No matter how powerful an Immortal Sect may be, it must still be based on people. Without a sufficient population to labor, farm, and handle all manner of menial tasks, the disciples of the sect would no longer have the luxury of devoting themselves fully to cultivation. Their advancement in cultivation would inevitably suffer. Besides, Immortal Sects still belonged to the human race—this was their foundation.
If tens of millions of human civilians were to be slaughtered entirely, how could the Greenmount (Qingshan) Immortal Sect bear such a massive karmic backlash?
"Fellow Daoist Jia, may I ask what the Great Yi Dynasty intends with this visit?" Qing Yunzi took a deep breath, looked at Jia Xu, and asked directly.
"Since you put it that way, I'll speak frankly," Jia Xu said with a smile. "This land has already come under the watchful gaze of the Great Yi Dynasty. Long ago, we sent many scouts into the Snow Continent to investigate the surrounding environment, terrain, and political landscape. His Majesty has decided: Snow Continent shall be incorporated into the territory of the Great Yi Dynasty. The expeditionary army is already on its way. I have simply come ahead to prepare the ground."
There was no chance of giving up on this territory. A land the size of an entire continent, capable of hosting so many human civilians and gathering such an immense amount of heaven and earth luck, was far too valuable. No power would willingly abandon such an opportunity for expansion.
In the current Great Yi Dynasty, every citizen was eager for war. The desire for outward expansion burned with fervor. As the Great Yi grew stronger, every official and citizen within it shared in the benefits—visible and tangible ones.
"Of course, our Great Yi hopes to find reliable allies within Snow Continent. The Greenmount Immortal Sect is a sect of the human race and is naturally our first choice for an alliance," Jia Xu added.
No one could deny the strength of the human race's Immortal Sects. They were ancient, deeply rooted, and no one could guess what kind of ancient monsters slumbered within their depths. If such existences were awakened, they could, even at the cost of being sealed or destroyed by the Heavenly Dao, crush their enemies into pulp.
Therefore, unless absolutely necessary, no one would push a long-standing sect to the brink. The consequences would be unpredictable.
Moreover, the Ice crystal Clan was far stronger than the Skyhawk Court or even the Myriad Beasts Court. If an alliance could be formed, it would indeed be a shortcut to survival.
"The Icecrystal Clan's strength is terrifying," Jia Xu continued. "Their ability to reproduce is monstrous. Just ten years ago, they numbered only a few million. Now, their population has surged to tens of billions. According to intelligence reports, every adult of the Ice crystal Clan—regardless of gender—is as powerful as a cultivator at the Life Aperture Realm. In times of need, they can truly mobilize the entire population as soldiers."
He had laid bare the threat of the Ice crystal Clan without hesitation.
They weren't just enemies of the Great Yi Dynasty; they were a direct threat to the Greenmount Immortal Sect as well. Even without the Great Yi, the Ice crystal Clan would surely attack. In fact, they were already massing outside the sect's borders.
Whether the sect could withstand a full-scale war remained uncertain.
Qing Yunzi understood this well. How can one sleep peacefully beside a tiger's den?
This principle needed no explanation.
"Fellow Daoist Jia, I understand your intentions. However," Fairy Miaoyue interjected, "if our Greenmount Sect assists the Great Yi in taking Snow Continent, who is to say the dynasty won't turn on us afterward?"
She posed the most direct and harsh question. It was a very real concern.
When the cunning rabbit dies, the hunting hound is cooked; when the birds are gone, the bow is stored away. Such things had happened throughout history. The sect viewed the Icecrystal Clan as a thorn in their side—but after the war, who's to say the Great Yi wouldn't view them the same way?
Some things simply had to be guarded against.
"We of the Great Yi and the Greenmount Sect are both human powers," Jia Xu said with a calm smile. "Fundamentally, we are different from the alien races. Of course, once Snow Continent is under Great Yi's rule, it will no longer be possible for the sect to control the civilian population here."
"His Majesty would not agree to it, and neither would the court officials. All civilians must be registered under the Great Yi, issued Celestial Registration Cards, and given the right to cultivate, to access techniques, and to choose their own paths. They will no longer be ruled by sects."
He spoke with certainty.
There were no illusions here. To the eyes of cultivators, such arrangements were easy to see through. Attempts to hide the truth would only be temporary and eventually exposed.
A sect like Greenmount, with millions of laborers and daily incense offerings from the masses, would never be allowed to exist as a state within a state once under the Great Yi's rule. That practice would be terminated. On that, there would be no compromise.
"That's fine. These civilians can be handed over to the Great Yi," Qing Yunzi nodded calmly.
This point had been anticipated long before. If the Great Yi could truly defeat the Ice crystal Clan, then its strength was indisputable. Without unleashing its full foundation, the sect simply couldn't match such power.
If it had been a weaker dynasty, they might have tried to negotiate more terms. But in the end, strength was the ultimate decider.
"Our Great Yi has always treated the various sects fairly. As long as they acknowledge the authority of the dynasty and abide by its laws, they are considered citizens of Great Yi. Of course, we grant certain privileges to Immortal Sects. For instance, internal autonomy—we won't interfere with internal affairs unless a sect turns evil or commits atrocities," Jia Xu continued.
This had always been Great Yi's policy.
Take, for example, the Zhengqi Manor, a cultivation family. As long as they obeyed the law, Great Yi left them to their own devices. Break the law, however, and retribution would be swift and merciless.
Sect disciples could be registered, obtain Celestial Cards, and enjoy the same rights as any other Great Yi citizen.
Jia Xu guaranteed that the dynasty treated all human beings equally, so long as they followed the law. In that respect, sect disciples and ordinary civilians were the same.
"Very well. If Great Yi can truly uphold these conditions, then our Greenmount Immortal Sect is willing to form an alliance with the Great Yi Dynasty to jointly resist the Icecrystal Court," Qing Yunzi finally declared.
He hadn't needed long to think.
Had Jia Xu offered overly generous terms and made excessive promises, Qing Yunzi would've been suspicious. That would have smelled like bait—a strategy to pacify the sect while preparing to betray it.
But this level of honest pragmatism inspired confidence, even trust.
"This is only natural. The reputation of the Great Yi Dynasty guarantees it. We humans must stand together. The Dragon Clan has opened the Dragon Gate and is laying plans across the Eternal World. If we don't unite now, we'd be fools," Jia Xu said with a smile.
"The Ice crystal Clan has a weakness," Qing Yunzi said after a moment of thought. "If exploited properly, it can greatly reduce their combat power."
"Oh?" Jia Xu's eyes lit up. This was exactly what he had hoped for.
After years of confrontation, who else would know the Ice crystal Clan better than the Greenmount Sect?
"The Icecrystal Clan's bodies are like crystals of ice—exceptionally hard and naturally resistant. They are born with control over extreme cold, but cold and fire are natural opposites. Intense heat greatly suppresses them. The Icecrystal Clan dislikes sunny weather and hot climates. In such conditions, their movements become sluggish and their bodies suffer."
Qing Yunzi didn't hesitate.
"Only one thing is absolute: from birth, no Ice crystal Clan member dares to look directly at the sun."
"They cannot look at the sun?" Zhuge Zhengwo blinked in surprise.
The world truly held countless marvels.
"What happens if they do?" Jia Xu asked thoughtfully.
"If an Ice crystal individual looks directly at the sun... they go blind. Their eyes burn, and the pain is unbearable."
Qing Yunzi enunciated each word clearly.
"Really now?" Jia Xu looked astonished.
Eyes were always a weak point, regardless of species. No exceptions.
In ordinary times, an Icecrystal's eyes were no different. But under direct sunlight, they would be incinerated by solar fire—not just blinded, but burned into ashes by the sun's true flame.
Why this occurred, no one knew. But since ancient times, Ice crystal Clan members had never dared look at the sun.