To achieve immortality, I cultivate using Qi Luck

Many people harbored dissatisfaction in their hearts.

If the Jiuzhou Immortal Gate truly attacked, with their foundation and influence cultivated over tens of thousands of years, it’s likely they could rally overwhelming support.

Not only the local Immortal Sects, but even the long-rampant demons in the Southern Domain might emerge to respond.

At that time, seeing enemies everywhere, how could we with only our single family’s strength possibly maintain control?

At that point, let alone keeping hold of the Southern Domain, even preserving Mi Yun Mountain would be difficult.

Therefore, to guard the Southern Domain with only our own family’s strength is impossible.

We must have an ally who is esteemed and influential in the Southern Domain, has a solid foundation there, and maintains profound connections with the local Immortal Sects, to stand by us and assist if we are to have any chance of defense.

Looking over the entire Changqing Domain, the only person with such prestige is the Qing Immortal Sect.

It’s not that I am unwise; it’s just that, except for the Qing Immortal Sect, I have to seek help from fellow daoists."

Yi Dancheng spoke earnestly and sincerely.

Although powers like Jintai Gate have already started moving towards aligning themselves with the Taiping Dao, expressing their loyalty,

that is solely the measure of their loyalty under the current circumstances.

Now that the Taiping Dao is powerful, Jintai Gate has chosen to become its vassal.

But if Jiuzhou Immortal Gate attacks, bringing greater force, how Jintai Gate would choose is hard to predict.

Yes.

Jiuzhou Immortal Gate watches Jintai Gate with covetous eyes, always thinking of annexing the sect.

Even if they wanted to annex Jintai Gate, following due processes would still take at least a thousand years.

But if they fiercely resisted and openly opposed the other party, the battlefield is merciless; a few magical duel encounters could result in the death of a couple of True Persons from Jintai Gate, causing the sect to immediately decline.

It could get destroyed within a century.

This is the sorrow of small sects.

Lacking autonomy, lacking choices, all that remains is survival.

Whoever could help them survive longer, they would support.

Right now, compared to Jiuzhou Immortal Gate, Taiping Dao promises a longer survival for Jintai Gate, so they have become little brothers to Taiping Dao.

But, one day, if following Taiping Dao meant surviving for a shorter time than following Jiuzhou Immortal Gate, they would definitely switch to Jiuzhou Immortal Gate right away.

This is precisely because Lu Yuan saw through this point, he never thought of trusting the loyalty of these local Immortal Sects of the Southern Domain.

In such morally declined turbulent times, affection and loyalty are far too intangible.

Nowhere near as substantial as power and interests.

This is also why Yi Dancheng now insists on having the Qing Immortal Sect dispatch a True Person to be stationed in the Southern Domain permanently.

Firstly, naturally, it is to bolster the strength on his side, to deter those with second thoughts from causing trouble.

Secondly, it is to declare to them that with the backing of the Qing Immortal Sect, compared to Jiuzhou Immortal Gate, our side possesses greater strength. If you dare rebel, think carefully if you can withstand the consequences.

Thirdly, it’s because of the foundational ties the Qing Immortal Sect has managed within the Evergreen Domain over tens of thousands of years.

Only by pulling in the Qing Immortal Sect and meeting the three conditions mentioned above can Taiping Dao hope to have a longstanding foothold in the Southern Domain region and withstand the pressure from Jiuzhou Immortal Gate.

After hearing Yi Dancheng’s reasoning, Yang Jihua also looked hesitant, obviously persuaded quite a bit, but still shook his head and said, "What you say makes sense, but my sect is also struggling, with remnants of Nine Spirits externally and various factions internally ready to act; we truly cannot spare additional strength to help."

He could certainly hear that the other party spoke sensibly.

But permanently deploying True Persons from the Qing Immortal Sect was not so easy.

The Qing Immortal Sect had only four Earth Immortals and seventeen Human Immortals.

Of these, two Earth Immortals were tied up in the central and northern battlefields, one needed to oversee the Eastern Territory. The headquarters at Mountain Gate also required an Earth Immortal positioned to coordinate responses from all directions.

All four Earth Immortal True Persons had their duties and could not remove themselves.

Meanwhile, the Qing Immortal Sect directly controls the core territories in the north, center, and east, which encompass thirteen nations.

In each of these nations, at least one Human Immortal must be stationed to ensure stable borders.

This occupies thirteen Human Immortals.

Beyond the core territories, there are nine more nations controlled by vassal sects of the Qing Immortal Sect.

Among these vassal sects, there are those fiercely loyal, those ambitiously aspiring, those with hidden agendas, and even those blatantly rebellious.

The Qing Immortal Sect must also dispatch personnel to constantly patrol these areas, to solidify their rule.

This requires at least two more Human Immortals.

The remaining two Human Immortals are mobile forces, like the Earth Immortal stationed at the sect headquarters, ready to respond to emergencies anywhere.

Under such conditions, they naturally couldn’t be easily moved.

Taiping Dao’s wish for the Qing Immortal Sect to send a few Human Immortals to reside long-term can only draw upon these last two free Human Immortals.

But if these were to be deployed, and any turbulence requiring urgent control thereafter emerged within the Qing Immortal Sect’s governed regions, there would be no extra manpower available.

This is very risky.

Once disturbances in one place spread, they could rapidly infect surrounding nations like a virus.

Previously, the Qing Immortal Sect’s control over the Southern Domain was very stable.

Why then did it collapse to the current state?

Wasn’t it because during the previous major battle with Jiuzhou Immortal Gate, too many were killed or injured, leaving no mobile forces?

Eventually, when demons invaded, the Qing Immortal Sect lacked the power to pacify them, unable to dispatch aid.

This led to the area gradually becoming overrun by demons, with the local sects becoming restless and the situation becoming uncontrollable.