Chapter 76: Nothing is Difficult

Chapter 76: Chapter 76: Nothing is Difficult

"What if someone actually goes and investigates?" Mu Xue asked.

"Senior Sister Mu, do you remember the rules from the oath?" Li Ye glanced at her and said, "Everyone has the right to keep their identity secret and will not reveal the identities of other members. Violators will be expelled from the Alliance and will face retaliation from it.

Asking questions would be a violation of the Alliance’s rules. If the other party denies it, they are also acting within the rules.

No one would take such a huge risk for a thankless task.

You could just tell them that some Elder from the Upper Three Sects, or even a Sect Leader, is part of the Wenda Alliance. They wouldn’t dare investigate even if they had ten times the nerve..."

"Junior Brother, secrets always get out eventually. Won’t we be exposed in the long run?" Ji Tianwen asked.

"That’s where you all come in to patch up this vulnerability." Li Ye smiled. "Your travel speed is far greater than that of mortals. You can easily turn your hypothetical examples into facts in no time at all.

You can even use that very example to persuade future recruits.

Rest assured, almost no one will bother to verify it...

But deterrence alone isn’t enough. You should also promise them benefits. For instance, tell them that their Wenda Alliance status gives them priority when it comes to getting their descendants chosen to enter a Sect for cultivation..."

"The Cyan Sun Sect?" Mu Xue asked. "If we recruit everyone into the Cyan Sun Sect, wouldn’t that be giving ourselves away?"

"No. Just the Cyan Sun Sect isn’t enough to showcase the Wenda Alliance’s power. Let them pick any cultivation Sect they wish—even a Demon Sect," Li Ye said with a smile.

"But why? We don’t have any ability to get people into other Sects," Yin Feihuai retorted instinctively, feeling his entire worldview being upended.

"Not now, but we will in the future," Li Ye said. "Remember what I said about exchanging resources? Eventually, the Wenda Alliance will have members from the Demon Sect. It’ll be easy to arrange for one or two people to enter their Sects through them.

Likewise, when members from the Demon Sect ask you to place their recommended candidates into your Sects, you must also agree. That’s how we’ll be able to place people in any Sect we want."

"But isn’t that just planting spies in our own Sects?" Jiang Yishan’s mind struggled to keep up.

"Spies? What spies? Senior Brother Jiang, don’t you understand yet? Everyone is a member of the Wenda Alliance." Li Ye frowned. "The Wenda Alliance’s connections are boundless. With the Alliance’s backing, you can acquire far more resources and benefits. When compared to being a spy for another Sect, anyone would make the correct choice, right?

Senior Brother Jiang, every person you recruit is a resource for you. You wouldn’t want the network you worked so hard to build to end up serving only the Cyan Sun Sect, would you?"

"I..." Jiang Yishan opened his mouth but couldn’t say a word.

"What if someone agrees to join but immediately demands we place someone in another Sect?" Yin Feihuai asked. "Wouldn’t we be exposed again?"

"Senior Brother Yin, the Wenda Alliance has a ranking system," Li Ye said with a smile. "Rank is tied to contributions. A Beginner Student doesn’t have that right. They only gain such a privilege when they’ve been promoted to Adept or Scholar.

That time delay gives us the window we need to expand our influence into other Sects. By the time they become full-fledged members, we might already have everything prepared.

And taking a step back, even if we still lack the ability to place people in other Sects by then, would members who have already tasted the sweet benefits of the Alliance really quit over that?"

It seemed every potential loophole had been plugged.

A dead silence fell over the cave.

No one could say a word. When they first joined the Wenda Alliance, most of them assumed that the initial phase would be incredibly difficult—perhaps even an impossible struggle.

They figured it would take years, perhaps even decades, all while risking their lives. That’s what had made them consider merely going through the motions, or even backing out entirely.

But after Li Ye had answered their questions and dispelled their doubts, they suddenly realized something.

This whole endeavor suddenly seemed much easier. If they just put in the effort, they could accomplish it without difficulty.

They could even just copy the schemes from the Mortal World, apply them to the world of cultivation, and still succeed.

It was as if a new door had opened in their minds...

"Junior Brother, so you’d thought all of this through beforehand?" Shen Weifeng swallowed hard, staring at Li Ye. For the first time, he felt he had completely misjudged the young man.

"It wasn’t me. I’m only in my twenties, how could I come up with such a sophisticated plan?" Li Ye gave a self-deprecating smile, deciding it was best to stick to his established persona. "First Senior Brother, you give me too much credit. This has always been the Wenda Alliance’s method for expansion. It’s the precious wisdom accumulated by countless people of vision. I’m merely applying what they’ve learned.

Why else would I say that developing the Wenda Alliance in this world would be easy? It’s because we are already standing on the shoulders of giants. We don’t need to fumble around and figure it out on our own!"

Shen Weifeng let out a long sigh of relief. The last thing he wanted was a junior brother as cunning as a demon.

"First Senior Brother, I know you’re a good person," Li Ye said, his expression turning serious as he looked at Shen Weifeng. "But you have to understand that the Wenda Alliance isn’t just yours—it belongs to everyone. Only when it has grown into a towering tree will it have the strength to protect itself.

While it’s still just a sapling, any means necessary to help it grow are the right means. Only once it’s grown strong can we succeed in our goals. If it falls, we lose everything.

As long as we achieve our goals, the entire world will benefit. When that time comes, no one will care about how we got there..."

"I understand." Shen Weifeng paused for a moment, then gave a solemn nod.

"My dear Senior Brothers, I could have used these same tactics on you just now. If I hadn’t been honest with you, do you think you could have resisted?" Li Ye asked suddenly, his gaze sweeping over them.

"..." Mu Xue and the others froze once more.

After a moment, their expressions shifted.

’If they were honest with themselves, had Shen Weifeng told them the Upper Three Sects also had Wenda Alliance members who could provide them with various benefits, they weren’t certain they could have resisted the temptation...’

"My three Senior Brothers, and Senior Sister," Li Ye said, "I told you the truth because I want you to join the Wenda Alliance with all your hearts. The Wenda Alliance may deceive outsiders, but there can be no deceit within its core. I am not deceiving you, and I hope you will not deceive me. Do not let our oath become a hollow promise."

"Junior Brother Li, I stand corrected."

Yin Feihuai paused, then bowed deeply to Li Ye.

The others followed suit, returning the gesture.

"You’re too kind." Li Ye smiled, returning the bow. He scanned the group and asked, "Does anyone have any other questions?"

"I have none."

Yin Feihuai shook his head, his mind buzzing. What Li Ye had just explained would take him some time to process.

He even felt as if he had wasted all the years he had lived.

Ji Tianwen and the others exchanged glances, unable to think of any other issues at the moment.

But their confidence was now fully ignited. Their earlier apathy was long forgotten, and they were filled with a newfound drive.

After all, they had seen the future of the Wenda Alliance.

And in that future, as its founders, they stood to gain immense benefits.

In a sense, just by taking action, they would already be changing the world.

"Junior Brother, what can I do?" Yang Tianrui asked. "I only just reached Foundation Establishment, and my master won’t let me leave the mountain for extended periods."

"Sixth Senior Brother, you can stay here and help me compile the Wenda Alliance’s journals and revise its rules. If members make any research breakthroughs, you will be in charge of recording and organizing them," Li Ye said with a smile, turning to Yang Tianrui. "You’ll document everything that happens within the Wenda Alliance—every new member recruited by our senior brothers and sister.

That way, even if we’re gone one day, the future generations of the Wenda Alliance will know what we accomplished! The work may be tedious, but it’s crucial. Are you willing to do it?"

"Of course I’m willing," Yang Tianrui said excitedly. "I thought I’d have to wait until the Golden Core Realm to be able to contribute to the Wenda Alliance!"

’You’re thinking too much!’

’I can find a use for anyone, even a complete waste.’

Li Ye looked at Yang Tianrui and said, "Sixth Senior Brother, you are also one of the eight founding Elders. The burden you carry will be heavy."

"Yes." Yang Tianrui nodded emphatically, saying with excitement, "Junior Brother, I’ll start recording today’s events right away."

"My dear Senior Brothers, if you have no further questions, you should head back. It isn’t good to linger here for too long. Senior Sister Mu, your role will be quite demanding in the beginning. The identification tokens need to be designed and forged as soon as possible. This is our top priority, and it’s crucial that no one discovers them," Li Ye instructed.

"I will," Mu Xue nodded. In that moment, she suddenly felt the immense weight of her responsibility, almost like a sense of purpose.

"Junior Brother Li, I think we could start recruiting some people from within the Sect," Yin Feihuai said, hesitating slightly. "The outside world is vast. With just a few of us, our expansion will be too slow."

’See? With the right incentives, I don’t even have to push you. Now you’re getting impatient all on your own!’

Li Ye chuckled. "Senior Brother Yin has a point. However, for everyone’s safety, we must only recruit trustworthy people during this initial stage."

"Understood," everyone nodded.

"My dear Senior Brothers and Senior Sister, by all means, find new recruits. But they can never enter the inner circle." Li Ye looked at them, offering another piece of reassurance. "From start to finish, the core leadership will consist of only the eight of us. All major decisions must originate from this group. The more people involved in decision-making, the less efficient the execution..."

As soon as he said this, everyone’s eyes lit up, and they all nodded in agreement.

After all, no one wanted to share the power they held.

Without anyone realizing it, Li Ye had assumed the position of leader, yet no one found it strange. In fact, they all seemed to have forgotten that Shen Weifeng was the one who initiated the Wenda Alliance—even Shen Weifeng himself had overlooked it.