Chapter 1: Alliance Formation

In Nanqian City, an escort ship descended swiftly at that moment.
Nearly a million cultivators from Nanyin Island finally returned victorious from a group battle against cultivators at the Divine General stage. They all emerged from the escort ship and landed on the ground.
This time, in the group battle, only twenty to thirty thousand cultivators at the Divine General stage on Nanyin Island died, with most surviving. As the team leader, Qu Yi had fulfilled the trust placed in him by the three Divine Kings of Nanyin Island, preserving the island’s elite forces. This gave Nanyin Island great hope for future growth in strength.
In the group battles among the eight major divine realms of the Divine Realm, most cultivators at the Divine General stage had died. Additionally, during the fierce battles among cultivators at the Divine Weapon stage, almost all of them were eliminated. Now, in these eight divine realms, both cultivators at the Divine Weapon and Divine General stages were scarce.
With nearly a million cultivators at the Divine General stage, Nanyin Island now had a slight advantage over the eight major divine realms.
Of course, Nanyin Island’s true strength ultimately rested with its three Divine Kings. After all, a single Divine King could annihilate all cultivators at the Divine General stage, and only ultimate power could ensure Nanyin Island’s safety.
However, in daily interactions within the Divine Realm, it was mostly the cultivators at the Divine General stage who acted as the backbone. Now, with nearly a million such cultivators, Nanyin Island would not be at a disadvantage in dealings with the eight major divine realms and could develop its forces vigorously.
As soon as Qu Yi and Qing Wugui landed, they saw Wu Yuan approaching, shouting something indistinctly. It was clear Wu Yuan was very happy and excited.
“Wu Yuan, congratulations! You’ve advanced to the Divine Marshal stage,” Qu Yi said with a smile upon seeing him.
Qing Wugui watched Wu Yuan with envy and smiled faintly.
Wu Yuan scratched his head, looking a bit embarrassed, before cheerfully shouting, “Qu Yi, did you help me kill Wu Tansen? Although I advanced in cultivation because of him, being defeated by him really annoyed me.”
Qu Yi nodded.
Wu Yuan immediately jumped up. During his time alone in Nanqian City, he hadn’t been happy about his advancement but had been preoccupied with being defeated by Wu Tansen. Only now could he let go of those worries.
Without looking back, Wu Yuan flew straight toward Qing Yiyi, Yu Zhuting, Meng Yan, and Fei Changxia, telling jokes and making the four women, who had been worried, laugh.
“That guy…” Qu Yi shook his head slightly before turning his gaze to the 19,000 people in Tianfeng Fort.

The 19,000 members of Tianfeng Fort, all at the Divine General level, had received a set of Divine General-grade defensive armor called Fengyun Armor from Qu Yi before heading to the battlefield, which prevented them from suffering serious injuries. Now, they have all returned safely.

“Leave Nanqian City and head to the outskirts. I’ll come and pick you up,” Qu Yi immediately sent a message through his spiritual sense to give the order.

Since these 19,000 people were under Qu Yi’s spiritual control, upon his command, they all left Nanqian City at once, under the astonished gazes of the Divine General-level cultivators on Nanyin Island.

At that moment, a voice came to Qu Yi’s mind. “Qu Yi, come with me to the Three Divine Peaks.” It was the voice of Qian Mao, the third island lord of Nanyin Island and a Divine King.

Immediately, to everyone’s surprise, Qu Yi’s body disappeared as Qian Mao used spatial rules to abduct him.

Qing Wugui and Wu Yuan blinked a few times before also flying away from Nanqian City to join the members of Tianfeng Fort.

The Divine General-level cultivators on Nanyin Island, having put aside their various thoughts, silently took off and flew back to their own cities.

※※※

In the stone pavilion at the middle peak of the Three Divine Peaks, Qu Yi, Zong Jing, Xu Miao, and Qian Mao sat together.

Under the gaze of the three Divine Kings, who merely smiled faintly without saying a word, Qu Yi felt somewhat uneasy and spoke up. “Three Divine Kings, if you have anything to say, please go ahead,” Qu Yi said, slightly anxious, urging them.

Immediately, the three Divine Kings burst into laughter. “Qu Yi, I thought you could sit there calmly forever. It seems you can’t stay composed after all,” Qian Mao said, laughing happily.

Throughout, Qu Yi had never been suppressed by the pressure of the three Divine Kings, which had always troubled them. Now that they saw he still couldn’t stay calm, they were very pleased.

Qu Yi twisted his lips, though he was annoyed inside. If it weren’t for the urgency of picking up the 19,000 people from Tianfeng Fort, he would have stayed with those three bastards even for trillions of years.

“Three Divine Kings, since you’ve brought me here, please tell me what’s going on,” Qu Yi urged again.

Zong Jing smiled faintly and stopped teasing Qu Yi. Calmly, he said, “Qu Yi, we three already know how the team battle went. We are very satisfied with your performance. The strength of Nan Yin Island has been preserved. Among these million cultivators, there is hope that a few will become Divine Kings. Then, among us who have ascended, we will have even greater strength to ensure that future ascendants can also cultivate properly in the divine realm.”

Qu Yi certainly knew this. With the strength of these three Divine Kings, it would be entirely possible for them to silently extract the soul memories of a Divine General-level cultivator in an instant. Therefore, Qu Yi didn’t want to hide anything about the team battle, but he wouldn’t voluntarily reveal what happened in the central hub.

Qu Yi smiled faintly, looking at Zong Jing, waiting for him to continue speaking.

Seeing Qu Yi’s expression, Zong Jing’s eyes lit up, as if he began to appreciate Qu Yi.

“Qu Yi, we won’t inquire about what you did behind the Qing Bi Jade, nor will we ask about your gains. After discussing it among the three of us, we want to form an alliance with you. From now on, you will be one of the island lords of Nan Yin Island,” Zong Jing said with a smile.

Xu Miao and Qian Mao also smiled at Qu Yi.

Hearing this, Qu Yi was surprised. These three Divine Kings valued him so highly, which was beyond his expectations. Initially, he thought they had invited him over just to reward him briefly before sending him away.

After a moment of silence, Qu Yi smiled and said, “Three Divine Kings, I am merely a Divine General-level cultivator. It truly fills me with gratitude that you value me so much. May I ask why you regard me so highly?”

It was hard for anyone to believe that Divine Kings would want to form a relationship with a Divine General-level cultivator—after all, it meant them lowering their status.

“Because of your potential!” Zong Jing, Xu Miao, and Qian Mao replied in unison.

Qu Yi was stunned for a moment before understanding.

Help given when one’s strength is weak is completely different from help given when one’s strength is great. The three Divine Kings saw Qu Yi’s potential and believed he would surely reach the level of a Divine King in the future. That’s why they were treating him as an equal now, aiming to form a bond and strengthen their relationship.

After all, since the three Divine Kings had promised to form an alliance with Qu Yi, it meant they had the obligation to protect his safety. Even if another Divine King turned against him, these three would step in to rescue him.

Qu Yi smiled and then said, “I understand what the three Divine Kings mean. There’s no need to discuss forming an alliance anymore, but I will remember their kindness toward me, Qu Yi. In the future, if anything happens to Nan Yin Island, I will surely help them.”

Although the three Divine Kings would assist Qu Yi once an alliance was formed, he would have to help Nan Yin Island from then on. Qu Yi didn’t like such constraints on his actions. Yet, he naturally appreciated their goodwill and already regarded them as friends.

Zong Jing, Xu Miao, and Qian Mao were shocked for a moment upon hearing this, then burst into laughter.

“Qu Yi, you truly have great potential to become a Divine King. Only those with such fearless courage and perseverance are worthy of becoming one. By refusing our protection and choosing to rely on your own strength to confront the eight great divine realms, you will surely be extraordinary once you reach the rank of Divine King,” Zong Jing said happily, his eyes shining with admiration.

Every Divine King had gone through countless hardships and overcome endless trials before finally breaking through the last barrier and reaching that rank.

If Qu Yi accepted the alliance, it meant he implicitly agreed to let the three Divine Kings help him in times of trouble, planting the seed of fear in his heart—how could he then focus on advancing his cultivation? Therefore, when the three Divine Kings saw that Qu Yi saw through the illusions, they weren’t angry but even happier.

“We look forward to the day when you become a Divine King,” Xu Miao said calmly.

Qian Mao laughed nonstop and added, “Your journey to becoming a Divine King will surely be fascinating. I’ll keep watching your progress and see how the various divine realms deal with you.”

With the fierce battles among cultivators at the Divine Weapon stage and the group battles at the Divine General stage, Qu Yi had already offended all eight great divine realms. For the sake of their dignity, those eight royal families would surely try to kill him—there was no doubt about that.

Qu Yi smiled faintly, stood up, and said, “Three Divine Kings, our conversation is over. I need to go back now.”

Zong Jing stood up as well and said, “Qu Yi, you must have gained a lot from the group battles at the Divine General stage. These years, it’s better for you to cultivate diligently in the Inner Sea and advance your cultivation. Rest assured, no one in the Inner Sea will dare to act recklessly.”

As one of the top three strongest among the Divine Kings in the divine realm, Zong Jing always kept his word, so Qu Yi trusted him and nodded in agreement.

Originally, Qu Yi planned to use the Boundless Star Map to travel to the Immortal Realm and instantly reach the rank of Divine Marshal. But it seemed he didn’t need to do that now. He could continue to stay in the Inner Sea with the members of Tianfeng Fort and keep cultivating in peace.

“Thanks, I’m heading back now,” Qu Yi said with a smile before immediately taking out the Boundless Starfield to return to the suburbs of Nanqian City.
The 19,000 Divine General-level members of Tianfeng Fort were currently stationed on a mountain under the leadership of Qingwugui and Wuyuan.
When Qu Yi appeared, he immediately called out, “Brothers of Tianfeng Fort, we’re going back.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the Inch Realm Ball appeared and enclosed everyone inside.