Chapter 2198: The Next Step (2)
Tang Shaoyang could simply wipe them out, but he decided not to. He took such a great length to explain to Bai Jinwei that his family was safe along with the people in the city. It was not simply because he was afraid of them, but because they potentially had a role in his next step of the Thousand Vows Pavilion.
The same by sparing the Alliance Leader. The reason was simple. He didn’t want the Sacred Realm to be out of order because of the collapse of the Murim Alliance. For that to happen, he must not kill the Alliance Leader. Zhong Tian Yun must live to lead the weakened Murim Alliance.
That way, the establishment of the Thousand Vows Pavilion would go smoothly. The Sacred Realm was the best place to rebuild the Thousand Vows Pavilion. It would be easier to find disciples since the people had faith in cultivation.
It was different from Earth. People might keep the cultivation or the Thousand Vows Pavilion as a second option. The players sought a good rare class from the Smart Base. If they failed to obtain a good class, they might consider the Martial Arts as the next option.
This was why the Sacred Realm was the ideal place for the Thousand Vows Pavilion. Of course, he was not going to follow their path not to involve the System. The leveling up was the cheat code for the cultivator, and he considered the cultivator as a class instead.
As for the tradition for the age to start cultivation and other stuff. He would not interfere with it. Let them decide it themselves. Of course, this was for the future. The decision was still in their hands. He was not going to force them.
Bai Jinwei, along with the Sikong and the Duanmu Family, reunited with their family. Not everyone was rescued, but it seemed Zara managed to rescue the majority of them.
Zhong Tian Yun was shaken, realizing that the situation might not be in his favor now. There was a chance the three families might side with Tang Shaoyang and turn against him instead.
Tang Shaoyang could read the emotion clearly from Zhong Tian Yun, and their gazes met, "Leave! This is the last time I will spare your life!"
The Alliance Leader gripped his sword tighter. He was seething in anger to be humiliated like this. His reputation would be in ruin if the rumor spread. Even just a rumor would destroy his reputation.
However, he could not bring himself to sheathe the sword. He knew that he was not Tang Shaoyang’s opponent. Especially when the three families lost their will to fight with him.
He hoped the three families would side with him because of Tang Shaoyang’s identity as an outsider. He glanced toward the three families who had separated from his people.
Sikong Tan Kai, the Sikong Family’s head, was the first one to meet with the Alliance Leader’s eyes. He was connected to the Heaven Founder. It could be said that he was a traitor, but the Alliance Leader overlooked his mistake as long as he helped Zhong Tian Yun kill an outsider named Tang Shaoyang.
He was supposed to be one of the reliable allies at this time, but Sikong Tan Kai shook his head, indicating that he would not help Zhong Tian Yun.
The same with Duanmu Liang Yi, the head of the Duanmu Family. He sent a message transmission, telling Zhong Tian Yun directly that he would not help if Zhong Tian Yun fought Tang Shaoyang. He went so far as to say that he would help Tang Shaoyang instead. He was so grateful to Tang Shaoyang and would not pay the kindness with his blade.
"My family is safe, and Sir Tang Shaoyang is our benefactor. I will not draw my sword against my benefactor. The Bai Family can no longer help you, Alliance Leader Zhong."
Bai Jinwei said it outright to the Alliance Leader’s face. He was true to his word. It was they who trapped Tang Shaoyang and their own family inside the city. Yet Tang Shaoyang still saved his Bai Family for what he had done. He could not point his sword at Tang Shaoyang.
If he insisted on joining Zhong Tian Yun, this event would become his heart demon for the rest of his life. It would ruin his cultivation. That was just more reason not to fight Tang Shaoyang.
Zhong Tian Yun’s grip got tighter, but he realized that the situation was hopeless. He didn’t have the confidence to win against Tang Shaoyang. Especially after experiencing Tang Shaoyang’s aura just now. It was clear that Tang Shaoyang was still strong even after fighting that strong outsider.
His grip loosened as he released a sigh. It never crossed his mind that he would run from the battle. He didn’t want to run away, but he didn’t have a choice. Unless he was determined just to die to preserve his hundred years’ dignity because he could not see himself winning the fight.
Zhong Tian Yun turned around and brought the Sky Hall and the Heavenly Fortress with him. He could not win today, but he would come back and regain his honor. He would repay today’s humiliation.
As the Murim Alliance’s people left, Bai Jinwei, Sikong Tan Kai, and Duanmu Liang Yi approached Tang Shaoyang.
"We are grateful for your magnanimity, Sir Tang Shaoyang. Is there something we can do to repay this great favor, Sir?" Bai Jinwei led the conversation.
"There’s nothing you can do for me, and there’s no need for you to repay me either. I saved them for my own sake, but I do have an offer for you three families."
Tang Shaoyang glanced at Bing Ruohan. It was better for Bing Ruohan to extend the invitation and explain the offer as the first big faction that joined the Thousand Vows Pavilion. Her words had more credibility than his promise.
*** ***
Bai Jinwei had his eyes closed as the breeze blew his long black hair. It had been two weeks since the fateful battle. The three families who ruled over Xiyun Province no longer exist.
Xiyun Province was under the Thousand Vows Pavilion’s jurisdiction. The Radiant Blossom City that was flattened from the battle was rebuilt, or to be more exact, the Thousand Vows Pavilion took it. The Thousand Vows Pavilion occupied the area, and the area became the Thousand Vows Pavilion’s main territory.
The Thousand Vows Pavilion moved here and put the floating island above the sea of magma. He didn’t know how, but Tang Shaoyang moved the floating island in the secret realm above the sea of magma.
At the same time, the sea of magma was sealed by a transparent ice. There was a thick layer of ice right above the sea of magma, and the magma could not melt the ice, but everyone could still see the remnant of the fateful battle.
He was standing at the edge of the floating island and admired the scenery. This had become his routine to be here at this time every few days.
The Bai Family was officially part of the Thousand Vows Pavilion. It was the same as the Sikong Family and the Duanmu Family.
The reason they joined was not that they were afraid of the Thousand Vows Pavilion or Tang Shaoyang. It was not like they received direct pressure from Tang Shaoyang as well. It was just an offer, a proposal they could not refuse.
First, they lost their main force in that fateful battle. Less than half of their main force survived, and they were certainly weakened. They would become easy prey for the other families and sects if they remained independent as before.
The Murim Alliance would not be able to assist them, as they had their own problem. So yeah, they needed protection, and the Thousand Vows Pavilion had the power to protect them.
Second, the offer was too good to be refused. Having the chance to develop their family’s technique, to perfect it by using the Thousand Vows Pavilion’s famed Grandmaster Codex was one in a one-in-a-million opportunity. They had seen that the codex was real as well.
Third, the family head would be appointed as Grandmaster right away. The Thousand Vows Pavilion had a different structure from the general sect.
There was no Sect Leader or Patriarch as the sole leader, but a Grandmaster who would lead each different pavilion, which would be responsible for its own pavilion. Being offered a respectable position just added another reason to accept the offer.
Fourth, it was a lie if they were not intimidated by Tang Shaoyang. They had a fear that someday Tang Shaoyang would come to shame them later. Of course, that fear was just a small part of the reason they joined the Thousand Vows Pavilion.
The Bai Family became the Bai Pavilion. Bai Jinwei decided to carry his family legacy into the Thousand Vows Pavilion. The Sikong family became the Blazing Pavilion. They chose that name because of their fire art. The Duanmu Family named their pavilion with their own technique, the Wind Blade Pavilion.
With Xiyun Province as their domain, and four newly formed pavilions. The Thousand Vows Pavilion officially came back from a legend. It was just a matter of time until people heard the Thousand Vows Pavilion again.
