The next morning, early.
At the headquarters building of the Alliance.
"Good morning, Minister."
"Good morning, Minister."
"Good morning, Minister."
In the lobby, respectful greetings echoed one after another.
Ouyang Xuan nodded slightly, his expression impassive.
With steady steps, he walked toward his office.
His posture was upright, like a sword about to be unsheathed, exuding a sharp and imposing aura.
Inside the office, sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, spilling onto the ground. Ouyang Xuan sat behind his desk, his deep eyes fixed on the distant view outside the window.
His gaze sharpened slightly, and his fingers tapped rhythmically on the desk.
Just last night, ancient forces began to emerge one after another.
Cities everywhere were significantly affected.
Towering peaks rose from the ground, and ancient structures suddenly appeared in the heart of urban centers.
In addition, ancient ruins were also appearing simultaneously.
"I underestimated the complexity of this," Ouyang Xuan sighed softly.
The leader had said that the ancient forces were not their enemies.
But...
He had to admit that the overall strength of modern martial artists was far inferior to that of the ancient sects.
This was not an equal footing.
Alliance or not, whether modern martial artists could earn the respect of the ancient sects was another matter entirely.
Ouyang Xuan had already foreseen what might happen next.
With the emergence of ancient ruins, the ancient forces were likely to claim them as their own.
If that happened, the gap in power would only widen further.
And it wasn’t just the issue of the ancient sects.
There were internal problems as well.
"Sigh..."
Ouyang Xuan looked out the window.
The city appeared calm on the surface, but beneath it, undercurrents were swirling. Various factions were engaged in both overt and covert struggles for resources and power.
As the Alliance, a crucial force in maintaining the city’s order, the responsibility was immense.
Now, with the leader in seclusion, Ouyang Xuan was acutely aware of the mission he bore. He had to lead the Transcenders under his command.
They had to fend off external threats while also quelling internal unrest.
Suddenly.
"Why is Minister Ouyang sighing so early in the morning?"
A light chuckle abruptly sounded in Ouyang Xuan’s ear.
"?"
Ouyang Xuan’s eyes narrowed as he turned to look behind him.
There, standing behind him, was a figure who had appeared out of nowhere.
The man wore a black trench coat, his demeanor friendly and approachable, with a faint black glow shimmering in his eyes.
"Qin Luo?!"
Ouyang Xuan was inwardly shocked. When had he arrived?!
Oh, right!
Ouyang Xuan glanced subtly at the black mist clinging to Qin Luo’s figure.
The power of shadows...
"Correct, it’s me," Qin Luo said with a smile as he walked over to Ouyang Xuan’s side. He reached out and picked up a photo from Ouyang Xuan’s desk.
Then, he sat on the edge of the desk and began flipping through the photos with interest.
There were many photos, capturing scenes from cities, forests, oceans, and even the skies around the world.
Each image depicted breathtaking phenomena that defied modern scientific explanation.
Interesting.
As Qin Luo flipped through the photos, the corners of his mouth curled into a faint smile.
The speed at which the ancient forces were emerging was much faster than he had anticipated.
"Could you not just pick them up and look at them without asking?"
Ouyang Xuan looked at Qin Luo with some exasperation.
Why was this guy so casually familiar?
However.
Ouyang Xuan adjusted his glasses, studying Qin Luo (naturally approachable and noble in demeanor), but he couldn’t muster any ill will toward him.
This guy was probably a good person, even if his usual behavior left much to be desired.
But one thing was certain: his usual irritability was likely influenced by Su Muwan...
Putting down the photos, Qin Luo looked meaningfully at Ouyang Xuan and tapped the photos. "Minister Ouyang, is this what’s troubling you?"
Is this it...
Do you even understand how complicated these things are?
Ouyang Xuan’s eye twitched slightly.
But Qin Luo was, after all, an SSS-rank Transcender. Discussing this with him wasn’t inappropriate.
Thinking this, Ouyang Xuan nodded and said gravely, "The ancient forces have emerged."
"Countless disciples of the ancient sects are bound to clash with modern martial artists."
"If our headquarters fails to act as a mediator and maintain a stable order, then..."
Before he could finish.
"Tch."
Qin Luo chuckled and shook his head. "Why make it so complicated?"
Ouyang Xuan was taken aback. "What do you mean?"
Hearing this, Qin Luo leisurely walked around to the front of Ouyang Xuan’s desk. He leaned forward, resting his hands on the desk, and stared at Ouyang Xuan as he spoke slowly, "Let’s talk about the simplest issue."
"How will ancient ruins, which are rich with great opportunities, be distributed?"
Ouyang Xuan, though he already knew the answer, replied, "Our headquarters will handle the relationship between both sides appropriately and strive to ensure fairness..."
"Come on, Minister Ouyang, we’re not children here."
"Let’s be realistic."
Before Ouyang Xuan could continue, Qin Luo cut him off. "The world of martial artists has always been about the survival of the fittest. The ancient sects are inherently stronger. If you want peaceful coexistence..."
"The only way is to cut our losses and cede the opportunity to the ancient sects!"
"Otherwise... a fierce battle over the opportunity is bound to break out."
"You should understand this better than anyone."
Hearing this, Ouyang Xuan fell silent.
He clenched his fists, fully aware that such a scenario was highly likely, if not inevitable.
But...
Ouyang Xuan spoke earnestly, "The leader has said that the ancient sects are not our enemies."
"Leader this, leader that," Qin Luo scoffed. "I may not have met the headquarters leader, but can't this be interpreted as:
'The ancient sects are not enemies, but they won’t show any kindness to modern martial artists either?'
"I refuse to believe that a powerful sect would willingly share their opportunities with a bunch of weaklings.
"Even if they were willing to share, the opportunities they offer would either be useless or the scraps left after they’ve taken everything of value.
"Do you really think modern martial artists, who’ve been suppressed for so long, would continue to tolerate this, even if the ancient sects refrain from acting due to the alliance?"
"Oh, wait..."
Qin Luo pointed to a photo on the table.
In the photo, a martial artist in ancient robes stood high in the air, his eyes filled with arrogance.
Qin Luo smirked disdainfully, "Just last night, some of the ancient sects already clashed with modern martial artists.
"If it weren’t for the core members of the headquarters being dispatched, the consequences could have been catastrophic."
Hearing this, Ouyang Xuan fell silent again.
He realized they had underestimated the ancient sects.
Even though the leader had said the ancient sects were not their enemies—even allies—it was unclear how the leader had forged this alliance.
But...
After so many years, did they truly care about or intend to honor such a vague agreement?
The lack of large-scale conflict was likely only because they hadn’t yet met the leader.
"So, Minister Ouyang, instead of following the usual routine and trusting that the ancient sects will abide by this so-called alliance,
why don’t we..."
Qin Luo slammed his hand on the pile of photos, locking eyes with the silent Ouyang Xuan, "take the initiative and launch... a hunting operation!"
Ouyang Xuan: !!