Gou Zai Fei Men made up myths

Tonight, Qingyun Mountain is quieter than ever before, yet it exudes an indescribable tension.

The mountain breeze rustled through the treetops, bringing not the usual pine rustling, but the faint, intermittent sounds of short commands exchanged from various sentry posts and the subtle hum of spinning machinery.

The ever-burning lamps in Liuyun Palace burned longer than usual.

Inside the hall, candlelight flickered. Shen Mo sat at the table, his fingertips unconsciously tapping a communication jade talisman. The talisman's surface glowed dimly, indicating that the message had been read.

Su Xiao stood before him, dressed in black and almost blending into the shadows of the corner of the hall, with only her cool and aloof face standing out clearly under the lamplight.

"Is the news confirmed?" Shen Mo's voice was calm, revealing no emotion.

"Eighty percent certain." Su Xiao nodded, his voice low, like a night breeze rustling through a windowpane. "Cross-verification by the three Shadow Guard groups revealed that Huo Yun Daoist of the Blazing Sun Sect went to 'Poison Dragon Ravine' north of Blackwater Marsh seven days ago under the pretext of 'inspecting the mines.' That's a secret stronghold of the Xuan Yin Sect. He stayed there for half an hour. At the same time, 'Ghost Hand' of the Xuan Yin Sect was also in the ravine."

She paused, then continued, "As for the Heavenly Sword Sect, Jian Wuying has been unusually active lately. He has visited seven or eight smaller sects affiliated with them, including the 'Quicksand Gang' and the 'Iron Sword Sect.' The content of their secret talks is unknown, but afterwards, these smaller sects have noticeably accelerated their efforts to mobilize resources, as if they are preparing for war."

"In addition, our hidden agents in the 'Northern Desert Wilderness' have sent back vague information, saying that recently some cultivators from the more northerly 'Xuanzhou' have been inquiring about the details of Wanfayuan and... Sect Leader's Core Formation."

Xuanzhou is a region even larger and more prosperous in cultivation than the Southern Region of the Eastern Wilderness, with numerous powerful sects rumored to be presided over by Nascent Soul elders. Their gaze turning to the Southern Region is definitely not good news.

Shen Mo remained silent for a moment, his gaze fixed on the deep night outside the window, as if trying to pierce through the boundless darkness to see those restless figures. "The tree may wish to be still, but the wind will not cease. It's only been a few days of peace..."

He withdrew his gaze and looked at Su Xiao: "Junior Sister Xiao, what do you think?"

Su Xiao pondered, "The Blazing Sun Sect and the Profound Yin Sect, one righteous and one evil, are natural enemies. Their secret contact suggests they have ulterior motives, and it's very likely they're targeting our Azure Cloud Alliance. The Heavenly Sword Sect's Jian Wuying's actions seem to be consolidating their internal forces while simultaneously testing our reaction."

"As for the people from Xuanzhou... it's hard to tell whether they're just curious or have ulterior motives."

"But one thing is certain: the formation of the alliance and the sect leader's formation of the Golden Core have already attracted enough attention. What follows will not be flowers and applause, but more likely open and covert attacks."

"It's easy to dodge a spear in the open, but hard to guard against an arrow in the dark." Shen Mo let out a soft sigh. "It seems that some people are not planning to give us time to digest this and develop steadily."

He stood up and paced slowly in the hall, the candlelight casting a long shadow on the wall that swayed slightly.

"The Shadow Guard's surveillance network will extend another 500 miles to the south and north. The focus will be on monitoring the core resource points and personnel movements of the Blazing Sun Sect and the Heavenly Sword Sect. Information from Xuanzhou will be given the highest priority; no cost will be spared in finding out their intentions."

"Yes," Su Xiao replied solemnly.

"Furthermore," Shen Mo stopped and looked sharply at Su Xiao, "the pace of alliance integration needs to be accelerated. We can no longer proceed step by step."

"Tell Elder Han that the previously agreed-upon 'Contribution Point Exchange Rules' and 'Alliance Mission System' must be finalized and published within three days."

"At the same time, in my name, I propose to all members to form a 'Standing Law Enforcement Team of the Alliance,' composed of elites drawn from each faction, to be responsible for handling internal disputes of the alliance and border patrols."

"The scale... let's set it at three hundred people first. My Qingyun Sect will contribute one hundred, and the rest of the sects will contribute according to their strength."

A glint flashed in Su Xiao's eyes: "Does the sect leader intend to... use this opportunity to initially integrate the alliance's forces, forming a fighting force? And to secure their people?"

"It's an open conspiracy," Shen Mo said calmly. "With the border in turmoil, forming an enforcement team is only natural. My Qingyun Sect is contributing manpower, resources, and taking a leading position. Who can say anything about that?"

"The key is to be fast! Before the opponent can react and form a united force, you must first set up the framework and secure the moral high ground."

"Understood! I'll take care of it right away!" Su Xiao turned to leave.

"Wait." Shen Mo called out to her, his tone softening, with a hint of barely perceptible concern. "Junior Sister Xiao, the affairs of the Shadow Guard are complicated, thank you for your hard work. But don't neglect your cultivation."

"You've been stuck at the late Foundation Establishment stage for over a year. Your spiritual awareness is more than sufficient. What you lack is perhaps a do-or-die spirit."

"Extraordinary times call for extraordinary resolve. The path to the Golden Elixir, though arduous, is not unattainable."

Su Xiaojiao's body trembled slightly as she looked up at Shen Mo, meeting his deep and gentle eyes. She had always thought she had hidden her fatigue well, but she hadn't expected that the sect leader had already seen through it all.

A warm feeling welled up in her heart, and she nodded deeply: "Thank you for your guidance, Sect Leader! Su Xiao... will certainly live up to your expectations!"

Shen Mo nodded, then, as if remembering something, instructed the people outside, "Go and invite Elder Shi Tie and Elder Han Lin over."

A short while later, Shi Tie and Han Lin entered the main hall one after the other. Shi Tie still had his usual carefree demeanor, but his eyes were calmer than usual, clearly sensing the impending storm.

A short while later, Shi Tie and Han Lin entered the main hall one after the other. Shi Tie still had his usual carefree demeanor, but his eyes were calmer than usual, clearly sensing the impending storm.

Han Lin looked worried, clearly having also heard some rumors.

"Sect Leader, what brings you here, Old Shi? Is there a fight about to break out?" Shi Tie shouted as he entered the room, rubbing his fists together, eager to fight.

Shen Mo didn't answer directly, but first looked at Han Lin: "Elder Han, we need to speed up the training and resource allocation for new disciples within the sect. In particular, we should give priority to the Battle Hall, Pill Hall, Weapon Hall, and Array Hall."

"The contribution system must be strictly enforced, with clear rewards and punishments, to help newcomers quickly develop their fighting capabilities. At the same time, the internal atmosphere must not be relaxed, and the previous 'sharpening the sword and rectifying the mind' must continue."

Han Lin bowed: "I understand. We have increased our patrols and will not allow any unhealthy practices to take root."

Shen Mo then turned to Shi Tie, his expression turning serious: "Junior Brother Tie, the Battle Hall is the fist of the sect and the foundation of the alliance. Starting tomorrow, the Battle Hall's daily patrol area will be extended outward by another fifty miles. The patrol frequency will be doubled."

"Select one hundred of your most elite disciples, and you will personally lead them in high-intensity combat drills, ready to respond to any emergencies. After the enforcement team is formed, the War Hall should also send key members to join and set a good example."

Shi Tie thumped his chest loudly: "Don't worry, Sect Leader! My underlings have been itching for a fight! Time to take them out and give them a good workout! Anyone who dares to cause trouble, I'll beat the shit out of them!"

Shen Mo shook his head helplessly, but his tone was trusting: "Being brave isn't enough; you need to use your brain. In the future, you might face more than just open warfare. You'll need to practice formation coordination, intelligence gathering, and even infiltration."

"Later, I'll have Junior Sister Qingyan and Zhou Yi go to the Battle Hall to teach you about basic formation attacks and anti-restriction techniques."

Although Shi Tie found it a bit troublesome, he knew that the sect leader was right, and replied in a muffled voice, "Oh, I understand."