Cultivating with Top Enlightenment Chapter 738 - 314: Alliance? (Part 2)

They touched down on the terrain beneath them, with Ning Qi pulling two meditation cushions from his Storage Space, after which they positioned themselves across from one another.

"Senior Sister Qi from the Jade Light Immortal Sect, this is Ning Qi offering greetings!"

Ning Qi formed a fist salute in respect.

"How should I call you—Sect Leader of the Infinite Sword Sect, or Domain Master of the Profound Truth Realm?" Qi Keqing inquired.

A subtle smile crossed Ning Qi's face, "Neither the Sect Leader of the Infinite Sword Sect nor the Domain Master of the Profound Truth Realm exists in this place; there's just the Alliance Hierarch who has earned the faith of the Profound Truth Realm's inhabitants."

Qi Keqing's eyes narrowed a touch, "Alliance Hierarch, is it?"

Memories flooded her of the moment when the Profound Truth Realm's forces, guided by Ning Qi, massacred the Vast Realm's cultivators and the savage creatures emerging from the Sea of Realms.

Like a god overseeing his legions, Ning Qi directed his soldiers; attaining that stature demanded the confidence of all sects across the Profound Truth Realm.

She returned the gesture by cupping her hands toward Ning Qi, "Alliance Master Ning, since time is of the essence, I'll be direct."

"By all means, speak!"

Qi Keqing declared, "We both lead powerful forces. In this war realm, why not join our armies together and forge an alliance?"

Qi Keqing had arrived with this very intention in mind, yet after encountering Ning Qi and his troops, and gauging his power, she found herself revising her approach.

As the Spirit Realm conflict ignites, capturing nodes inside the war realm becomes crucial.

Seizing those nodes doesn't always mean deploying larger numbers is advantageous.

This death-filled battlefield turns isolation into peril for smaller groups, slashing their odds of enduring.

Therefore, as the conflict drags on, be it sects or diverse spirit domains, they'll grasp a vital truth: unity is key!

Even if you deem yourself mighty, facing off against united rivals of equal might leaves no question about the victor.

Consider the cultivators from the White Crane Immortal Sect and the Vermilion Bird Immortal Sect that Ning Qi had faced earlier—they viewed themselves as invincible, so they divided into squads to assault the war realm, only to get wiped out by Ning Qi.

Had they advanced as one cohesive unit from the start, Ning Qi couldn't have overcome them.

Hence, Qi Keqing's offer to ally with Ning Qi stems from her sharp insight into the war realm's evolving dynamics, positioning her for what's ahead.

Ning Qi's face showed no shift at Qi Keqing's suggestion; he stated outright, "I decline!"

This straightforward and firm stance clearly caught Qi Keqing off guard.

She fixed her gaze on Ning Qi and said plainly, "We're both commanders of armies; we ought to recognize that forces in the war realm will inevitably trend toward consolidation. The army from my Fuyao Realm stands no less potent than yours from the Profound Truth Realm, so why reject this?"

Ning Qi replied with assurance, "One peak can't hold two tigers; only if you surrender command and allow me to direct the Fuyao Realm's army entirely could we possibly collaborate."

At those words, Qi Keqing's brows almost furrowed deeply.

Ning Qi held no aversion to merging forces; he understood she would never yield her authority.

She admitted Ning Qi's impressive capabilities, but ceding command and placing the Fuyao Realm's army under his guidance was something Qi Keqing refused to entertain; her own pride stood in the way.

At minimum, she trusted her skills in leading troops, convinced she matched Ning Qi in that arena.

Besides, once the war realm settles and the Unity Realm enters the fray, they'll join too.

Qi Keqing didn't just speak for herself but for the Jade Light Immortal Sect as well.

Down the line, she'd need to transfer the Fuyao Realm's army to the Unity Realm Ancestor in her sect for command, so handing it to Ning Qi at this juncture was out of the question.

Ning Qi, for his part, would never submit to Qi Keqing's oversight.

The Profound Truth Realm's army he commanded had been forged over decades into the tight-knit powerhouse it now was.

In essence, Ning Qi's Profound Truth Realm army operated like a seamless sect—free from infighting—surpassing even his sway over the entities in the True Martial Realm.

So, blending his troops with Qi Keqing's without gaining control over hers would throw off his established flow.

Why would Ning Qi squander effort on that? He refused to adjust for others, and time was too valuable to fritter away.

Naturally, claiming Ning Qi held no interest in commanding the rival army would ring false.

Yet at present, Qi Keqing remained too haughty to meet his terms; better to wait until Vast Realm cultivators have worn her down and she's ready, then revisit the idea.

Qi Keqing stood up and announced, "Since we can't agree for now, I won't linger and must depart!"

Ning Qi gave a small nod.

Through his Spiritual Sense, he'd already directed the Profound Truth Realm's army to keep invoking the Mountain and Sea Realm Will.

With the Heavenly Star now established and the Mountain and Sea Realm Will partially manifested, Ning Qi felt secure against any node-grabbing attempts from the opposition.

If the foes remained oblivious, the Mountain and Sea Realm Will would intervene independently.

Furthermore, the presence of both armies at this node deterred any nearby Vast Realm cultivators from drawing near.

Qi Keqing soared back to her group.

Sikong Lan asked, "Senior Sister Qi, did the talks with Ning Qi break down?"

Qi Keqing shot him a look, "What do you think we discussed?"

Sikong Lan laughed lightly, "Senior Sister Qi, you sell us short; even speculation lets us figure out your intentions. Fellow cultivators, isn't that so?"

Affirmations rose from the assembly, chiefly from his old followers.

However, scant voices from Qi Keqing's own ranks joined Sikong Lan's call.

Noting this, Sikong Lan kept his composure, though he'd already weighed the implications in his mind.

One of Qi Keqing's followers remarked, "Senior Sister Qi, you suggested allying with Ning Qi, but he turned it down, didn't you?"

Qi Keqing inclined her head faintly, "He insists on me yielding command as the price for joining forces."

"What?"

The revelation sparked outrage among the group.

"That guy's really clueless about opportunities!"

"Our Fuyao Realm army outnumbers and outpowers theirs. Uniting the two would hugely favor their Profound Truth Realm, but Ning Qi shows no thanks and demands dominance instead?"