The establishment of the Mercenary Alliance was unstoppable. As long as they were not under the control of the Cultivator Alliance, all cultivators could be considered mercenaries.
This group lacked a dedicated management organization. Most were composed of rogue cultivators, disciples from minor sects, or desperate individuals who had suffered unfair treatment within the safe zones.
They possessed no superior cultivation techniques, no excellent spirit artifacts, and certainly no ample spirit stones or elixirs for their practice.
In contrast, the Cultivator Alliance received substantial support from various major sects. Even without relying on points to exchange for resources, they were far more prosperous than the majority of mercenaries.
Therefore, for the Cultivator Alliance, the victory achieved by Luo Xiaowei and his group was not a particularly inspiring event.
One side suffered a crushing defeat, while the other achieved a grand victory.
Possessing the best resources, yet fighting the most ignominious battles, they had lost all face.
Following the devastating defeat at Wuyun Mountain, the Cultivator Alliance faced intense criticism and accusations. Their inaction, when contrasted with the Ice Sword Mercenary Group, was nothing short of a joke.
Some cultivators who had belonged to the Cultivator Alliance began to waver.
In the past, they had flaunted their superiority over other cultivators due to their esteemed affiliation.
However, now their peers scoffed at this affiliation, and they themselves felt ashamed of the constant defeats.
Adding to this, the battle behind Shiyue Mountain propelled the Ice Sword Mercenary Group's prestige to its zenith. The footage of that battle had spread, and within just one month, it was known throughout the entire continent.
The once formidable Shitian clan, after their sudden decline, had been in a state of perpetual alert, afraid to engage humans in battle, fearing their homes might be raided again.
Three months after the commencement of that battle, the temporary leader of the Cultivator Alliance, Wu Yuan, was impeached. Bai Hong, the dean of Sheng Tian Academy, was elected as the new leader.
Upon taking office, Bai Hong met with members of the Ice Sword Mercenary Group.
Representing the Cultivator Alliance, he privately discussed several matters with Luo Xiaowei and his companions.
No one knew what was discussed that day, but after their meeting, Bai Hong initiated a thorough internal rectification within the Cultivator Alliance.
The old guard of Wu Yuan was systematically purged. He paid a significant price to remove incompetent cronies and then appointed individuals with sufficient strength to fill their positions.
This was a period of immense upheaval, with even the various sects exerting pressure on Bai Hong, and intense disputes, both overt and covert, erupting among them.
This turmoil lasted for over three years. During this time, the Shitian clan had not recovered from the battle at Shiyue Mountain, having lost two eighth-stage experts, a devastating blow to them.
For these years, they maintained a defensive posture. Later, an eighth-stage Shitian expert returned, and an Immortal King also made a visit. After some undisclosed discussion, they crossed the void for battles that would last for several more years.
After the Immortal King's return, he severely reprimanded sects that sought to profit from the Cultivator Alliance's resources. He recognized the existence of the Mercenary Alliance and helped Bai Hong quell the internal strife within the Cultivator Alliance. Some stubborn elements were even summarily executed by the Immortal King as a warning.
Following the return of the Shitian clan's rulers and their subsequent pronouncements, the Shitian clan, who had been dormant for years, became active once more. They ceased their complete defensive posture and gradually reverted to their aggressive mode.
Zhang Xiaohu, whose cultivation was the lowest, finally broke through to the Nascent Soul stage, catching up with the main contingent.
Unlike others, he understood that his talent was the weakest, so he didn't feel discouraged by his lagging cultivation. He believed that as long as he could match the Nine Heavens Yan Emperor's strength at every stage, it would be enough.
For this group of malevolent forces from Blue Star, each of them could single-handedly defeat a seventh-stage Shitian expert. As for eighth-stage opponents, if they dared to appear, they would fight!
Having won once, they were now brimming with confidence, fearing only that their opponents would not dare to show up.
The gap between the Mercenary Alliance and the Cultivator Alliance gradually disappeared, and the two sides maintained a highly cooperative relationship.
Luo Xiaowei greatly admired the new leader, Bai Hong.
The rectification and reform plans within the Cultivator Alliance were proposed by Luo Xiaowei and his group.
They also put forth some concepts, such as establishing a "Heavenly Talent Ranking," where only those who had proven themselves on the battlefield were eligible to be listed. Those who acted tyrannically in safe zones and dared not venture out to fight were not worthy of being called Heavenly Talents.
Geniuses were naturally proud, and a ranking board was enough to satisfy their vanity. Furthermore, public opinion had already declared that everyone in this world, except for the members of the Ice Sword Mercenary Group, was not qualified to call themselves a Heavenly Talent.
This infuriated the haughty, arrogant geniuses. Disregarding their sects' objections, they forcefully joined the front lines, vowing to prove their strength on the battlefield.
Behind this public opinion, Bai Hong's influence was evident. Knowing that Luo Xiaowei and his group would eventually leave, he needed to ensure his own geniuses experienced the gap between themselves and these top-tier talents, motivating them to strive harder.
Under the command of the Ice Sword Mercenary Group, the Mercenary Alliance gradually became more formalized. They still consisted of individual small groups, but these small groups collectively formed a larger entity. The Cultivator Alliance issued missions; smaller tasks were accepted independently, while larger missions were arranged by the Ice Sword Mercenary Group. If they possessed sufficient courage, they had the opportunity to join the Ice Sword Mercenary Group in combat.
Upon reaching the battlefield, both the mercenaries and the members of the Cultivator Alliance felt a surge of fervent enthusiasm.
The members of the Ice Sword Mercenary Group were overwhelmingly powerful!
Just as Chu Yang had said before, with their ability to fight opponents of higher cultivation levels, they were like a sharp blade plunged directly into the enemy's heart on the battlefield!
With the presence of the Emperor Artifact, the Pillar of Heaven, they could form an unbreakable barrier and directly engage in a righteous group assault against an eighth-stage Shitian expert.
The Shitian clan members cried out that these individuals were not worthy of the title "Heavenly Talent" and accused them of lacking martial integrity!
The proud and arrogant geniuses of old would have exclaimed, "If you have the guts, fight us one on one!"
Unfortunately, such words had no effect on this group of Blue Star villains.
Their principle was: if a group battle was possible, they would never choose a one-on-one duel!
Through these day-to-day battles, the human cultivators of this world gradually absorbed their spirit and morale.
Especially Wang Teng; when this young man charged forward with reckless abandon, the scene was akin to an unstoppable colossal dragon, never retreating regardless of the opponent's combat strength, even when wounded.
In the ninth year of their arrival in this world, humanity began a full-scale counter-offensive...
Happy birthday to the author today, is it okay to only update one chapter, brothers? Love you all, muah~