Chapter 413: Chapter 355: Cultivators Pledge Allegiance, Taoist Alliance Takes a Stand
Tianhe slunk back, while the Yunhai City Lord suffered severe injuries.
This piece of intelligence shocked everyone greatly.
None had expected Song Lin to be so ruthless, directly seeking trouble once he broke through his tribulation.
Not only was he unhindered, but he even nearly killed Yunhai, the third-ranking figure, right under Tianhe’s nose.
Among the surrounding Heavenly Masters, many became intrigued by this Shadow Heavenly Master.
This battle brought him fame.
Song Lin hadn’t displayed his full strength in front of an audience for many years.
This battle directly propelled him to renown.
The benefits were obvious, such as the stabilization of the Donghua Alliance.
But there were certainly drawbacks as well—Song Lin’s abilities became the subject of thorough examination.
Particularly his Twelve Cloud Seal Talisman—those with sharp insight might recognize the profoundness of this technique, and some might even associate it with the Spirit Treasure Celestial Master.
As for whether the Spirit Treasure Celestial Master would pay attention, Song Lin was unsure.
However, it was unlikely.
This technique was still considerably inferior to the Spirit Treasure Celestial Master’s Twenty-Eight Ancient Characters, and besides, the Yuanfu Sect had many inheritances imitating the ancient characters. The emergence of Song Lin’s technique was not considered earth-shattering.
After returning, Song Lin summoned both Lingfu and Lingjian.
"You can rest assured and stay here without fear of retaliation from Tianhe. As for other families, you can choose a mountain to retreat to—I will gift you an additional blessed land for survival."
Within the Donghua Alliance, all Clan Leaders of the cultivator families must pledge allegiance through the Donghua Alliance Talisman, with their ranks determined by cultivation realms, ranging from Steward to Temple Master.
Beyond privileges like access to resources and using blessed lands, they were also obligated to contribute manpower during times of conflict.
Upon hearing Song Lin’s proposal, Lingfu and the Clan Leaders from the four major families exchanged glances.
"Could the Taoist Lord allow us some time to discuss?"
"Do as you wish."
"Thank you, Taoist Lord."
The group muttered among themselves.
The conditions were favorable; however, the obligations were harder to accept.
Cultivator families had long existed as an autonomous vacuum—unregulated, even during wars against demons, they weren’t required to send troops.
Perhaps this was tied to their status as descendants of Taoist School clans.
Song Lin himself was indifferent—whether they joined or not made no difference to him.
His only principle was that no uncontrolled forces would be tolerated within the Donghua Jungle.
Eventually, the group realized they had little choice.
"Taoist Lord, we accept your terms."
Feng, the Clan Leader of the Li family, said.
While the Holy Might Taoist School offered freedom, it was chaotic; the Donghua Alliance provided stability but was strictly managed. Cultivator families lacked resilience—they often relied on ancestral legacies for cultivation.
To them, a stable environment was always preferable to relative freedom.
"Very well, congratulations on joining Donghua."
The subsequent details would be left for Shi Yinhua and others to negotiate.
Song Lin’s philosophy was clear—he would not shortchange any ally, nor would he forgive anyone who betrayed him.
"Summon Heavenly Slaughter, Earth Evil, Lu Mingyang, and other Taoist Lords here."
Soon, two Masters and three Jungle Taoist Lords arrived to pay respects.
"Congratulations to the Taoist Lord on achieving mastery in Divine Skill!"
Heavenly Slaughter and Earth Evil offered their congratulations.
Their attitudes had changed significantly—Song Lin was now at their level but with combat prowess far exceeding theirs.
"You two esteemed seniors are being too polite," Song Lin courteously replied before shifting the conversation. "However, the internal affairs are far from stable at the moment."
Earth Evil showed a hint of shame—they had been given three years to resolve sect-related issues but had failed to do so.
"Aside from those who’ve defected, there are surely many within the sect who are undermining from within. I will have the Evil Exorcism Altar investigate thoroughly. Positions will inevitably be reshuffled—do you all agree?"
"We obey the Taoist Lord’s commands."
"I have no objections."
"Sect matters shall be entirely decided by the Taoist Lord."
Song Lin carried out his actions openly—he had initially given them three years, and even during the subsequent two years, he refrained from inserting his own confidants, showing utmost respect.
"Very well, let me make this clear upfront."
Song Lin abruptly stood, his piercing gaze landing on Ye Qing from the Sanhe Jungle and Qingshan from the Qingyun Jungle, saying:
"Don’t think I’m unaware of your petty tricks."
Smack!
Before the two could offer excuses, Song Lin slammed a stack of letters and contracts onto the table.
"You..." Ye Qing Taoist’s pupils constricted; for a moment, he was at a loss, unable to defend himself.
Earth Evil picked up the documents and found clear evidence of collusion with Yunhai and others.
"Ye Qing! I’ve treated you well—why..."
Earth Evil, furious and disappointed, pointed accusingly at Ye Qing. After stepping down as Sanhe Jungle Taoist Lord, he had passed the position to Ye Qing, only to discover this betrayal.
"Take them away!"
Song Lin snorted coldly. Members of the Evil Exorcism Altar appeared out of nowhere and restrained the two Taoist Lords.
Knowing escape was futile, Ye Qing’s eyes turned blood-red as he struggled defiantly, shouting: "I did it for the Jungle! You will face no good outcomes!"
After the two Taoist Lords were taken away—
"What is to become of them?" Earth Evil asked.
"According to the rules, anyone conspiring with external enemies deserves death. However, since the Taoist School doesn’t recognize our discipline, killing them would complicate things legally."
Song Lin pondered briefly before saying, "Let’s do this—place them under house arrest. Guu Yuchan and Yan Jiuge will join the Jungle and temporarily manage its affairs as Chiefs. For the next Phoenix Platform Dragon Throwing ceremony, they can compete for the position of Taoist Lord."
Guu Yuchan was assigned to the Sanhe Jungle, while Yan Jiuge was sent to the Qingyun Jungle.
Both of them, now Purple Mansion cultivators, were fully qualified for leadership roles.
The Sanhe Jungle’s inheritance, akin to the River God and Mountain God, relied on the Essence and Qi of mountains and rivers for longevity.
Meanwhile, Qingyun Jungle’s Magic Vein was relatively disordered, lacking a dominant vein strong enough to unify all factions within the Jungle, leaving it rife with internal strife.
Yan Jiuge’s Swordman Dao ought to suppress them.
As for Lu Mingyang of the Tianling Jungle, Song Lin gave him a glance, causing him to shrink back in fear.
"Taoist, do not be alarmed."
Lu Mingyang was more compliant, so Song Lin had no reason to reprimand him.
"Meeting adjourned."
After everyone departed, Song Lin sat in his chair, pondering for a long time.
Once Guu Yuchan and Yan Jiuge took over, the two Jungles would, within a few years, be as unified as Donghua’s headquarters.
With the fundamental support of the three Jungles—a population of ten million—it would be sufficient to suppress all internal turmoil.
Of the remaining three Jungles, the Qimen and Five Qi Jungles leaned loyal, while Tianling Jungle was slightly less so but lacked strength, making it fully manageable.
Without bloodshed, the complete transformation could be achieved within a decade.
Song Lin summoned Qingyu and directly asked:
"Tell me about the power dynamics within the Wu State Royal Family."
From here, the future focus of the Donghua Jungle would begin.
"The Emperor has reigned for sixty-nine years, and in the next twenty to thirty years, he plans to retreat into the mausoleum for cultivation."
"Currently, the Crown Prince faction receives primary support from the Dragon Head Xuan Sect Shangqing and the Nine Heavens Jade Tower Dao Alliance. Following that are the factions of the Third Prince, backed by Black Heaven Law Realm and Witch God Heavenly King Dao Alliance; the Eighth Prince, supported by Heaven and Earth Xuanmen Dao Alliance; and the Tenth Prince, with support from Miao Fa Netherworld and Jiuxiao Dao Alliance."
In conclusion, the struggle for succession consisted of four major factions: Crown Prince, Third Prince, Eighth Prince, and Tenth Prince.
The remaining princes, Commandery Princes, and founding court ministers fall into various camps.
Ascension brings glory and wealth—failure leads to the annihilation of the entire family.
The Dao Alliances were typically aligned based on their belief in the Heavenly Court.
Shangqing Dao Alliance and Nine Heavens Jade Tower followed the Upper Pure Primordial Celestial Dao Lord; Black Heaven and Witch God followed Pangu and Wushi Demon.
Meanwhile, Jiuxiao and Netherworld followed the mysterious "Emperor" as their faith.
This Heavenly Court’s "Emperor" was considered the sole master of all creation.
Heaven and Earth Xuan Sect was self-explanatory.
"Heavenly Masters are prohibited from interference, right?"
Song Lin asked.
"Correct."
"So, the contest hinges on the elite tiers within each sect."
The succession battle adhered to the rules in public, yet concealed ruthless strife and carnage.
Apart from the succession struggle, it was also a trial where talents clashed and factions probed each other in secret.
Every Heavenly Master rose to prominence amid such struggles, earning their reputation.
Song Lin chuckled coldly, sarcastically remarking, "If only their demon-hunting efforts were this professional."
"Haha, the Taoist Lord is absolutely right—they are indeed like this."
Qingyu laughed until tears streamed down her face. This group always appeared particularly competent when infighting.
"Does the Taoist Lord intend to join the succession struggle? The thirty-second brother has already reached Divine Establishment—it seems he’s disqualified."
The Dao Alliance rules stipulated that successor candidates automatically lost eligibility if their cultivation surpassed the Qi Refinement realm.
"No, merely choosing sides for now. The future can wait."
While Song Lin excelled at breaking rules, now wasn’t the time to challenge them.
Otherwise, he would die a miserable death.
"Let’s first completely secure the fiscal and military control of this region under King Ying’s fiefdom within the State Mansion. Then we can speak in court."
What an awful name—this region was historically called Yinghua, and in even earlier times, Xia Yi; with three options, why choose this one?