect's side, led by Fang Qingyuan, also signed their true names.

With that, the contract was formed. The next step was to announce it to Heaven and Earth.

Of course, this step was merely a formality. Compared to Heaven and Earth, the Soul Contract was far more reliable—a fact endorsed by the countless contract-breakers over tens of thousands of years.

Besides, the "Heaven and Earth" Fang Qingyuan was now announcing this to was one that had been transformed, influenced by the 'Celestial Essence' Array.

As the sun dipped below the western mountains, stretching the shadows of the people and beasts into long, thin silhouettes, the grand yet tranquil ceremony came to a natural conclusion.

.....

At the celebratory banquet, Fang Qingyuan and Xiong Feng sat in the seats of honor. Beside them, Jinbao obediently attended to the two, holding a wine jug and periodically refilling their cups.

Below, among the hundred-odd people and Bear Beasts, the atmosphere was harmonious. Everyone was seeking out their partners and building rapport.

"Qiqi, come and see the room I prepared for you."

Jiang Wanqin enthusiastically pulled Qiqi's small paw, leading her toward the High-Tier Cave Mansions on the back of the mountain.

Meanwhile, Liu Xun, with a hearty expression, brought out jar after jar of Cyan Court Spirit Rice Wine and placed them before the burly Xiong Ba.

"Brother Ba, drink up! Let me tell you, you can't get wine like this in the Barbaric Wilderness. It's way more potent than that Monkey Wine of yours."

In a corner, Chen Huicheng was asking Confusion Insect for knowledge about void passages. As Confusion Insect got excited in its explanation, Chen Huicheng even took out an ink brush and paper to quickly take notes.

As for Crescent, the rather shy Golden Core Bear Beast, she stayed with Jiang Tianfang. Both were being very polite with each other, and whenever they occasionally met eyes, awkward smiles would appear on their faces.

In addition, numerous Qi Cultivation Disciples and Foundation Establishment Bear Beasts were all doing their best to cultivate their relationships. If all went according to plan, each of these human-and-bear pairs would become partners who would cooperate and support each other in the future.

"Younger Brother Qingyuan, I have dreamed of this scene for a long time. For things to go so smoothly is truly beyond my expectations. I originally thought there would be some mishaps."

Xiong Feng praised Fang Qingyuan from the bottom of his heart as he held his wine cup, and Fang Qingyuan accepted it humbly.

"I dislike mishaps as well, so I made sure to eliminate any potential for them beforehand. By the way, Brother Xiong, how is your cultivation now? After integrating that credential, are you being severely suppressed by the 'Celestial Essence' Array?"

Hearing Fang Qingyuan's question, Xiong Feng chuckled softly and then raised an eyebrow at him.

"How about it? Care for a little spar? You should still remember that smack I gave you back in the day, right?"