Chapter 279 - 277: Choice
Elder Qi was a man of profound seniority in the Sun-piercing Alliance. He was its Chief Instructor and a trusted confidant of Alliance Leader Guan Tianming.
No one could have imagined he would be thrown into prison.
At this moment, Elder Qi was a complete mess. He appeared to have suffered serious injuries, and his face was pale.
"So, you’ve finally seen your day, you old bastard! What’s wrong? Did you mess something up and get put in your place like a dog by your Alliance Leader? Hahaha!"
Du Yang strode over with a malicious grin, and the many Martial Artists in the first cell block also advanced on Elder Qi, glaring like tigers stalking their prey.
They all recognized the old man. He was the one who had forced them to surrender their Cultivation Techniques and thrown them in here.
Of course, they all knew it was Alliance Leader Guan Tianming’s idea, but that didn’t stop them from venting their rage on Elder Qi.
Facing the menacing crowd, however, Elder Qi showed no sign of backing down.
"A pack of useless trash, and you dare to make a scene now? Why didn’t you dare to resist before?"
The crowd seethed with anger. Du Yang raised his fist and roared, "You old bastard, still acting tough? Today, I’ll show you what I’m made of!"
Elder Qi snorted. He raised his head, his expression fearless and defiant.
"Stand down!"
At the sound of that voice, not only Du Yang but all the other Martial Artists in the first cell block obediently backed away.
Elder Qi looked behind him. It was an ordinary-looking young man, accompanied by a little girl around ten years old.
Elder Qi was taken aback by the sight.
He remembered both Chen Yuan and the little girl with him.
He remembered the girl because everyone brought here was a Martial Artist. It was truly rare for a little girl to be captured alongside them.
He, too, was deeply dissatisfied with the Sun-piercing Alliance’s practice of arresting Martial Artists, but he was powerless to stop it.
He was only the Chief Instructor. While the title sounded prestigious, he held little real power.
He had no authority over arrests or releases; his only duty was to oversee the interrogation for Cultivation Techniques.
He remembered Chen Yuan because the Cultivation Technique he had written down was somewhat strange.
The technique itself was ordinary, but Chen Yuan’s calligraphy was anything but.
As Chief Instructor, Elder Qi had reviewed countless Cultivation Techniques, some of which were the original manuscripts written by their creators.
A person’s calligraphy is inextricably linked to their Martial Dao Cultivation.
Chen Yuan’s calligraphy was sharp and revealing, containing a profound mystery. It simply didn’t look like something a Condensing Truth Realm Martial Artist could produce. Even few Martial Artists at the Primordial Pill Realm could match it.
Pairing such calligraphy with an ordinary Profound Level Technique seemed rather incongruous.
And the current scene struck Elder Qi as even more bizarre.
Elder Qi knew that every cell block had its own "boss."
These bosses were typically vicious thugs and ruthless bandits from the outside world—the most depraved of criminals.
’But now, it seems this young man is the boss of the first cell block. And his authority is immense—a single command prevents anyone from making a move. How did he manage that?’
Chen Yuan patted Zuo Qianlan’s head, telling her to stay put and play by herself.
Then he walked over, sat down in front of Elder Qi, and waved his hand dismissively, motioning for the others to back away.
"What, are you also here to get revenge on an old man like me?"
Elder Qi sneered.
"I have no grudge against you. Why would I seek revenge?"
"Being captured and imprisoned by the Sun-piercing Alliance—you don’t call that a grudge?"
Chen Yuan looked at Elder Qi with a faint, enigmatic smile. "And what if I let you capture me on purpose?"
Elder Qi’s expression changed abruptly. "Who exactly are you? Are you with the Murong Family?"
The Murong Family had long been aware of the Sun-piercing Alliance’s recent activities, and the two factions had even clashed several times.
Both the Murong Family and the Sun-piercing Alliance are based in You Province, and they’ve never seen eye to eye.
But the Murong Family has a deeper foundation, so they have long harbored ambitions of annexing the Sun-piercing Alliance.
Now, with the Alliance Leader’s reckless behavior, the Murong Family was the most likely to make a move against the Sun-piercing Alliance.
"I’m not one of that bunch of idiots."
Chen Yuan frowned slightly.
’We’re just talking. Why resort to insults?’
"Elder Qi, never mind who I am for now. The important questions are, who are *you* now? And whose Sun-piercing Alliance is it, really?"
’This man has immense seniority in the Sun-piercing Alliance. If I can persuade him to turn traitor, my plans will proceed much more smoothly.’
Elder Qi’s jaw tightened, but he suddenly heaved a long sigh. "The Sun-piercing Alliance... of course, it belongs to all of us!"
"So you’ll just stand by and watch your Alliance Leader act so wantonly?"
Elder Qi spread his hands with a bitter smile. "What else can I do? I’m just an old man. When the Alliance Leader has use for me, I’m the Sun-piercing Alliance’s Chief Instructor.
When he has no use for me, I’m just a useless old fossil.
It’s not that I haven’t tried to persuade him. But this is the result—I was thrown into this underground prison just the same."
Chen Yuan smiled. "Actually, there is another solution. For instance... getting rid of Guan Tianming and finding a new Alliance Leader!"
"Who *are* you!?"
Elder Qi stared at Chen Yuan, his eyes wide with shock.
Even in its weakened state, the Sun-piercing Alliance was still one of the Seven Alliances of the World, and Alliance Leader Guan Tianming was an expert of the Ninth Realm Celestial Profound Level.
Yet this man before him spoke so casually of getting rid of Guan Tianming. He was either an outrageous braggart or his origins were utterly astounding.
"Have you read many books, Elder Qi?" Chen Yuan asked abruptly.
Elder Qi nodded, a hint of pride in his voice. "I wouldn’t claim to be widely read, but I have seen my fair share of various Cultivation Techniques and Jianghu secrets."
Chen Yuan smiled, a profound look in his eyes. "Elder Qi, have you ever heard of this: *The universe overturned, our sect a new heaven; the people’s suffering ended, the sun and moon ascendant.*"
"The Ming Sect!"
Elder Qi’s face fell. His voice rose instinctively before he clamped a hand over his mouth and hissed, "You’re really from the Ming Sect?"
"Claiming to be from the Ming Sect is no small matter. Impersonators tend to end up dead."
"What do you want?"
Elder Qi took a deep breath, his gaze fixed on Chen Yuan.
"Your Sun-piercing Alliance doesn’t have much of a foundation. What could anyone possibly covet? The Sun-piercing Sword, of course."
Upon hearing this, Elder Qi sneered. "I advise you to give up that idea! Plotting to take our Sun-piercing Alliance’s Divine Soldier is absolutely impossible!"
"Your Alliance Leader treats you like this, yet you’re still so loyal to him?"
"I am not loyal to the Alliance Leader. I am loyal to the Sun-piercing Alliance!"
Elder Qi said grimly, "Without the Sun-piercing Alliance, I would be nothing more than an impoverished scholar, unable to even afford a meal.
The Sun-piercing Sword is our alliance’s ancestral Divine Soldier, the very foundation of our foothold in You Province.
No matter how mysterious or powerful your Ming Sect may be, don’t even think you can wrest the Sun-piercing Sword from the hands of the Sun-piercing Alliance!"
Chen Yuan shook his head gently and sighed. "Elder Qi, your actions don’t prove your loyalty to the Sun-piercing Alliance. They prove your loyalty to Guan Tianming.
His current actions have made the Sun-piercing Alliance a public enemy. His recklessness has shaken half of You Province.
Even if the Ming Sect doesn’t take the Sun-piercing Sword, the future of the Sun-piercing Alliance is already doomed.
Besides, the Sun-piercing Sword is already growing unstable. Your Sun-piercing Alliance has gathered so many elites, yet after all this time, you still can’t stabilize it. Even if the Ming Sect doesn’t take it, how much longer can you hold on to it?"
Divine Soldiers are sentient; they possess their own consciousness.
When a Divine Soldier has a Commander-in-Chief to control it, it remains quiescent, able to unleash its greatest power in its master’s hands.
Even without a Commander-in-Chief, it can be driven by other means—like a Divine Artifact Incarnation or sacrificial rituals—to unleash a portion of its power.
However, once a Divine Artifact Demon Soldier goes on a rampage, it means it’s completely out of control. It’s preparing to shatter its bonds and seek out a new Commander-in-Chief.
Trying to forcibly hold onto a Divine Soldier at such a time is just a futile waste of energy.
It’s just like what happened with one of the Ming Sect’s own Divine Artifact Demon Soldiers. Once it lost its Commander-in-Chief, it began to rampage, so we decisively sealed it away where it would never see the light of day.
Although we in the Ming Sect can’t use it while it’s sealed, we at least know its location. Should a new Commander-in-Chief capable of wielding it appear, it will be easy to retrieve.
But the Sun-piercing Alliance is different. You simply don’t have the power to seal the Sun-piercing Sword. The only possible outcome is that it will eventually break free entirely, escape its bonds, and vanish to who knows where.
Elder Qi’s expression flickered. "You know that the Sun-piercing Sword is growing unstable!?"
The Sun-piercing Sword had been unstable for some time now. The Sun-piercing Alliance had done its utmost to conceal this fact, but they never expected it to be discovered after all.
Chen Yuan said nonchalantly, "Some things can’t be hidden. Divine Artifact Demon Soldiers are sentient. The Sun-piercing Alliance’s destiny is at an end. Trying to forcibly retain the Sun-piercing Sword is just asking for trouble.
At this point, you really only have two choices.
One, cooperate with me. Help me get rid of Guan Tianming. The Ming Sect only wants the Sun-piercing Sword; we won’t touch the rest of your Sun-piercing Alliance.
Once a tyrant like Guan Tianming is dead, your Sun-piercing Alliance will be short one Ninth Realm Celestial Profound expert, but you’ll no longer have to stand by while your leader’s recklessness drags the entire alliance into an abyss of certain doom.
Two, you can remain stubborn to the bitter end. But the Ming Sect’s plan to take the Sun-piercing Sword will not change in the slightest."
Elder Qi sneered. "So, it makes no difference what I choose. Your Ming Sect intends to take the Sun-piercing Sword either way."
Chen Yuan shook his head. "It makes no difference to the Ming Sect, but it makes a huge difference to your Sun-piercing Alliance.
The sooner we acquire the Sun-piercing Sword, the fewer of your people will have to die.
The Sun-piercing Sword is unstable, Guan Tianming is acting against all reason, and your Sun-piercing Alliance is already on the brink of collapse.
But if fewer people die, and Guan Tianming’s disastrous reign is cut short, you can at least preserve some of your strength. You won’t be swallowed up so quickly by the Murong Family."
After hearing this, Elder Qi fell silent.
Chen Yuan’s words were pragmatic, yet cruel.
’He’s openly declaring his intention to move against the Sun-piercing Alliance, yet I have to help him. Otherwise, the alliance’s losses will be even greater.’
Without much more deliberation, Elder Qi heaved a long sigh and said with a bitter smile, "I truly have no choice. I never imagined the day would come when I would have to hand over the Sun-piercing Sword with my own hands!"