Novel11 Chapter 1826 Cooperation
Chapter 1826 Cooperation
"Although our cultivators fought valiantly, advancing wave after wave, their blood staining the starry sea, alas..." He shook his head, "Two fists cannot fight four hands, and a single tree cannot support a giant building. Faced with the alternating attacks of two behemoths, our realm could only abandon the peripheral star regions and shrink its defenses. We even had to sign a humiliating treaty, paying them a huge amount of high-grade immortal materials in exchange for a brief respite."
"We have been clinging to life like this for millions of years." Xuanweizi's tone revealed exhaustion and a trace of resentment. "Until about... twelve hundred years ago? An unbelievable piece of news came from our realm. The Grand Master of the Zhou Tian Jian Zheng used the Great Dao of the late Golden Immortal stage to divine that the nine divine domains outside the Xuanxu Great Realm's boundary membrane had actually annihilated the two advance reconnaissance legions sent by the Sanqing Immortal Realm and the Primordial Demon Abyss!"
Xuanweizi's words were filled with an incredulous astonishment: "The higher-ups of our Xuanxu Great Realm were shaken, and no one dared to believe it! How could a broken realm do this? Unless these nine divine domains are not truly broken, but rather hide earth-shattering secrets, possess a profound foundation far beyond expectations, or... master some terrifying power capable of overthrowing the upper realms!"
He paused, his gaze becoming complex: "Initially, after the initial shock, a voice did rise within the realm. It was believed that since the Nine Divine Realms were able to counterattack the vanguard, they must have seized or already possessed a massive amount of high-level resources. Rather than waiting for the Three Pure Immortal Realms and the Primordial Demon Abyss to recover and mobilize their main forces to attack you again, plundering all the resources of your Nine Divine Realms... it would be better for my Xuanxu Realm to strike first!"
Xuanweizi spoke very frankly, openly acknowledging his initial malice.
"Being near the water tower, one gets the moon first. Taking advantage of the fact that the nine divine realms have just experienced a great war and are at their weakest, we should concentrate our strength, take them down in one fell swoop, and extract all their resources and secrets to strengthen our realm. Perhaps, we can gain the capital to deal with the Three Pure Ones and the Primordial Demon, or even to counter them."
"This is why I led Xingqiong Ferry here today, and brought with me Jade Balance Immortal Lord and twenty elites from various sects. It is not to show off our strength, but rather... the lineup originally planned."
The people of the Nine Realms felt a chill run down their spines upon hearing this.
As expected, the other party's intentions were not good!
The so-called "shared hatred against a common enemy" is just an excuse used after realizing that the tough nuts to crack are unbreakable!
Xuanweizi seemed to sense the sudden surge of hostility from the Nine Domains. He waved his hand and said with a wry smile, "Fellow Daoists, please don't be angry. Let me finish what I have to say."
"After arriving at these nine divine realms, I discovered that your realm not only has Golden Immortals in charge, but also two hundred Dao soldiers comparable to True Immortals, as well as this protective array that has reached the ninth rank!"
He sighed, his tone candid: "With such strength and such preparation, even if my Xuanxu Realm were to send out all its elite forces and force a war, we might ultimately win, but it would be a Pyrrhic victory! How many of my twenty True Immortals will be able to return? Will the Starry Sky Ferry remain intact? And will I and Jade Balance Immortal Lord have to pay an unbearable price? All of these are unknown."
"In cultivating immortality and seeking the Dao, the most important thing is to weigh the pros and cons, then consider opportunities, and above all, avoid unnecessary losses," Xuanweizi said solemnly.
"To fight to the death with a realm that also possesses Golden Immortals, is resilient in battle, and is well-prepared, for a treasure that is not yet certain, and to let the real tigers and wolves reap the benefits, is not the way of a wise man, nor is it the way for my Xuanxu Great Realm to survive!"
"Moreover," he changed the subject, his tone now carrying a genuine sense of感慨 and 幸, "just now, I used the Zhou Tian Jian secret technique to sense things and even divined from the faint traces of Dao left in your domain that in the great war two hundred years ago, your domain faced not only the second wave of allied forces, but also the reincarnation of Taiyi personally leading them! And the result... it seems that the reincarnation was also severely injured and fled in a sorry state?"
He looked at Jiao'er and Zhang Xuan: "To be able to repel the army led by the reincarnation of Taiyi... such a feat cannot be described by the words 'profound foundation.' Your domain is truly a place where dragons and tigers hide, blessed by destiny! At this moment, I can only be thankful that I did not act rashly, and thankful that there is still room for maneuver!"
Xuanweizi delivered a lengthy discourse, from his initial malice to his observations along the way, and finally to his judgment and choice. His logic was clear, his attitude was frank, and he even carried a sense of bittersweetness, as if they had become friends after a fight.
He finally bowed, facing Jiao'er and Zhang Xuan, and said earnestly, "Therefore, I have set aside my previous thoughts. My Xuanxu Great Realm and your esteemed domain share the same origin from the Nine Dragon Veins and have both suffered from the harm caused by the Three Pure Ones and the Primordial Demon. We are truly natural allies! Rather than two tigers fighting each other and pleasing our enemies, it is better to join hands and fight against external aggression together! These are my heartfelt words, and they are also my request for cooperation on behalf of the Xuanxu Great Realm to your esteemed domain."
The scene fell silent for a moment.
Having said all that, the other party had practically laid bare all their cards: We originally wanted to rob you, but we found you were not to be trifled with, so we changed our strategy to cooperate and fight against an even bigger enemy.
Is it true or false? Is it a delaying tactic? Or is it genuine?
The people of the Nine Realms quickly weighed their options.
Jiao'er met Xuanweizi's gaze with her cool eyes for a moment before slowly speaking, "What Fellow Daoist Xuanweizi said seems to make some sense. However, cooperation is not child's play; it must be based on sincerity and a contract. Empty words are hard to trust."
Zhang Xuan interjected, "Indeed, since you speak of cooperation, fellow Daoist, may I ask what the specific procedures are in the Xuanxu Great Realm? And how can you convince us that this is a sincere effort, rather than a mere expedient measure?"
Xuanweizi seemed to have been prepared, and a smile reappeared on his face: "The concerns of the two fellow Daoists are very valid. Cooperation naturally needs to be methodical and secure."
He turned to the side and gestured to the Jade Balance Immortal Lord behind him: "The Holy Light Divine Court, where the Jade Balance Immortal Lord resides, has a long history and an ancient mutual assistance alliance with my Zhou Tian Jian. The Jade Balance Immortal Lord is accompanying us this time for two reasons: first, to lend a helping hand, and second, to use the secret technique of the Heavenly Dao Contract to achieve cooperation."
At this moment, Immortal Lord Yuheng finally stepped forward and said, "In the name of the Holy Light, I, Immortal Lord Yuheng, hereby declare that if the Xuanxu Great Realm and the Nine Divine Domains establish a sacred covenant of mutual support and protection, my Holy Light Divine Court will reshape the Heavenly Order to fulfill this covenant."
Xuanweizi added: "Besides the Holy Light reshaping the Heavenly Dao order to fulfill this contract, we can sign the Great Dao Source Contract, using a portion of the original fortune of both realms as collateral. If there is any violation, the fortune of the breaching party's realm will decline, the Great Dao will reject them, cultivation will be difficult to advance, and calamities will frequently occur. This is also the highest binding contract among all the heavens and myriad realms."
The Great Dao Origin and Contract!
Using the fate of the world as collateral is almost the highest level of oath.
Xuanweizi continued, "As for the terms of cooperation, I can offer a few ideas for your consideration, which can be roughly divided into three parts."
"Firstly, we should share intelligence and help each other. Our Xuanxu Realm has more contact with the Three Pure Ones and the Primordial Demon, and has a more detailed understanding of their movements. We can establish fixed channels to share intelligence. If one side is subjected to a large-scale invasion, the other side has an obligation to provide strategic containment and necessary assistance within its capabilities."
"Secondly, we can share resources and exchange skills. Your domain is in dire need of development and seems to have unique expertise in puppetry, formations, and even certain unique combat techniques. My Xuanxu Realm has some experience in spiritual vein cultivation, high-level weapon forging, interstellar navigation, and even some ancient secret techniques. We can open up safe trade routes, each taking what we need and complementing each other's strengths and weaknesses."