The question left Mao Cheng at a loss. It was true he was the Vice Sect Leader in charge of general affairs, but this sort of thing was beyond his purview.

Seeing that Mao Cheng was completely clueless, Fang Qingyuan irritably waved him away. Right now, the sect was filled with only Qi Cultivation Cultivators. Besides himself, the Sect Leader, there wasn’t a single person who could help share his workload. It seemed he’d have to go find Jiang Wanqin himself.

Just as Fang Qingyuan was about to head out, Mao Cheng returned, holding a formal invitation. He presented it to Fang Qingyuan and explained,

"A sect at the gate has submitted an invitation. They wish to see you and said it’s to discuss matters regarding the formation of the Far East Alliance."

"The Far East Alliance?"

Fang Qingyuan took the invitation, mulling over the name. ’What in the world is this?’

He opened the invitation and saw it was signed by the Dongming Sect. Fang Qingyuan had heard of them; their territory didn’t border his, with several other factions separating the two.

The Dongming Sect was somewhat stronger than the Qingyuan Sect, but they also lacked a Golden Core Cultivator. They simply had a few more Foundation Establishment Cultivators, that’s all.

A visitor was a guest, and since this one had specifically requested to see him, Fang Qingyuan suppressed the urge to go find Jiang Wanqin immediately and prepared to meet him.

Signaling for Mao Cheng to bring the visitor up, Fang Qingyuan met the man in the reception hall.

The visitor was a plain-looking, middle-aged man named Xiao Yangxu. He had an Early-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivation and was dressed in the robes of the Dongming Sect. After bowing to Fang Qingyuan, he began to explain the purpose of his visit.

"Sect Leader Fang, I have come here to discuss a matter of great importance with your sect. The formation of the Far East Alliance cannot be delayed, and I hope you can see the urgency of the situation."

Fang Qingyuan remained noncommittal, simply sitting in the host’s seat and waiting quietly for the man to continue.

"It’s only been seven years since the war, yet five Sect Clans in our area have already been destroyed at the hands of Tribulation Cultivators. At first, they were only Qi Cultivation Clans, so no one paid much attention. But when the Foundation Establishment Liu Family also met a tragic end, the situation became dire. We cannot afford to remain like a tray of scattered sand, each fighting alone!"

Xiao Yangxu’s face was filled with indignation, and he grew more incensed as he spoke of the clans being pillaged by Tribulation Cultivators. The families he mentioned were all small, minor powers that had migrated here after the war. They had not been granted official titles or lands and, like most factions in White Mountain, their sudden rise and fall was perfectly normal.

Seeing Xiao Yangxu’s emotional display, Fang Qingyuan watched with a cool detachment. ’This act of his is almost certainly a facade.’

’But I have to play along with your performance. As a Sect Leader, acting ability is more important than one’s cultivation level.’ And so, Fang Qingyuan played along, saying:

"You’re right. To think so many clans have vanished without me even realizing. I’ve been engrossed in my cultivation these past few years, so I haven’t paid much attention to such matters. But, Fellow Daoist Xiao, what exactly is this Far East Alliance you mentioned?"

Now getting to the heart of the matter, Xiao Yangxu quickly explained,

"Our Land Realm here is deep within White Mountain, isolated in a remote corner. Outside powers can’t get to us, and they have no interest in helping us anyway. Therefore, we must save ourselves. Only by uniting to form an alliance, watching each other’s backs in offense and defense, can we avoid being picked off one by one by the White Mountain Tribulation Cultivators."

"The Dongming Sect proposes that we emulate the Artifact Talisman Alliance and have eight Foundation Establishment Sects, selected based on their prestige and power, jointly form the Far East Alliance. And your Qingyuan Sect would be one of those eight pillars."

Hearing this, Fang Qingyuan’s mind raced as he began to weigh the pros and cons of the Far East Alliance for his Qingyuan Sect. Seeing him fall into deep thought, Xiao Yangxu quickly added,

"Although your Qingyuan Sect currently has only you, a single Foundation Establishment Cultivator, its origins are extraordinary. It has roots in the Beast Taming Sect and has been under the protection of the Great Zhou Academy for three generations. That alone is enough to earn it a place among the eight founding sects. There are some sects with three Foundation Establishment Cultivators that weren’t even considered."

’So they want to use the Qingyuan Sect as a figurehead.’ It was true. In terms of pedigree alone, the Qingyuan Sect was second to none in this area. Coupled with its three generations of patronage from the academy, there was likely no other power in the entire Far East Land Realm with a more distinguished and noble reputation.

’However, without a single Golden Core Sect joining, this Far East Alliance won’t amount to much in White Mountain. My sect has been patronized for three generations; I have no need to get tangled up with these other Sect Clans. Unless... unless my sect can reap significant benefits, and not just be used as a poster child to bolster the alliance’s reputation.’

With this in mind, Fang Qingyuan said with an approving tone,

"Establishing the Far East Alliance is an excellent idea, and the Qingyuan Sect is duty-bound to join. However, there is a matter within my sect that requires my immediate attention and is consuming much of my energy. I’m afraid we’ll have to postpone this discussion."

Xiao Yangxu was stunned for a moment but reacted instantly, saying with urgency,

"The members of the Far East Alliance are meant to help each other! Once the Qingyuan Sect joins, you’ll be part of the family. If you’re facing a difficult problem now, tell us. We’ll help if we can, and even if we can’t, we can at least offer some ideas."

Fang Qingyuan feigned hesitation before briefly mentioning the matter concerning Jiang Wanqin. At this, Xiao Yangxu thumped his chest and promised to mobilize the power of the alliance to help find her.

After Xiao Yangxu left, Fang Qingyuan considered the matter and saw nothing wrong with his plan. Whether the Far East Alliance was established or not, the Qingyuan Sect could maintain its transcendent status. Even if he joined, as long as he didn’t lead the charge into every battle, the other sects wouldn’t dare to cause trouble for him.

’This is a perfect opportunity to use the situation with Jiang Wanqin to test the strength of this so-called Far East Alliance. I’ll figure out the rest later.’

Having sorted these matters out, Fang Qingyuan felt a sense of relief. He closed the door to his Quiet Chamber, sat cross-legged on the Jade Couch, and resumed his cultivation. The transition from the Foundation Establishment Sixth Layer to the Foundation Establishment Seventh Layer was a major hurdle and not so easily overcome. Constant diligence was essential.

.....

「Half a month later.」

A message arrived from Lechuan, summoning Fang Qingyuan. The Beast Taming Heart Method he had requested was here.

When Fang Qingyuan arrived, filled with joyful anticipation, he discovered the Heart Method was merely Earth Tier Lower Grade. This was a full three sub-tiers lower than the Celestial Tier technique he had been expecting.

Seeing Fang Qingyuan’s displeasure, Lechuan said helplessly,

"This is all they would give. They said they only gave it because I asked. Since you’re no longer a disciple of the Beast Taming Sect, they can’t give you a core cultivation technique. They feel that giving you an Earth Tier Lower Grade one is already quite generous."

Fang Qingyuan felt a surge of anger, but he calmed down a moment later. ’Anger is pointless. It will only lead others to look down on me.’

’*Sigh*. I should have anticipated this the day I left the Beast Taming Sect. How could I expect to enjoy the Great Zhou Academy’s patronage while simultaneously basking in the Beast Taming Sect’s glory?’

’In the Cultivation Realm, the two powers are hardly close allies. On the contrary, it’s already a blessing they don’t secretly try to sabotage me.’

He understood the logic, but Fang Qingyuan still felt a deep sense of dissatisfaction. His gaze shifted to Lechuan.

"Master, this Beast Taming Heart Method is extremely important to me. Surely you can’t bear to see me cultivate a mere Earth Tier Heart Method, can you? If word got out, people might think you were powerless to help. Why don’t you exchange it for me? Perhaps go to Zongshan and find one of a slightly higher grade?"

Seeing Fang Qingyuan start his wheedling, Lechuan felt a headache coming on. He stated bluntly,

"Not just anyone is qualified to practice a Beast Taming Heart Method. Even I am not qualified! Where do you expect me to go to get you a different one? Do you think this is like some Body Refining Technique, where anyone can just pick up a Celestial Tier Body Refining Technique and start practicing?"

Lechuan’s words completely deflated Fang Qingyuan. High-grade Beast Taming Heart Methods had always been reserved for the true prodigies at Zongshan. A disciple like Lechuan, who lacked a powerful background, would never have access. Only a True Disciple who was a direct descendant of a Divinity Transformation master and had reached the Golden Core realm before their hundredth birthday would be permitted to study one.

Completely dejected, Fang Qingyuan had no choice but to take the Heart Method and return to the Qingyuan Sect. Before leaving, however, he pestered Lechuan and managed to squeeze a few more resources out of him.

Back at the Qingyuan Sect, Fang Qingyuan hadn’t even had a chance to examine the Beast Taming Heart Method in detail when Xiao Yangxu appeared once more. This time, he brought ill tidings.

Jiang Wanqin had been found, but she was in the Black Market. She had been tricked and sold to a sect as a Concubine for its Sect Leader. However, once she arrived at the sect, Jiang Wanqin realized what had happened and revealed her background. Upon hearing it, the sect didn’t dare get involved and promptly returned her to the Black Market. Now, the Black Market is holding her captive, demanding someone come to ransom her.

Xiao Yangxu’s message was simple: did Fang Qingyuan want to ransom her back, or take her back by force? If he chose ransom, they would cover the cost. If he chose force, they would provide men to support him.

Fang Qingyuan was enraged. He was furious at Jiang Wanqin’s naivete—how could she get tricked and sold while simply delivering a message? And he was incensed that these people dared to hold one of his own captive.

Compounded by his frustration over the Beast Taming Heart Method, Fang Qingyuan felt that after seven long years, it was time to once again display the kind of prowess he was known for in the Outer Sea. He took Jinbao and first went to the White Mountain Beast Taming Sect to borrow some manpower from Lechuan. Then, joining forces with the Cultivators brought by Xiao Yangxu, he assembled a party of over a hundred and marched straight for the Black Market.