Chapter 540 - 509: Easy to Invite a God, Hard to Send One Away

"This tribulation is the most perilous the Primordial Sect has faced since its founding. However, I am a Tributor of the Primordial Sect. When the sect is in peril, it is only natural that I share its fate!"

Chen Che pondered for a moment before answering with righteous passion.

Unsure of her intentions, Chen Che had no choice but to tailor his words to the situation.

"Valley Master Chen's loyalty is truly as bright as the sun and moon."

Ping Miaohan replied with a beaming smile, holding her tea.

However, she also knew that this verbal sparring could go on until morning without ever reaching the main point. She decided to cut to the chase:

"I'm not as noble as Valley Master Chen. I'm not a cultivator of the Primordial Sect; I only came here for Spirit Stones. Helping the Primordial Sect defend the city is dangerous, yes, but the rewards are also much greater."

"I'm preparing to establish a new sect, but the resource deficit is simply enormous. I had no choice but to resort to this."

Chen Che held his teacup, silent.

'Tang Linli's information was even more detailed than Xiao Chan's.'

'Ping Miaohan and the current Tower Master of Mist Rain Tower were identical twin sisters. Although Ping Miaohan was the elder, her younger sister was heavily favored because her Spiritual Root was superior. And that sister of hers was no simple character—she was extremely possessive.'

'Whatever Ping Miaohan had, her sister had to have one too.'

'So their resentment grew deeper and deeper.'

'The sisters' conflict peaked when they competed for the right to undergo Core Formation. Before the grand competition, Ping Miaohan had been sent out by the Tower on various complex and exhausting missions, leaving her worn out. Her sister, meanwhile, cultivated peacefully in seclusion. As expected, Ping Miaohan was defeated in the competition.'

'After her defeat, she openly rebelled, left the Tower, and swore to one day destroy the Mist Rain Tower. Nearly a century had passed since then, and with the Mist Rain Tower actively suppressing the story, very few people knew about it.'

'But it wasn't exactly top-secret information.'

Recalling all this, Chen Che wasn't surprised by Ping Miaohan's talk of establishing a new sect.

"So?"

"As we all know, establishing a sect isn't something a few people can just decide to do. I imagine you, Valley Master Chen, don't have much faith in this battle either. Jinyun Valley and the Star-Picking Sect are already mortal enemies, so you must have given your future careful consideration. It's hard to stand alone, so why don't we join forces..."

"Of course, I am willing to recognize Jinyun Valley as the core of this alliance."

Hearing this, Chen Che, Xiao Chan, Meng Qianxun, and the others remained expressionless.

It wasn't uncommon for groups to band together to form a new sect.

Many sects in the world of Cultivation were originally founded with a single family at their core, with subordinate powers forming the branches. But to propose an alliance after meeting only twice? It was more than just presumptuous.

'Perhaps she sees that the Primordial Sect is on the verge of collapse and that Jinyun Valley stands alone, which is why she's had this idea.'

As for her promise, Chen Che simply scoffed internally.

If the seven Golden Core cultivators led by Ping Miaohan were to join Jinyun Valley, it would undoubtedly increase the valley's strength significantly. With that kind of power, even if they left the Primordial Sect later, they could quickly carve out a new territory anywhere and become a regional power.

Perhaps in a few hundred years, they might even produce a Nascent Soul True Monarch.

The downside, however, was that these newcomers would also demand a certain degree of influence. Over time, it was even possible that these outsiders could stage a hostile 'takeover' of his entire faction.

That's why Chen Che wouldn't even entertain the idea.

Every Golden Core cultivator present could see the potential consequences and was weighing the pros and cons.

Tapping his teacup, Chen Che let out a small laugh. He cupped his fist and said with a smile:

"Thank you for your high praise, Fellow Daoist Ping, but Jinyun Valley is a humble sect and cannot bear the responsibility of being the core. Besides, as I said before... I am a Tributor of the Primordial Sect, and I will naturally share its fate."

"Valley Master Chen, your demonstrable loyalty is truly admirable."

'She had gambled that Chen Che was an ambitious leader, one who would be willing to absorb her people and confident in his ability to control them. She never expected him to refuse without a second thought.'

But Ping Miaohan wasn't too surprised. 'When does anything in this world ever go perfectly smoothly?'

'Only the persistent have any chance of success.'

Since her proposal failed, she saw no reason to make an enemy of him and immediately changed the subject. "Fellow Daoist Duobao has ordered us to guard the West Gate. I wonder, does the Valley Master have a detailed plan? We should coordinate our efforts to help the Primordial Sect overcome this crisis."

"No."

Chen Che said bluntly, "However, since you've brought it up, I suggest we simply station our forces at opposite ends of the sector."

'It's not like he had any strategy.'

'The day the city's defenses fell would be the day he left. As for sharing the Primordial Sect's fate, that was just lip service. His proposal to station their forces separately was also a clear statement of his intent to draw a line between himself and this woman.'

'This would prevent any entanglement with her when he made his escape, avoiding unnecessary complications.'

"Alright."

Ping Miaohan immediately understood the distancing in Chen Che's words and revealed a polite smile. "Then I hope we can rely on you in the coming days, Valley Master."

"Of course."

Chen Che readily agreed.

After that, Ping Miaohan exchanged a few more pleasantries before taking her leave.

...

"I actually thought that was a viable idea."

Watching Ping Miaohan depart, Zhao Shifeng was the first to speak up.

He thought that with Chen Che's power, plus the strength of their own group, they could completely suppress Ping Miaohan and her followers.

"It was a real pity to reject the offer so bluntly."

"It's easier to invite a god in than to send one away."

Chen Che replied, his expression unreadable as he looked away from the door.

"Once they join Jinyun Valley, if they were to leave later on, it would be a crippling blow to us. Besides, don't forget she has a feud with the Mist Rain Tower."

"Furthermore, the current situation is particularly sensitive. It's not a good time to invite complications or make new enemies."

Meng Qianxun also strongly agreed with Chen Che's decision.

'Between himself, Meng Changtu, Lu Yuntian, Chen Xi, Xiao Chan, Zhao Shifeng, Zhao Yunchen, and Chen Che, the valley already had eight Golden Core cultivators. And that wasn't even counting the Yu Family...'

'Their subordinate forces had four to five hundred Foundation Establishment cultivators.'

'With their large population and numerous disciples, it would be a simple matter for the valley to produce another seventy, eighty, or even a hundred new Foundation Establishment cultivators in the next decade.'

'With such immense power, they already had what it took to carve out their own territory. Why would they need to rely on others and invite unnecessary constraints?'

"However," Chen Che said slowly, "Ping Miaohan's actions show that most of these cultivators who've come to 'help' have their own agendas. When a real battle breaks out, we probably won't be able to count on them. We'll have to rely on ourselves."

Just as he finished speaking,

another person came to report that a Golden Core cultivator had arrived to pay a visit.

The group exchanged glances. 'Why is someone else here?' Chen Che frowned and nodded. "Show him in..."

...

「For the next several days.」

Nearly every day, a Golden Core cultivator would come to their door. Of course, not all of them were like Ping Miaohan, proposing they join forces to build a new sect. Some had taken a fancy to his Alchemy Skill and came specifically to request his services, bringing Spirit Stones and Spiritual Medicine with them.

Chen Che politely refused all such requests on the spot.

After all, alchemy was mentally and physically draining. He needed to maintain his strength at its peak at all times, so where would he find the spare energy for other tasks?

Others simply wanted to build a relationship with Jinyun Valley. In the short term, this would give them more confidence in defending the city, as they could help each other out during a crisis.

In the long term, should the Primordial Sect collapse, having befriended Jinyun Valley during this crisis would create a valuable connection. It was a relationship that might prove useful someday—a strategic long-term play.

Still others hinted, both overtly and covertly, that if the great ship that was the Primordial Sect were to sink, and if Jinyun Valley found itself unable to withstand the aftermath, Chen Che could take refuge with them.

One True Master, who had only recently achieved Core Formation, even stated outright that if Chen Che were to grace his clan with his presence in the future, he would be willing to treat Chen Che as an equal and share control of his family. Naturally, Chen Che brushed these types of offers aside with vague pleasantries.

Clearly, all these people could see that the Primordial Sect was on the verge of collapse. While they weren't as blatant in their plunder as the Star-Picking Sect, they were still secretly trying to squeeze the last drops of value from the sinking ship.

It even got to the point where many Foundation Establishment cultivators came to join the commotion, presenting their visiting cards one after another.

But Chen Che had no time to waste on them. He simply sent the Chiefs from the valley out to handle them, with strict instructions not to accept any gifts or agree to any requests.

In short, his policy was to be completely non-committal and airtight.