The words indeed sounded reasonable, but the three of them were a bit puzzled. Wasn't the disparity between large sects and small sects always present? When did sympathy become a method to solve problems in the Cultivation World?

Foolish mortals, everyone an immortal, gods and spirits everywhere. There are always ranks among them; if everyone were equal, there would be no striving for excellence.

The three of them were a bit uncertain what she really wanted to say.

Tang Zhen asked again, "What do you mean by not 'blocking but dredging'?"

Mulan Qingqing responded, "Chao Zhilin and Hu Yan's forces, totaling over two thousand, will no longer appoint new leaders. Instead, the elite part will be retained, and the less competent sidelined. The rest of the troops will be categorized in the same way, and regrouped accordingly."

In short, she said, "We will divide the more than seven thousand troops gathered in Xuan State into two; we will retain and control the elite ones, and group the rest separately."

"Didn't they say that they are risking their lives for us? We don't need them to do that for us. Didn't they complain that no matter how hard they try, it's always us who benefit? Then let them see for themselves, without us, what they really amount to, and what benefits they can get on their own."

"The forces will be split evenly, and the harvested Insect Extreme Crystals will be divided equally. Each will operate on their own, and ultimate ownership of benefits will be determined by respective achievements. This will let them clearly see whether they truly deserve the interests they want, and whether they are qualified to get them."

The three exchanged glances, feeling that although her words made some sense, she seemed somewhat impulsive, yet it was hard to directly oppose her.

Wan Daoyuan frowned and said, "Mulan, let me clarify this, we are not opposing your view. We just think there's no need to take those people's complaints seriously. They are just a bunch of worthless curs. If we really push them aside, they'll just scatter like a flock of panicked sheep, completely useless."

Tang Zhen agreed, "Indeed, under our control, with our authority over them, they could still be somewhat useful. Once we let them loose, they'd become lazy and careless right away, so expecting them to exert effort is just idle talk—their previous diligence and sacrifices were all compelled by us."

Mulan Qingqing suggested, "Isn't it good to let them see the reality for themselves?"

Wan Daoyuan expressed his concern, "By doing so, we will suddenly have half as many hands, making it difficult to thoroughly account for all aspects, and making it easier for mistakes in monitoring the major forces across the states."

Mulan Qingqing countered, "It's not difficult, from an overall trend, much of the Insect Extreme Crystals held by major forces in each state have been fought over and integrated already, reducing the need for our supervisory efforts, as most of the forces are idle anyway."

"Though they complain, some of what they say isn't wrong. We, from large sects, shouldn't be overly cautious. When it's time to act, we must. It's about time to take over control of the situation with the major forces across the states."

"The convention is almost at its end, and the final battle ultimately depends on us, the main forces. Those who can't run fast in battle, don't contribute much, or only cheer from the sidelines are no longer important. Downsizing might not be a bad thing after all."

Their perspective somewhat shifted as they saw her point, yet they still felt prejudiced, thinking she was going to great lengths for her man.

They wanted to remind her that, even so, after the convention ended, people would still gossip about Wang Sheng's actions, which she wouldn't be able to erase.

Of course, the three of them were somewhat persuaded by her.

Yet, they still harbored doubts, and Tang Zhen hesitated, "Is it really necessary to split half of the Insect Extreme Crystals with them?"

Mulan Qingqing explained, "Who contributed more previously is up for debate, unclear. Since we're dividing, let's make it clear and straightforward. Let's give it to them to avoid any accusations of us taking advantage. That half isn't much anyway, just a thousand or two. If Xuan State has to rely on these couple thousand crystals to win in the end, then we really need to reflect on ourselves."

"The evenly divided Insect Extreme Crystals will still contribute to Xuan State's overall score."

"Divided as they are, they must accept one condition: the final distribution of benefits will be decided based on the final scores. The side with less shuts up, and all the Insect Extreme Crystals go to the side that scores more."

"They claim that our large sect monopolizes their benefits and positions. Now, I'm giving them a chance to compete for fame and gain, an opportunity to show their strength. If they still achieve nothing, they have only themselves to blame."

This was not only persuading the three before her but also stemmed from her curiosity about Wang Sheng, eager to see where his confidence came from, daring to pit a disorderly mob against her side's elite forces of Xuan State.

This was clearly not a decision made by Wang Sheng out of boredom or whim.

After all, those he deems unworthy, once under his command, are expected to cry victory.

Alright, besides the reason of reluctantly compromising with Wang Sheng, he had also successfully ignited her competitive spirit.

She recognized Wang Sheng as an extraordinary man, yet she did not believe the disparity between them was that significant.

If she were to lose under such circumstances, she would accept it.

If that ragtag bunch could indeed perform exceptionally, then Xuan State securing victory was virtually guaranteed.

Considering her explanation, Wan Daoyuan and the others pondered and found nothing unacceptable. They hardly believed they couldn't surpass a chaotic rabble.

Thus, they agreed, but still, they had their reservations, admiring this woman for her extreme efforts for her man.

They all felt a bit jealous, lamenting, "Such a remarkable woman, why haven't we met someone like her? What makes Wang Sheng worthy of her? Such is fate."

Internally, Mulan Qingqing also breathed a silent sigh of relief. There were things Wang Sheng didn't know, and personally, she didn't want to carry the reputation of an unmarried couple, but "legitimacy" was a panacea that solved many issues. Without the status as her fiancé, Wang Sheng wouldn't have been able to persuade these people so easily.

There'd be no need for persuasion, their first instinct would be to figure out how to eliminate Wang Sheng. Negotiations would be pointless.

Indeed, all the large sects had their own influence and plenty of means to secretly undermine actions, outwardly complying while secretly opposing.

Immediately, with the cooperation of these three families, the remaining tasks would be easier to handle.

These three families weren't just comprising fifteen members from their own sects, but also had well-aligned forces from their respective allies. Having unified their opinions, the execution power was secured, and manpower for implementing the plans was sufficient.

Nonetheless, it still took almost two full days to clarify the personnel involved, which was the most time-consuming part.

Therefore, two days later, the team leader from Hundred Refinement Sect on duty, Tong Mingshan, suddenly rushed into Shi Chun's cave, shouting urgently, "It's bad, a large force is heading our way."

Shi Chun calmly said, "What's the panic?"

He then stood up and went out to see.

Actually, he didn't need to look to know what was happening, as Mulan Qingqing had already informed him in advance that the people he needed had arrived.

The arriving forces were too many and made too much noise, startling all the sects hiding there.

When they ran to the hillside outside, they saw the large group of people that had swept in from afar already settling down like raindrops around them.

The one leading those people was Wan Daoyuan's junior brother, who nodded at Shi Chun and said, "It's just them."

Then he introduced to Shi Chun and the others, "These are all people from Xuan State."

Having said that, he immediately flew away without another word, too lazy to engage in any idle chatter.

From the crowd emerged a man in black with shiny eyes, who smiled and cupped his hands, "I am Master Mai of the Dragon Martial Sect, may I know which one of you is Brother Wang from Youxia Mountain?"

Shi Chun was a bit puzzled, but still stepped forward and admitted, "That would be me, may I ask…"

"Oh, what a fortunate meeting…"

"Brother Wang is truly a talent…"

"Indeed, a noble bearing…"

A bunch of people crowded around them to greet enthusiastically, effectively marginalizing Wu Jinliang and the others.

The people announced their backgrounds and names, and in the chaos, Shi Chun couldn't remember anyone, only nodding his head and continuously muttering pleasantries.

Seeing that the hustle wasn't ending, Master Mai, feeling squeezed himself, suddenly raised his hand and shouted, "Stop, let's all not crowd, not clamor too, we're discussing serious matters here."

The scene then quieted down, and after signaling everyone to step back, Master Mai waved and summoned several sect members to hand over several bulging black bags to Shi Chun.

At that glance, it was clear they contained Insect Extreme Crystals. Shi Chun mused to himself, Mulan Qingqing hadn't mentioned that these Insect Extreme Crystals were specifically meant for him.

He had agreed with Mulan Qingqing that the people and items would be divided, and he would handle the rest, especially since it wasn't possible for her to switch sides and manage affairs here too. If that were the case, what was the point of the division?

Thus, naturally, he had to ask, "What is this?"

"Insect Extreme Crystals."

"No, I mean, why give them to me?"

That led to an extended explanation from Master Mai and others, bustlingly discussing how Mulan Qingqing divided the forces and terms, indicating that these people would now start forming an alliance.

Although everything had been planned behind the scenes by Shi Chun and Mulan Qingqing, Shi Chun now wore a face full of astonishment, appearing as though he was just informed, a look of 'What does this have to do with me?', while pushing the bags of Extreme Crystals back, "Just keep them safely, no need to give them to me. No, seriously, why run here?"

Master Mai pointed out, "Brother Wang, here in Xuan State, we are on the same team now, we've come to join you."

"Yes, yes."

"Brother Wang, we've come to join you."

The crowd responded in a clamorous chorus.

Shi Chun, looking surprised, said, "Join me? What kind of joke is this?"

Master Mai: "Such a big matter, how could it be a joke? Didn't this all start because of you? Without a head, a snake cannot function; without a leader, soldiers will be in chaos. After discussing unanimously, we decided to appoint you as our leader."

"Yes, yes."

"No one but Brother Wang."

"Yes, switching anyone else as our leader wouldn't have my support."

The members of various sects vociferously protested; it seemed that Wang Sheng had no choice but to take up this role.

On the surface, it was because Wang Sheng was Mulan Qingqing's fiance, but that was precisely the reason—though the implications were different.

Some may grumble about the major sects monopolizing the credit, and while they complain, if they were given a fair competition, they felt incapable of shouldering the responsibility, thinking they were not up to it.

Since they couldn't bear the burden and couldn't win, there seemed no point in striving—just surviving till the end of the conference would suffice; only fools would risk their lives.

But if they mixed in too crudely, was that really appropriate? What if they were held accountable?

Mulan Qingqing's fiance was also just mixing along, hence the current scene with Wang Sheng becoming their leader, ready to bear the brunt if the sky were to fall.

Shi Chun was not fooled, understanding these people's motives immediately; did all this suffice?

He had prepared a whole set of strategies to subdue these people, now all wasted, unnecessary.

By now, he also understood the supposed merit of the title 'fiance' that Mulan Qingqing talked about—a title that had tremendously simplified his troubles.

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