Senior sister, stop working and go home for dinner.

As soon as Shi Haisheng finished speaking, a murmur arose in the hall.

At this moment, Celestial Master Zhang Nanshan spoke slowly, his voice calm and even, overpowering the discussions.

"Master Shi's suggestion is also very good. With such dramatic changes in the world ahead, it is certainly not a good idea to remain in disarray. The person in charge of the council should win people over with virtue and ability, rather than simply using force to suppress them. Longhu Mountain is willing to work with everyone to promote the virtuous and capable, discuss the rules and regulations, and strive for fairness."

Wang Chongshan, the master of Qingya Cave, snorted coldly, clearly not entirely buying into this argument. However, facing the two giants, Longhu Mountain and Jingang Temple, he couldn't directly refute them. He simply said in a sinister tone, "Master Zhang is quite right. But I wonder about the number of representatives from each faction in this Alliance Hall? And what laws govern resource allocation? We can't just hand over our sect's foundation with empty words, can we?"

His words echoed the sentiments of many small and medium-sized forces, and everyone's attention once again focused on Shi Haisheng and Zhang Nanshan.

Shi Haisheng's compassionate smile remained unchanged, but the speed at which he twirled his prayer beads seemed to subtly increase. He looked at Wang Chongshan, his tone still gentle: "What Cave Master Wang said is very specific. This old monk, Zhang Tianshi, and several fellow Daoists have tentatively proposed that the number of representatives for the Alliance Hall be determined based on factors such as the lineage, strength, and contributions of each sect. As for resource allocation..."

He paused slightly, his gaze seemingly casually sweeping over Su Wan, "...Naturally, rules need to be established to allocate resources according to need, prioritizing the overall interests of the alliance and the needs of responding to crises."

Su Wan sat upright in the main seat, listening quietly without interrupting. Now, sensing the meaningful gaze from Shi Haisheng, she slightly tightened her grip on her lap, but maintained her composure. She spoke, "Master Shi and Celestial Master Zhang have shown great foresight; the formation of an alliance is indeed an inevitable trend. The Yunyin Sect is weak and wishes to follow suit. However, the specific rules concern the very foundation of each sect, and it is best that all fellow practitioners carefully consider and deliberate on them."

The atmosphere in the hall eased slightly because of Su Wan's words, "Let's take it into consideration."

Indeed, forming an alliance involves a wide range of issues and cannot be decided overnight.

Master Shi Haisheng's smile remained unchanged, as if he had anticipated the controversy before him. He twirled his prayer beads and said slowly, "What Sect Leader Su said is absolutely right. Establishing an alliance is a long-term plan, and the details and rules should be discussed repeatedly to ensure stability and fairness. Today's meeting is to put forward this proposal. I hope that all of you will consider it first, and then set a meeting later to discuss the details in detail."

He turned his gaze to Zhang Nanshan: "What does Master Zhang think?"

Zhang Nanshan nodded slightly: "Let's first establish the principles for forming an alliance today. We can discuss the specific details later."

Everyone agreed that this issue could not be resolved in a day.

A month passed quietly amidst the back-and-forth tug-of-war and negotiations among various forces.

Inside the main hall of the Cloud Hidden Sect, the discussion about the specific charter of the "Righteous Path Alliance" was finally coming to an end.

During this month, apart from the two giants, the representatives of the other factions argued fiercely over details such as the number of places, the allocation of resources, and the boundaries of power and responsibility, almost turning the Yunyin Sect into a battlefield of verbal sparring.

Normally, the disciples from each sect would either discuss the Dao or spar with each other. Wei Qingyi and Feng Xiaolu would also frequently engage in discussions with the female disciples from various sects. Chen Anran did not participate in these activities; his personality was more like Su Wan's, both preferring quiet.

As the host, Su Wan maintained an unusual calm and cooperation throughout. No matter what resource allocation or manpower deployment plans were proposed by various parties, as long as they were not obviously targeted at Yunyin Sect or were overly harsh conditions, she mostly smiled and nodded in agreement.

"Our Yunyin Sect has a small population and limited strength, so everything is up to the consensus of all fellow cultivators. As long as it can contribute to the prosperity of our righteous path, our sect has no objections." This has almost become Su Wan's standard answer in the meetings over the past month. After all, with Chen Anran around, their Yunyin Sect really doesn't need much external cultivation resources.

However, the compassionate smile on Master Shi Haisheng's face, who sat upright at the head of the table, gradually became somewhat forced as Su Wan readily agreed each time, and a shadow even crossed the depths of his eyes. His fingers, which were twisting the prayer beads, would occasionally unconsciously tighten.

Finally, after another debate that lasted until late at night, the basic framework and initial charter of the alliance were barely settled. The council hall would temporarily have seven seats, with Longhu Mountain and Jingang Temple each holding two seats, and the remaining five seats held by several powerful sects and families, including Qingya Cave. As one of the initiating forces, Yunyin Sect, although not a regular seat, was granted a "waiting member" position, entitled to attend meetings but without voting rights on major decisions.

With the framework set and a chat group established, everyone felt exhausted and had no desire to stay any longer, so they all said they would set off to return the next day.

The next morning, before the mountain mist had dissipated, cultivators from various sects had already gathered in the square, preparing to depart.

Celestial Master Zhang Nanshan approached Su Wan, Chen Anran, and the others, bowed respectfully, and said with a smile, "Sect Leader Su, I'm sorry to have bothered you for over a month. Although Yunyin Sect is small, it has shown me a different kind of grandeur." He glanced meaningfully at Chen Anran, "Young friend Chen, if you have the time, Longhu Mountain welcomes you anytime."

"Thank you for your kindness, Master Zhang." Su Wan and Chen Anran returned the greeting together.

Master Shi Haisheng also came over, still with his kind and benevolent expression. He put his hands together and said to Su Wan, "Amitabha, Sect Leader Su is very righteous and considerate of the overall situation. I admire her greatly. The alliance has just been established and everything needs to be rebuilt. We will need the support of Yunyin Sect in the future."

"Master Shi, you flatter me. It's my duty," Su Wan replied calmly and appropriately.

Shi Haisheng chuckled, said no more, and turned to head down the mountain, surrounded by his disciples. Wang Chongshan and the others from Qingya Cave also gave the Yunyin Sect group a cold glance before following closely behind.

Before long, the Cloud Hidden Sect, which had been bustling for a month, finally returned to tranquility.

Only the members of the Cloud Hidden Sect remained in the square.

The morning sun pierced through the thin mist, shining on the smooth stone floor and onto the slightly tired but relieved faces of the crowd.

Feng Xiaolu was the first to stretch and yawn, exclaiming without any regard for her image, "Ahhh! They're finally gone! This past month of noise has given me a terrible headache! It's more tiring than fighting with magic!"

Wei Qingyi also let out a soft breath. Although she hadn't spoken much in the past month, she had been constantly on edge. Now that she had relaxed, she felt a wave of weariness.

Looking at her fellow students, Su Wan smiled genuinely. "You've all worked hard. The greatest success is that we've gotten through this month safely."

Chen Anran nodded, his gaze sweeping down the mountain at the figures that were no longer visible, especially in the direction where the Vajra Temple had gone. He had a bad feeling about it.

It all felt too easy.

After thinking for a moment, Chen Anran went to find Lin Xiaoman and asked her to take Xiaoling'er down the mountain to find Fatty Li. Without his contact, they could not return.

…………