Chapter 355: A New Name

The Xu Family arrived, riding the wind atop a dragon. The sheer magnitude of their presence and their transcendent demeanor instantly left the entire audience awed.

This was a display of absolute strength and authority!

Yet, no one felt any dissatisfaction.

The Xu Family had already proven their strength by driving away the Xi Family and killing the Xi Family Ancestor!

The three-hundred-meter Flood Dragon did not land in the plaza immediately. Instead, it slowly circled thousands of feet above the ground. Its dark golden vertical pupils coldly swept over the crowd below, causing countless hearts to pound wildly.

They instinctively lowered their gazes, not daring to look directly at it.

Soon after, Xu Chuan and the others moved slightly. Like immortals descending to the mortal realm, they drifted down from the dragon head and landed steadily at the very front of the plaza, directly facing the Council Hall.

Behind them, Chen Changge, Lei Wuji, and Tang Yuanli also landed silently.

Meanwhile, Moyue let out a low groan in the air. Light flowed across his body as he rapidly shrank, transforming into a two-meter-tall man in a blue shirt in the blink of an eye.

He stood silently half a step behind Xu Chuan. Although he was in human form, the terrifying, concealed dragon aura still made many people present tremble inwardly.

Xu Chuan's gaze, calm as water, slowly swept over the dozens of Golden Core cultivators in the plaza, taking in everyone's reactions.

Then, he offered a faint smile and cupped his fists, "Daoist friends, you have been waiting a long time."

"Let us all head inside."

Xu Chuan waved his sleeve robe, and the heavy doors of the Council Hall slowly opened.

He turned around first, his steps unhurried, and walked into the grand hall.

Xu Mingxian and the rest followed closely behind him.

Next were Mo Wentian, as well as the members of the Cang Family and Lei Family, followed by the Golden Core cultivators of the other factions.

The grand hall was incredibly spacious, reaching a height of over three hundred meters. Eight golden pillars coiled with dragons, each thick enough to require several people to encircle, supported a vaulted ceiling painted with the sun, moon, stars, mountains, and rivers.

The floor was paved with profound black spirit jade, polished so brightly it could reflect a person's image.

Directly facing the entrance of the grand hall sat a long rectangular table crafted from green rock jade.

At the head of the table was a wide, massive purple-gold throne carved with dragons and phoenixes. Below it, lined up on both the left and right sides, were rows of slightly smaller but equally luxurious chairs.

Xu Chuan walked straight to the head seat and sat down calmly.

"Everyone, please take a seat," Xu Chuan instructed, his voice gentle.

Seated in the first position to Xu Chuan's left was Moyue, and directly opposite him sat the Mo Clan Ancestor, Mo Wentian.

As two mighty Nascent Soul cultivators, their status was naturally second only to Xu Chuan, who was leading the proceedings.

The second seat on the left belonged to Xu Mingxian, while the right was occupied by True Lord Bingqian.

Following them were Xu Deling and the Patriarch of the Cang Family, Cang Fengyan.

Then came Lei Wuji and Chen Changge.

The members of the other Golden Core factions all took their seats in sequential order.

Once everyone was seated, the grand hall was completely silent, not a crow or sparrow to be heard. Every gaze was firmly fixed upon Xu Chuan.

Xu Chuan's gaze slowly swept across the dozens of Golden Core cultivators present before he spoke with a tranquil expression, "The main reason I have gathered all you Daoist friends here today is to discuss the future development of our Heavenly Azure Prefecture.

I believe that after experiencing the bloody war between the two prefectures and the open strife and veiled struggles of the internal rebellion, none of you seated here wish to resort to arms ever again, right?"

"Daoist Friend Xu's words make perfect sense," Mo Wentian nodded while stroking his beard, taking the lead to agree. "Heavenly Azure Prefecture truly needs to stabilize completely."

Cang Fengyan also spoke up, "Xu Clan Head has great foresight. What you have said is exactly what we are all thinking.

I just wonder, what specific thoughts does the Xu Clan Head have for the future of Heavenly Azure Prefecture?"

Xu Chuan smiled faintly, not immediately answering Cang Fengyan.

Instead, he turned his gaze toward True Lord Bingqian.

"Daoist Friend Bingqian," Xu Chuan began, "You should already be well aware of the recent drastic changes within the Heavenly Azure Sect. Among the remaining elders, in terms of cultivation and strength, you are the most respected.

Today, the Heavenly Azure Sect's positions of First Elder, Sect Master, and even Grand Elder are all vacant.

For such a massive sect, what are your plans?"

True Lord Bingqian was clearly caught off guard that Xu Chuan would question him first, and he paused in slight surprise.

His expression was stern. Having spent many years in secluded bitter cultivation, he essentially never participated in the management of the sect's affairs. After pondering for a moment, he slowly replied, "Xu Clan Head, this True Lord has never involved himself in the mundane matters of the sect.

Whatever happens to the Heavenly Azure Sect will entirely depend on the wishes of the other elders."

As his words faded.

Elder Yang of the Heavenly Azure Sect, a ninth-layer Golden Core cultivator, abruptly spoke up, "Xu Clan Head, the Heavenly Azure Sect has suffered such a drastic change that our people are demoralized and our path forward is hazy.

I wonder what arrangements you have for our Heavenly Azure Sect, Xu Clan Head?

If the Xu Family intends to take over the Heavenly Azure Sect's territories and resources, we will naturally yield them and seek shelter elsewhere."

Xu Chuan chuckled. "What do you mean by that, Elder Yang? Do you believe my Xu Family covets the resources of the Heavenly Azure Sect?"

"Rest assured, Daoist friends of the Heavenly Azure Sect. My Xu Family disdains committing such an act. In fact, we intend to use the Heavenly Azure Sect as a foundation and strengthen it."

Mo Wentian asked curiously, "Daoist Friend Xu, what do you mean by this?"

"Reform!"

"Reform?"

The crowd of Golden Core cultivators broke into widespread discussion.

"What kind of reform?" True Lord Bingqian asked.

"Returning to our roots," Xu Chuan stated slowly. "In the Ancient Era, the Heavenly Azure Mountain Range was known as the Azure Dragon Mountain Range. From now on, it shall revert to its original name.

The Heavenly Azure Sect will be reformed into the Azure Dragon Alliance!

And the members of this alliance will be everyone seated here!"

Xu Chuan swept his gaze across the crowd and delivered an earth-shattering declaration, "I require all factions present to join this alliance, forming an ultimate superpower coalition."

"This..."

Expressions of astonishment filled the room. Everyone turned to look at Xu Chuan, completely clueless about what he was plotting.

"True Lord Bingqian, Elder Yang, what does your Heavenly Azure Sect think of this?"

They exchanged glances, even feeling that Xu Chuan was intentionally trying to help them.

"The two of us have no objections."

"I, Chihuo, have no objections."

"I, Yun, also have no objections."

"I, Liu, similarly have no objections."

The group of former Heavenly Azure Sect elders successively agreed.

Xu Chuan looked at Mo Wentian with a light smile. "Senior Mo, what about you?"

"I..."

Mo Wentian paused. He desperately wanted to say no.

However, he had an agreement with the Xu Family: for ten years, he was to look to the head of the horse and follow their lead unconditionally.

"My Mo Family is willing to join this Azure Dragon Alliance."

Lei Wuji immediately followed, "I represent the Lei Family in joining."

"Our Chen Family, Tang Family, and both Yan Families are willing to listen to the Xu Clan Head's arrangements and join the Azure Dragon Alliance."

"My Cang Family is also willing." Cang Fengyan fell silent for a moment before nodding his agreement.

The most powerful batch of noble families and several factions aligned with Cloudstream City spoke up one after another. The rest of the crowd looked at each other in dismay.

Their gazes met, as if saying, 'Old friend, are you joining?'

But what choice did they have? Could a frail arm truly out-wrestle a mighty thigh?

The factions that had already spoken possessed a combined heritage that represented eight or nine-tenths of Heavenly Azure Prefecture's total power.

If they did not follow suit, they were afraid they would be targeted.

"Agreed!"

"My Dongfang Family also agrees!"

"My Shangguan Family will join the alliance!"

In just a brief moment.

Xu Chuan's proposal to reform the Heavenly Azure Sect into the Azure Dragon Alliance was passed unanimously.

In reality, this was merely a formality.

"I thank all of you Daoist friends for your support," Xu Chuan smiled faintly. "Then I shall now outline the arrangements for the Azure Dragon Alliance.

The Azure Dragon Alliance will be composed of all the Golden Core factions within Heavenly Azure Prefecture. Every family must have one Golden Core cultivator join the alliance to serve as an alliance elder.

Every alliance elder will hold the right to discuss and make decisions.

However, if a family's Golden Core cultivator perishes and there are no other Golden Core cultivators to take their place, that family will withdraw from the elder's seat and will no longer possess the right to deliberate.

If an aristocratic family has multiple Golden Core Stage cultivators join the alliance, all of them will automatically become elders and enjoy the same elder privileges.

As for those who do not join, they are forbidden from interfering in the alliance's affairs.

Simply put, the alliance is an aggregate of all our factions, yet each individual noble family and faction will maintain their autonomy and can expand and develop independently.

As long as they do not violate the laws established by the alliance.

The alliance is likewise prohibited from casually interfering or taking arbitrary action against them."

Hearing this, everyone felt that the Azure Dragon Alliance seemed extremely favorable to each family.

The Azure Dragon Alliance would be governed by the Council of Elders, and the members of this Council of Elders would be Golden Core Stage cultivators from the various noble families. In turn, the noble families would be bound by the Azure Dragon Alliance.

It could be said that they checked and balanced each other perfectly.

"Aside from the Golden Core cultivators of the noble families, the Azure Dragon Alliance can also absorb mighty Rogue Cultivator Golden Core experts to join us, granting them the exact same elder privileges," Xu Chuan continued.

The Shangguan Family Old Ancestor asked, "Xu Clan Head, what happens if there are conflicts between the noble families? How will that be handled?"

"Unless it breaches the alliance's laws, the Azure Dragon Alliance will not interfere. However, the respective family disciples and elders within the alliance may participate in the conflict independently under their family's name.

Should any deaths occur as a result, the Azure Dragon Alliance will not seek accountability.

But if a member of a noble family slays an alliance disciple or elder without cause, the alliance will absolutely pursue the matter to the very end!"

The alliance would absorb nourishment from the noble families to grow stronger, yet it would remain aloof and independent without interfering in the actions of the families.

Even if a family was completely wiped out in a dispute, as long as they still had a member residing within the alliance, their bloodline would not be entirely severed. This could be considered a disguised form of protection for the weaker families.

The crowd fell into deep thought, carefully weighing the benefits the Azure Dragon Alliance brought to them.

At least for now, it appeared to be a wonderful thing for every family involved.

"The original disciples of the Heavenly Azure Sect will directly transition into disciples of the Azure Dragon Alliance. The rest will be brought in through a unified disciple recruitment held every July. Furthermore, every elder will receive a quota to recommend two Outer Sect Disciples and one Inner Sect Disciple every ten years.

Individuals recommended through this quota can bypass the assessments and become alliance disciples directly.

Alliance elders are not strictly required to reside within the alliance. If you wish, you may cultivate within your own clan. However, if you choose to stay within the alliance, you will naturally be assigned an appropriate Grotto-Residence for your cultivation."

The eyes of quite a few Early-Stage Golden Core cultivators immediately lit up.

How could the cultivation conditions of an ordinary noble family possibly compare to those of the Heavenly Azure Sect?

Although many of the Heavenly Azure Sect's resources had been transferred away by the Xi Family and subsequently fell into the hands of the Xu Family, the quality of its Spirit Veins remained completely unshaken.

It was definitively the best place to cultivate in all of Heavenly Azure Prefecture, second only to the Xu Family's estate.

Even the Mo Family could not compare.

"On a certain level, the Azure Dragon Alliance stands above all the noble families. However, in essence, it operates on the same plane as the noble families—for instance, when it comes to recruiting Golden Core cultivators or gathering disciples.

Other noble families are fully permitted to recruit on their own and engage in fair competition.

But due to the unique nature of the Azure Dragon Alliance, every noble family must hand over a certain amount of resources to the alliance each year. As for the exact amount of resources, it will be determined by the number of Golden Core cultivators that family has stationed within the alliance.

The more Golden Core cultivators a family has, the more they will be required to submit.

The specific quantity of resources and the frequency of submissions will be discussed later and decided by a vote among everyone present.

Next, let us discuss the alliance's hierarchy of positions.

In other words, the distribution of actual power within the alliance.

Ordinary elders will only participate in discussions, cast votes, and propose topics for deliberation. They will not possess the authority to meddle in the direct administration of alliance affairs."

Xu Chuan swept his gaze across the crowd once more, and many pairs of eyes lit up with anticipation.

In such an immense alliance, the benefits of holding genuine administrative power would be astronomical.

"Within the alliance, we will establish the Council of Elders, the Punishment Hall, the Four Halls of Pills, Artifacts, Formations, and Talismans, as well as the Political Affairs Hall."

"The Council of Elders will consist mostly of ordinary elders, though some may hold other positions of real power. Beyond that, the First Elder will possess the highest authority in deliberations, a veto power, and the right to make appointments."

The moment everyone heard this, they knew this was the position Xu Chuan had reserved for himself.

However, out of everyone present, only Xu Chuan was truly qualified to serve as the First Elder of the Azure Dragon Alliance.

Even an Early-Stage Nascent Soul cultivator like Mo Wentian was far inferior to Xu Chuan in terms of prestige.

"The Punishment Hall will have one Hall Master and two Vice Hall Masters to oversee the laws and disciplinary actions. They will have the authority to independently appoint or dismiss the deacons of the Punishment Hall and the power to recruit disciples.

Cultivation and strength will be the primary criteria for these roles. If the competitors are evenly matched, the Council of Elders will hold a vote to decide.

After all, without the sheer power to suppress a region, the Punishment Hall would be nothing more than an empty shell.

As for the Four Halls of Pills, Artifacts, Formations, and Talismans, each hall will be responsible for providing cultivation resources to the alliance's disciples. Each hall will have one Hall Master and one Vice Hall Master.

These four halls will prioritize mastery in their respective crafts. If their proficiency levels are similar, their cultivation realms will be taken into account.

Their authority will be identical to that of the Punishment Hall. They can appoint and dismiss deacons at will, and they can recruit alliance disciples with corresponding talents to train and nurture.

Finally, the Political Affairs Hall will be the department handling all matters of the alliance, large and small.

It will feature one Alliance Leader, two Vice Alliance Leaders, eight High-Level Deacons, thirty-two Mid-Level Deacons, and one hundred twenty-eight Low-Level Deacons.

They will be responsible for issuing alliance missions, arranging resources, and managing numerous other affairs.

Their rights will also remain the same as the other halls.

Following that are the Seven Peaks. The Seven Peaks will serve as the external combat force of the alliance and the primary location for cultivating disciples. Therefore, all disciples who join the alliance must enter the Seven Peaks.

Whenever the Punishment Hall, the Four Halls of Pills, Artifacts, Formations, and Talismans, or the Political Affairs Hall wish to recruit disciples, they must select from the Seven Peaks. They can choose to hold their disciple recruitment once every six months, once a year, or once every few years.

This matter will be entirely left to the discretion of the respective Hall Masters or the Alliance Leader.

For the Seven Peaks, each peak must have a Peak Master and two Vice Peak Masters, with selection prioritizing absolute strength.

Since the Seven Peaks belong to a different administrative system than the Punishment Hall and the others, individuals may hold concurrent positions. For example, a Peak Master can simultaneously be the Hall Master of the Punishment Hall, the Hall Master of one of the Four Halls of Pills, Artifacts, Formations, and Talismans, or even the Alliance Leader of the Political Affairs Hall.

However, the Hall Master of the Punishment Hall cannot concurrently serve as the Hall Master for the Four Halls or as the Alliance Leader.

The same applies to the rest of the roles.

The Seven Peaks will hold a grand disciple competition annually, distributing resources in accordance with the final rankings.

Each peak will have four tiers of disciples: Handyman Disciples, Outer Sect Disciples, Inner Sect Disciples, and True Disciples.

Those below the 7th Layer of Qi Condensation will be Handyman Disciples. Those at the 7th Layer of Qi Condensation and above will be Outer Sect Disciples. As for Inner Sect Disciples, they must be at the Foundation Establishment Stage or higher.

As for True Disciples, they must have comprehended the true intent of a Divine Ability. The resources they receive will far exceed those of an Inner Sect Disciple.

Upon stepping into the Golden Core stage, they will automatically become an alliance elder.

If there are individuals with outstanding Innate Aptitude—such as those possessing Heavenly Spirit Root Aptitude, special Bloodlines, exceptional constitutions, or extraordinary bone structures—they can be exceptionally promoted to Inner Sect Disciples, even if their cultivation is merely at the Qi Refining stage.

Elders hold the right to take in personal disciples, but the disciple's alliance treatment will remain unchanged. If an elder wishes to deeply nurture their disciple, they must provide the necessary resources out of their own pockets."

The crowd listened quietly. What Xu Chuan had explained was already incredibly comprehensive.

Although he had referenced portions of the Heavenly Azure Sect's previous structure, there were also tremendous differences.

At the very least, it was vastly more fair!

If a disciple wanted to obtain greater resources and a higher status, they had to rely on their own strength to do the talking.

If an elder saw potential in them and was willing to take them in as a disciple to nurture, that was equally viable.

The same applied to the elders. They needed to make concrete contributions to the alliance before they could receive any rewards.

These rewards could range from Mid-Grade Defensive Magic Treasures to rare and precious Spirit Medicine or Materials. In the future, even High-Grade Magic Treasures could be bestowed upon them.

"Everyone, if you have any questions, feel free to raise them now. If not, we will proceed with arranging the various positions of authority."

Xu Chuan smiled faintly, his gaze sweeping over the people lined up in the left and right rows.