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Chapter 87 Each with Their Own Purpose
The officials seated at the head of the table were in an uproar after hearing Malena's account.

Chen Xuan was also observing their reactions. Thanks to the effects of his Divine Eye Technique, no change in the expression of anyone in the Immortal Alliance could escape his notice. On their faces were suspicion, contempt, surprise, and even… joy?
One of the men sitting to the left of the recluse of turbid wine appears to be arguing with the governor.

"...My lord, you mustn't...The Immortal Alliance has no precedent for this..."

"That's still necessary..."

"...Just barbarians..."

"...Be careful not to get burned."

They whispered and discussed among themselves for a while before Xu Yuanqing finally quieted them down.

He looked at Chen Xuan again, "The threat of demons is indeed not to be ignored. If what this young lady said is true, then the Immortal Alliance cannot sit idly by."

Chen Xuan nodded, "Lord Xu is very righteous." However, he felt in his heart that the other party was about to change his mind.

Sure enough, his next sentence was—"However, I cannot arbitrarily agree to help you."

After the translation was finished, Malena immediately looked disappointed. "Why?"

“It’s very simple. It’s not that we’re unwilling, but that we can’t do it,” Xu Yuanqing said slowly. “Foreigners may find it hard to understand how we operate. The main responsibility of the Immortal Alliance is to mediate conflicts between various sects. Only the Alliance Leader has the authority to command all sects in the world. If these demons were to invade the Central Plains today, we could sign this alliance immediately. However, the Immortal Alliance has not yet discovered any similar signs. At present, I alone cannot represent the entire Immortal Alliance.”

Malena looked bewildered.

Baron Milton, equally unable to grasp the other's meaning, asked, "But...aren't you the leader?"

Chen Xuan was very clear about this mechanism. Because the sects in various regions were highly self-disciplined, no one wanted a permanent leader. The governor was the person in charge of the Immortal Alliance under normal circumstances, but he could not take over the responsibilities of the alliance leader and issue unified orders to all sects.

Since orders cannot be issued, this alliance cannot be put into practice.

The order to mobilize sects and monks from all over the world to aid France was itself tantamount to a large-scale mobilization for war.

"You mean... we should talk to the various sects?" Chen Xuan gestured for Milton to calm down and asked directly.

“That’s right, but it’s not easy,” Xu Yuanqing commented. “The major sects are unwilling to interfere too much in the affairs of the Western Regions, while the smaller sects are keen to find opportunities, but their own strength is quite limited. Moreover, there are so many sects based in the Central Plains that even if you travel around for a whole year, you may not be able to achieve much.”

"Can't the Immortal Alliance deliver this message for us? If the Governor-General were to speak up, I think it would spread throughout the entire kingdom in less than half a month."

"It's just a desolate place, how can we believe everything you say!" The man next to Xu Yuanqing interrupted unhappily.

According to the previous introduction, his surname was Wei and his given name was Si. He was not a Qi Sensing Person. His official position was Grand Tutor of Chang'an, which meant he was a secular official serving the Immortal Alliance.

“I’m sorry, but I also cannot grant your request,” Xu Yuanqing replied. “Because we have no means to verify it, and the evidence we can rely on is far from sufficient.”

“I have a record of the scene!” Malena shouted.

He shook his head. "The evidence you provided is ultimately just your side of the story. Before the Immortal Alliance confirms the information, it is impossible for them to mislead other cultivators. Otherwise, if misunderstandings are caused or the information is inaccurate, the trust between sects will be broken, which is the last thing the Immortal Alliance wants to see."

Xu Yuanqing looked at Chen Xuan and said, “It’s like I’m the current governor, but I’m also a cultivator on the Ascension Platform. You should understand why I’m being so cautious.”

Chen Xuan nodded in understanding.

It's very simple... The governor changes every five years, but his position as an elder of the Ascension Platform is for life. If other sects suffer losses because of false information, will they point the finger at the Immortal Alliance? Of course not... They will only think that the Ascension Platform is exploiting information asymmetry for its own benefit.

So this trip can only end in failure?
He wasn't really that concerned about the fate of France; as the manager of the store, his main task was simply to satisfy customers and further improve his own performance.

Even if we turn back now, at most we'll just lose the potential market of the witch's meeting place.

However, Chen Xuan was still a little unhappy.

After all, he has closed every deal since he opened his business, and his performance has never been lacking. Now that a failure has suddenly appeared, his resume is not so perfect.

Is there any way to turn things around?

Oh, and joy...

Chen Xuan suddenly realized that there seemed to be a blind spot he hadn't considered before. Why did he detect a hint of joy on the faces of the Immortal Alliance cultivators when Malena recounted the Anglo-French naval battle?
Was it schadenfreude? That's unlikely... because they didn't even know where France was before. Their joy seemed directed at demons.

Xu Yuanqing's words echoed in Chen Xuan's mind—

"If what this young lady said is true, then the Immortal Alliance cannot sit idly by."

"Small sects are keen to find opportunities, but their own strength is quite limited." Could it be that for the cultivators here... the appearance of a large number of demons is a rare "opportunity"?
Thinking further along this line of thought, the Immortal Alliance, in principle, hopes that such news will spread; they are simply unwilling to bear the risk and responsibility of falsifying the news.

Although Chen Xuan hadn't quite figured out the intricacies of the situation, a general direction was beginning to emerge. He cleared his throat and spoke loudly, "I fully understand the Immortal Alliance's concerns, but the threat of demons is also very real. I wonder if the Governor could provide us with such an opportunity—to simultaneously reach out to most sects, instead of visiting them one by one. As for the publicity, our delegation can handle it ourselves."

As soon as he finished speaking, he saw a hint of appreciation in Xu Yuanqing's eyes.

"The opportunity you're asking for...maybe there really is one."

"Two months from now, the Immortal Alliance will hold its annual cultivation competition, and all the major sects will send disciples to participate. It is a major event for the Immortal Alliance because it provides an opportunity for cultivators to learn from each other and serves as a platform for each sect to enhance its reputation!"

Chen Xuan raised an eyebrow. "Can we use this opportunity to promote ourselves?"

“No, because this is an internal competition of the Immortal Alliance, and outsiders will not be allowed to take the stage. Unless…” Zhuojiu Jushi paused deliberately, “unless you also establish a sect and participate in this competition. Countless geniuses have risen to fame here in the past, going from obscurity to fame overnight. If you want to gain the attention of many sects, this is your best opportunity.”

Weiss gave a low groan and shook his head helplessly.

Wait a minute, Chen Xuan thought to himself, could the "no precedent in the Immortal Alliance" argument that these two had been arguing about refer to this matter?

Why do I feel like I've been tricked?

"Of course... two months is a very tight timeframe, and you are all newcomers, so seizing this opportunity will inevitably be fraught with difficulties. Since you have offered such a generous gift, the Immortal Alliance cannot leave without giving anything in return. Providing appropriate support is, in my opinion, reasonable." As Xu Yuanqing said this, he took a jade pendant from his waist and handed it to the servant behind him.

The latter then presented it to Chen Xuan.

"With this jade token, you are essentially guests of the Immortal Alliance. You can visit the outer courtyards or recruitment platforms of other sects, where they usually select disciples and recruit talents. To participate in the competition, you need at least ten people. As for whether you can win over a few outstanding talents, that depends on your own abilities."

"If you encounter any other troubles, you can also use this token to seek help from the local Immortal Alliance, provided that it does not involve disputes with other sects. In addition, I will personally provide you with 100,000 jade coins as start-up capital for your sect." Finally, he smiled slightly at Chen Xuan, "I hope to hear good news from you at the cultivation competition in two months."

……

After the delegation and other officials of the Immortal Alliance left the banquet hall, Weiss approached Xu Yuanqing privately. "Governor," he said, "I still feel that this move was rather inappropriate. Doesn't this make you seem to place too much importance on this delegation? So many foreigners come to Chang'an to pay homage; the Immortal Alliance can't possibly respond to all their requests. If you don't treat everyone equally, it will definitely bring you criticism!"

Xu Yuanqing disagreed, saying, "Your concerns are not wrong at all, but these are only from the perspective of political affairs. If we add the perspective of cultivation, then the situation cannot be generalized."

"Practice angle?"

“That’s right. That kid named Chen Xuan scanned all of us with his spiritual energy as soon as he entered the hall.”

"This... why didn't you tell me at the time?" Weiss was slightly taken aback, his brows furrowing. "This kid is too audacious, daring to be so rude to you!"

“Oh, ignorance is no excuse. He grew up outside and it’s normal that he doesn’t know the rules of the Central Plains. If I hold this against him, wouldn’t it make the Immortal Alliance seem petty?” Xu Yuanqing waved his hand. “But that’s not the point—I’m very sensitive to changes in spiritual energy, so when he examined me, I also sensed that his energy was operating in a way I’d never seen before. Although it was only for a brief moment, it left me with an indescribable impression.”

He did not fully express his feelings.

Because the other party is just an ordinary person, they simply cannot understand the world as seen through the eyes of a cultivator.

Not only on the Ascension Platform, but even within the entire Immortal Alliance, Xu Yuanqing considered his ability to sense spiritual energy to be second to none. What was ethereal and intangible to other cultivators could form vivid images under his perception.

Xu Yuanqing felt that Chen Xuan's spiritual energy was incredibly pure and solid, a sight he had never seen before. If most cultivators' spiritual energy was like the wind, either gentle and agile or wild and fierce, then the other's energy was like the Milky Way passing through the night sky.

If it weren't for the other cultivators from different sects around him, he would have wanted to keep that kid behind for a private discussion.

“Without a doubt, the cultivation technique he practices did not originate from the Immortal Alliance; it is most likely a completely new technique,” ​​Xu Yuanqing continued. “Based on this alone, I am impressed by him.”

Weiss suddenly realized, "Could it be that your purpose in making an exception and allowing a foreigner to establish a sect was to have him pass on his martial arts techniques?"

“Indeed. There’s a saying that truth becomes clearer through debate, and I believe the same applies to the path of cultivation. Compared to the cultivation methods of the Tang Dynasty, today’s techniques are hundreds of times more profound. It is through mutual exchange and refinement that all cultivators have enabled the Immortal Alliance to develop to its current state. Isn’t the annual cultivation competition also for this purpose?”

Grand Tutor Wei bowed respectfully, saying, "You are right, sir. I was shortsighted."

“You’re just an ordinary person, so there’s nothing I can do if you can’t sense spiritual energy,” Xu Yuanqing said dismissively. “And that girl named Malena, the way her spiritual energy circulates is also very strange, unlike the characteristics of people from the Western Regions. Perhaps this is a good window for us to observe the unknown world. Don’t look down on them just because they are foreigners. On the path of cultivation, the strong are always respected.”

"When the Moon Gazing Pagoda receives this person's application to establish a shrine, remember to notify me immediately," he finally instructed.

“Yes,” Weiss replied.

Even if this matter brought him controversy, it was limited to the five years he served as governor.

But the entire Immortal Alliance will benefit from this decision.

(End of this chapter)