Chapter 2602: Alienated from All Kin

With such a large-scale battle, how could Zhou Qiang not take the opportunity to join?

He had already prepared a million-strong army, waiting for Ling Xiao and the Foreign Tribe to go to war, then he would rush to attack the Jin Tribe, kicking them when they're down.

Yet the army's leaders were all the mediocre lackeys he usually kept; once the order to attack was given, these leaders all hid in the rear to watch the spectacle.

The soldiers in the army were also disheartened, lacking any will to attack the Jin Tribe.

Before, the two armies had an understanding: whenever the Foreign Tribe attacked, they would join forces to repel them, never taking advantage to strike down.

Thus the soldiers strongly resented this kind of battle where they fought their own people.

Moreover, these leaders who neither understood command nor feared death commanded them, so the soldiers' morale was extremely low.

The Martial Cultivators within the Jin Tribe, although also very tense, had high morale, all prepared to fight to the death to defend their newly built tribe.

Ling Xiao also immediately brought some experts back to reinforce.

They also anticipated that Zhou Qiang would seize the opportunity to attack, so they had made preparations beforehand.

In comparison, the superiority was immediately clear.

The Zhou Tribe's soldiers put on a show of attacking, then immediately withdrew.

The million-strong army stationed outside the Jin Tribe, simply staying put.

Some of the original leaders in the army even had the troops prepare defensive measures to help when the Foreign Tribe attacked the Jin Tribe.

The leaders sent by Zhou Qiang also refused to carry out the orders they were given.

Now those original leaders held military authority, the soldiers obeyed their commands, and the people Zhou Qiang sent could do nothing.

If anyone dared to move those leaders, the soldiers would mutiny, and then they wouldn't be able to leave.

At this moment, the million-strong army also saw Ling Xiao's side win a battle, pursuing and defeating the Foreign Tribe despite being outnumbered, with everyone cooperating against the Foreign Tribe, yet they felt uneasy.

Thus the entire army silently watched the Foreign Tribe's forces be annihilated, feeling indifferent toward the Jin Tribe as well.

The army's original leaders also gathered together to negotiate with Ling Xiao.

Called a negotiation, it was actually Ling Xiao persuading them to surrender.

"You all know what kind of person Zhou Qiang is."

"I guarantee I won't force you to join the Jin Tribe."

"After Zhou Qiang steps down, if you want to leave, I won't stop you."

"But right now, resisting the Foreign Tribe is most important."

"We cannot let conflict arise between us again."

Because they had prior experience of merging and unifying, the forces of both sides now consist of Zhou Tribe and Jin Tribe members mixed together, making it hard to tell them apart.

Thus those leaders also knew that if they insisted on fighting, it would be their own people fighting their own people.

Thus they finally agreed: the million-strong army would assist the Jin Tribe in wiping out the Foreign Tribe, then station near the Jin Tribe, waiting until Zhou Qiang steps down and the Zhou Tribe gains a strong leader, before returning to the Zhou Tribe.

At the same time they agreed that, if any Jin Tribe soldiers wished to return to the Jin Tribe later, they would not stop them.

Thus, after mutual agreement, the army actually turned its guns and went to slaughter the Foreign Tribe.

The leaders sent by Zhou Qiang were all cast aside.

These people immediately fled, running back to report to Zhou Qiang that the army had collectively mutinied.

This made Zhou Qiang furious; he immediately issued a mobilization order, calling all tribe members to the battlefield to attack the Jin Tribe together.

Had he not issued this order it would have been better, but once the order was released, the Jin Tribe members still residing in the tribe began to defect first.

In a short time, large numbers of Martial Cultivators and commoners fled to the Jin Tribe.

Even members of the Zhou Tribe were deeply dissatisfied with Zhou Qiang's failure to attack the Foreign Tribe and instead taking the opportunity to assault the Jin Tribe.

After some Martial Cultivators gathered together, they not only refused to join the army but instead rushed to the battlefield, voluntarily killing the scattered soldiers of the Foreign Tribe.

Some opportunistic major powers directly brought their resources and whole families to flee to the Jin Tribe.

This forced Zhou Qiang to issue a martial law decree, sealing off the Zhou Tribe.

Yet even under lockdown, some major powers that supplied resources would still be let through by the guarding soldiers.

The entire Zhou Tribe had become chaotic, controlled by some major powers.

They cared only for money, regardless of whether the Zhou Tribe lived or died.

Once the Jin Tribe attacked, they could surrender and curry favor with both sides.

Zhou Qiang's side, meanwhile, forcibly conscripted the Martial Cultivators who couldn't escape into the army, forming a force of two million.

But before he could launch his attack, Ye Liuyun's group had already come to kill.

Joining forces with Meng Qingyin's army, they completely wiped out the Foreign Tribe.

Ling Xiao also immediately informed Ye Liuyun of Zhou Qiang's movements.

Ye Liuyun first gathered the elders from Ling Xiao's side, the army's leaders, and several prominent figures together to discuss subsequent countermeasures.

"Nowadays, many of the people from the Jin Tribe and Zhou Tribe have already merged together."

"I think forcing them to split again would only create greater chaos."

"Rather than that, let's take advantage of the unification opportunity and simply complete the unification."

"Together we can overthrow Zhou Qiang's rule, which would also be easier."

"If the two sides remain divided, they will ultimately be exploited by the Foreign Tribe, letting the Foreign Tribe gain an advantage."

Ye Liuyun's proposal gained the approval of many.

But Ling Xiao has always harbored the desire to restore the Jin Tribe, clearly opposing this proposal.

Ye Liuyun also began to patiently guide him: "Originally, the conflict between the two tribes was actually just the conflict between the tribal elders and the major powers."

Look at the ordinary commoners and Martial Cultivators—haven't they quickly merged together?

Now the clan chiefs and elders of both tribes have largely declined.

So in reality, there are hardly any obstacles left.

Forcibly splitting the two tribes would only make things difficult for ordinary people.

For the common people and martial cultivators, they only wish to have a peaceful environment.

If you merely insist on your own idea, you are actually going against the will of the majority.

You can also ask your own heart what exactly you want to oppose.

If Zhou Qiang were gone, would you still have a target to oppose?

Or are you insisting on finding an opponent, dragging the common people back into conflict?

Now even a strong person like Zhou Ning of the Zhou Tribe agrees to unify.

Take another look at those people coming to seek refuge with you—are they truly seeking to join the Jin Tribe, or just looking for a peaceful environment to survive?

Ye Liuyun's words also caused Ling Xiao to waver somewhat.

At this moment, Zhou Ning also stood up to speak.

He was speaking his own heartfelt words, not because Ye Liuyun controlled him to say them.

In fact, Ye Liuyun originally rarely controlled him.

Zhou Ning said: "It turns out I also insisted that the Zhou Tribe should lead everyone."

But now I see that regardless of which tribe, whether unified or not, it depends on whether the leader is capable and can take responsibility for the majority of common people and martial cultivators.

And now our two tribes' strength is growing weaker and weaker.

If we want to resist the Foreign Tribe, we should all the more unite.

As for those previous conflicts, they should be written off.