POV XINSU YUN - ISLAND MOUNTAIN SECT LEADER

  Being immortal. It wasn't a completely unfamiliar concept to Xinsu; after all, he had heard so much about this mythical idea, but it seemed so distant. He knew that immortals really existed, but to him it was like something out of a legend.

  “Excuse me...” A thin, pale woman with freckles on her cheeks suddenly spoke up. She was one of the new faces, so Xinsu didn't know her very well, but he thought she was probably the new leader of the Rose Of Forest Sect. “What does that have to do with us? The Yumin Clan operates in the Three Hundred Rivers Region, if I'm not mistaken?”

  Xinsu had been asking himself the same question. Although there were no immortals in their region, the Yellow Mountain Region, elsewhere on the continent there were already other immortals who generally did not cause any trouble.

  “Because we are facing an invasion,” he said with a serious expression.

  Many people turned pale, others tried not to show their reaction, but everyone, even those who knew about it before, was terrified by this information. Xinsu was no exception. If what he had heard about the immortals was true, then if the invasion was really a fact, they didn't stand a chance.

  “But... but why?” the woman asked uncertainly.

  “This is going to be quite a long story, but in the current situation, I have no choice but to tell you everything step by step,” he said, sighing and sitting down on one of the chairs, all eyes focused on him.

  He began to speak, and the room fell completely silent. Everyone listened intently, but unfortunately, his words did not exude optimism.

  A new immortal from the Yumin clan appeared in the Three Hundred Rivers Region. His name was Huang Yumin. He had become immortal relatively recently, less than a hundred years ago, so many of those present in the hall may not have even heard of him, unlike other immortals of the Gurio continent, who had lived since undetermined times.

  “Unlike other immortals, he is very active. And his cultivation is rapid. However, he needs resources to keep up with his pace. He already controls the entire Lilac Ash Region, and more than eighty percent of the Five Roads Region has been conquered,” Hong Ren explained the situation.

  Suddenly, Lei Chao, who was sitting next to him, spoke up. She was never afraid to ask questions, even if the person she was asking was many levels above her.

  “Why aren't the other immortals doing anything? Shouldn't such an intense expansion and takeover of more than two regions worry them?” she asked. Many people nodded their heads in agreement with her.

  “I'm afraid the thoughts of other immortals are as much a mystery to me as they are to you. I don't know the reason, but I do know that they are not responding to his actions,” he replied with a slight frown.

  Despite his position in the region, Ren was not an influential figure on the continent. In the eyes of the immortals, he was, at best, a slightly stronger ant than others.

  Hong Ren then began discussing issues that Xinsu was already familiar with. He even mentioned his sect and its recent problems, including the goblin invasion. However, he still did not understand how these two separate issues were related.

  “To the north lies the boundless ocean, and to the south lies the Great Black Forest and the Swamp Monster Area. Thanks to the unique geographical location of our region, we were isolated not only from the rest of the continent, but also from the rest of the world,” he began. “It was a blessing; we did not take part in wars between regions, and their conflicts were foreign to us. However, ultimately, it is also a curse. Isolation and lack of conflict have caused the average strength of our region to be below average, and the lack of trade means that all branches, from alchemy to formations, are underdeveloped.”

  Xinsu frowned. He knew this well, but had never given it much thought. He knew subconsciously that his words were true. The region had no access to foreign goods and rare commodities from the rest of the continent. They have been protected from the rest of the world, but it came at a price.

  However, if what I think is true, then...

  “Huang Yumin doesn't have much choice left in terms of expansion. To the south, there are only regions that have their own immortals, which is too big a risk for him, as they are much older and more experienced. He has already conquered almost two regions, and there is only one unconquered region left without immortals...”

  Yellow Mountain Region. He didn't need to finish his sentence for everyone to know the obvious.

  “Wait, does that mean he's decided to attack the Swamp Monster Area? Not much better than attacking the regions occupied by the immortals…” said Li Shida of the Blue Dragon Sect.

  The Swamp Monster Area, as its name suggested, was a dividing barrier between their region and the rest of the continent, inhabited by said monster. Li Shida's words were quite accurate; was attacking such a place more reasonable than attacking a region with immortals?

  No one from the region ventured into the Swamp Monster Area for an important reason. It was said that the monster's power was equal to that of the immortals, and perhaps even greater.

  “I don't know the answer. However, I assume that he decided it would be easier to fight a monster than a human. But even Huang Yumin won't be able to defeat this monster. At least not in a short time. That gives us some time to prepare.”

  Despite his words, no one cheered up. Even the Lilac Ash Region and Five Roads Region had been conquered, and their strength was greater than that of their region. The very fact that there was not a single pseudo-immortal in this room spoke for itself! Even those two regions had a handful, and yet they were conquered.

  “How much time do we have?” asked another person.

  “It's impossible to say for sure,” he replied, looking at the floor. “At best, a few hundred years. The assimilation of new regions will take some time, and the monster from the swamps will cause him problems. Until he has a good route for his troops to take over the region, he won't attack.”

  “And in the worst case?”

  “In the worst case, he could attack even now. He could wipe out the entire elite of the region in one go, leaving only leftovers.”

  Xinsu looked around the room. These people were the leaders of all the major sects. Would the immortal really be able to kill them all at once? It seemed a little ridiculous to him.

  The others, however, looked at Hong Ren with anger.

  “Of course, it wouldn't make logical sense. Even if he killed us, he wouldn't be able to bring his troops here to control the territory. So as long as he doesn't get rid of the monster, we have no problem,” he said with a sigh. “Nevertheless, we shouldn't take any chances and organize more meetings like this.”

  Xinsu understood. With all the leaders in one room, an attack would be easy. However, with them scattered, killing them all would be difficult. He understood well that this meant it would be the last such meeting of regional leaders for security reasons.

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  “So what do you suggest, oh great leader?” Li Shida said sarcastically. “Right now, it sounds more like you're spreading panic without any concrete solutions.”

  “Of course, we can't just sit idly by. I have a few suggestions. First of all, we need to increase the strength of the region as quickly as possible,” he said, handing out pieces of paper with various ideas written on them to everyone gathered.

  “Remove customs duties? Student exchanges between sects? That's absurd!”

  “High customs duties hinder trade, which is already suppressed by our isolation from the rest of the continent.”

  “Excuse me, but... I think I can speak for the small sects when I say that without customs duties, our products cannot compete with those of the huge sects! They have entire towers of hundreds of alchemists, while we have only a few local assets.”

  “Joint military training? And student exchanges? What does that mean? Our sects are supposed to give away our techniques and cultivation methods, which we have researched for hundreds of years, for free to strangers? What a joke.”

  “Yes... And what is that? Creating a joint fund? Large sects are to financially support the poorer ones? Why would anyone agree to that?” said the leader of the Sanqia Lake Sect.

  “Yes. Our sect, the Celestial Sect of The Fire God, will set an example,” said Hong Ren, expecting opposition.

  “Have the elders of your sect agreed to this...? No. I see you haven't consulted with anyone. Sorry, Ren, my old friend, but this is... impossible.”

  Hong Ren visibly reddened. He had expected opposition, but…

  “Just a moment ago, weren't you afraid of what awaits our region? But now, with such small sacrifices, you are all against it? What is going on?!”

  "The risk is great... But everyone here is representing their sect. As leaders, we have a duty to look after the interests of our sect! Most of these things... are just pipe dreams. They will cause more harm than good.“

  ”For the greater good...“

  ”Are the larger sects supposed to sacrifice themselves for the smaller ones for this so called greater good? Meanwhile, the smaller ones will fall under the influence of the larger ones. These ideas... No one is happy with them."

  Suddenly, one person stood up, and everyone fell silent for a moment.

  “I, meanwhile, agree with Hong Ren.” It was the leader of the Imperial Love Sect. This was quite unexpected, as the two were known foes. “Although I don’t agree with all of the proposals… Some are worth considering.”

  The Imperial Love Sect was the second largest sect in the region. If the two strongest sects shared the same opinion, there must be something to it.

  By nature, all sects were extremely individualistic. In this world, the rule was that the most important thing was you, and the second most important thing was your sect.

  Although many people understood the benefits that could come from these ideas, no one wanted to be at a disadvantage. The balance of power in the region was constantly changing.

  Sects that had once been at the top fell, and small larvae spread their wings and became butterflies. A moment of weakness, such as giving money to a smaller sect, could end tragically.

  It is important to understand that this room was filled with leaders who had been at war with each other for hundreds of years. No one trusted anyone else, and everyone understood that despite the proclaimed righteousness of the sects, anyone was capable of betrayal if it meant reaching the top.

  In this world, no one had any real friends. After all, there were so many stories about how a beloved wife sacrificed her own husband and children to prolong her life by a few decades, or about a child who killed his own father to acquire a rare blood control technique.

  From the perspective of those who had already lived for hundreds of years, showing kindness and mercy to others was a sign of weakness that would ultimately lead to their downfall. It was a belief that had been instilled in them since childhood.

  Although many leaders sincerely believed in the ideals proclaimed by Hong Ren, many began to wonder if it was all just a setup.

  The two greatest enemies agreeing on something? Impossible. The two largest sects want to take control of all the other sects. Maybe what they say isn't even true? The immortal one... Has anyone other than them heard that he even exists?

  By removing customs duties, increasing their trade and their power, they will send their disciples to steal techniques from other sects. These two sects will benefit the most from this.

  Despite Hong Ren's good intentions, the monsters that had lived for hundreds of years were unable to trust anyone. To tell the truth, they would rather have their sect taken over than be deceived and have their honor tarnished.

  “I can't force anyone to do anything. However, as I said, for safety reasons, this must be the last official meeting of the region,” said Hong Ren, pacing around the room with visible nervousness. “Anyone can resign and leave this room at any time.

  No one got up or left the room; after all, everyone was interested in the topic. Even if they did not personally take part in it, they could at least listen to what was going to happen to the continent.

  “Everyone can also submit their ideas. We will establish a new organization that will aim to prepare for war with the immortal. We will hold a vote where everyone will have a voice in deciding which proposals will be implemented,” said Hong Ren. “We will soon take a break so that everyone can think about their own decision. Then we will resume the meeting.”

  The meeting lasted a while longer, but after just an hour, it was time for a break. Everyone had a lot to think about. Xinsu also went to the garden to think in solitude.

  ───── ??☆?? ─────

  Quite a bit of time passed before the meeting started again. This was not particularly unusual, considering how serious the decision was.

  However, Xinsu knew from the beginning what his decision would be. He had to join the coalition of volunteers; in fact, he had no choice. Did he completely trust the organizer of the meeting? No. However, there was no other alternative. His sect was too close to the border; he was on the front line.

  Although the Immortal had not yet officially launched his attack, he was already feeling the consequences of his actions: the invasion of goblins, parasites, and crop-destroying plants. He could not afford to remain neutral like the sects located thousands of kilometers away. He needed the protection of the stronger ones, even if it meant losing something else.

  The meeting officially began.

  The discussion on the core issue began quite quickly, as it was a topic that everyone was interested in.

  Hong Ren asked those interested in joining the coalition to raise their hands. Xinsu counted the volunteers. He had to know, because the survival of his sect depended on it. He was slightly surprised when the counting was over.

  Twelve sects signed up for the coalition against the immortal. To be honest, he did not expect such a result and thought that the number of sects could be counted on the fingers of one hand. He breathed a slight sigh of relief.

  Despite the leaders' expressed reluctance, most of them agreed to join the coalition. However, each seemed to have a different reason.

  “Okay. In that case, we now need to vote on various ideas. During the break, I received various proposals that we will also consider.”

  However, many of those willing to join were a little reluctant. Although they agreed to join the coalition, they were hesitant about the fact that the majority would decide on the selected ideas. Different sects had different problems with different new ideas.

  “Everyone who has signed up must be of one mind, otherwise this whole coalition is pointless. So either you agree to what we decide, or you withdraw while it's still not too late.”

  However, no one withdrew, even though most people were unhappy with this development. For some reason, they decided it was still worth the effort.

  Finally, it was time for the first vote. However, just before it was about to begin, Li Shida's know-it-alls spoke up.

  “Please forgive me for interrupting just before the vote, but I find this a little unfair,” he said, looking straight at Xinsu with a mocking smile.

  “Unfair? In what way, leader of the Blue Dragon Sect?” he asked, looking at him with slight disapproval.

  “Take the leader of the Island Mountain Sect, for example.” He said, looking straight at him, and all eyes in the room turned to him as well. How humiliating it was. “He is only at the Nascent Soul stage and is also the only person in his entire sect at that stage. In my sect, however, there are four other people at the same stage as him, and what's more, they are probably even stronger than him.”

  “Where are you going with this argument?”

  “What I mean is that my sect is ten times stronger, bigger, and more powerful, but for some reason, our vote is worth the same? In my sect, a cultivator at the Golden Core stage is just a regular soldier, while in his sect, it's a High Elder. Yet for some reason, we are to be treated as equals? That's unfair.”

  Li Shida argued about this for some time. Ultimately, however, most of the leaders decided that his objections were groundless and rejected his proposal.

  Xinsu knew, however, that this was not his goal. He wanted to humiliate him and show how weak he was. He did not expect for a moment that he would be able to change the value of his vote. He wanted to humiliate him, and he succeeded. Xinsu felt hopeless, but he did not show it, even though he felt a sharp pain in his stomach.

  Regardless of his feelings, the meeting continued and further ideas were put to the vote. This event shaped the fate of the region for years to come.