Fire Cloud Sect voluntarily became a vassal of Taiyi Sect, seeking protection from them. Niu Dawei couldn't make this decision on his own due to the significant matter at hand.
If it were any other small sect, he could have easily agreed without much thought. However, Fire Cloud Sect not only had a complicated history with Taiyi Sect but was also a powerful Gold Core sect in its own right.
Compared to some shallow Primordial Spirit sects, Fire Cloud Sect was only lacking a Primordial Spirit True Monarch.
After hearing Niu Dawei's report, Meng Zhang was somewhat hesitant.
Taiyi Sect used the Hanhai Alliance to gather a large group of subordinates.
Among these subordinates, the strongest, Qiaoshou Sect, had only three Gold Core Daoist Masters. The so-called Gold Core sects like Land Walk Sect could barely manage with just one Gold Core Daoist Master supporting them.
Throughout the generations, Fire Cloud Sect had never lacked Gold Core Daoist Masters; usually, there were five or six of them present in the sect.
Having such a powerful vassal added to Taiyi Sect's strength, which seemed like a good thing. The Hanhai Alliance's power would increase, and Taiyi Sect would have stronger cannon fodder to use.
Moreover, Fire Cloud Sect used to be much stronger than Taiyi Sect, and it had threatened Taiyi Sect several times in the past. Making such a millennium-old sect bow before them would boost the confidence of Taiyi Sect's disciples and fulfill their psychological needs, which had significant meaning.
True Monarch Profound Wind, the patron of Fire Cloud Sect, had sided with the Dali Dynasty, so Fire Cloud Sect naturally had suspicions of colluding with the Dali Dynasty.
If Meng Zhang led the cultivators of Taiyi Sect and directly annihilated Fire Cloud Sect, taking everything they had, no one could question his actions. Even Jade Sword Sect would have no choice but to accept this reality.
Completely eradicating their enemies, seeking revenge, and settling old scores also seemed like a good thing, which was not uncommon in the Cultivation World. No one would doubt Taiyi Sect's position as a righteous sect because of such an act.
For Meng Zhang, both options had their merits, and either choice would not cause significant harm.
One option was the slow and steady approach, continuously squeezing and exploiting Fire Cloud Sect, making them a long-term target of oppression.
The other option was to make a one-time deal, seizing everything from Fire Cloud Sect in one go.
As Meng Zhang was contemplating and about to delegate the decision-making power to Niu Dawei, suddenly, he felt a vague inspiration.
It had been some time since he advanced to the Primordial Spirit stage, but his Heavenly Insight Technique had not progressed accordingly.
He was still a Grandmaster of Heavenly Insight, capable of deducing matters involving Third Rank and below individuals or things.
However, when it came to matters involving Primordial Spirit True Monarchs or Fourth Rank entities, his deductions would become difficult.
Nevertheless, during this trip to the Nine Heavens, he had experienced a great battle and suffered severe injuries, but he also witnessed various different Grand Dao powers.
During his seclusion for healing, he managed to find some rare moments of calm and enlightenment, gaining some insights into the Heavenly Insight Technique.
After coming out of seclusion, although he had not advanced in the Heavenly Insight Technique, and the path to advancement was still distant, he did make some progress and gained a certain understanding.
Daoist Master Firecloud's proactive surrender triggered something in his mind, leading him to make a new choice.
Meng Zhang instructed Niu Dawei to accept Daoist Master Firecloud's surrender and make Fire Cloud Sect a vassal of Taiyi Sect.
As for the specific terms and details, Meng Zhang asked Niu Dawei to handle the negotiations.
Fire Cloud Sect had not publicly sided with the Dali Dynasty or openly opposed Jade Sword Sect.
Meng Zhang believed that as long as he personally intervened, Jade Sword Sect would give him some face. Especially now, when Jade Sword Sect was in need of talents, their higher-ups would not refuse him just for the sake of an insignificant sect like Fire Cloud Sect.
Meng Zhang's thoughts were correct, and the whole situation proceeded smoothly.
Daoist Master Firecloud hardly negotiated with Niu Dawei and accepted all the conditions he proposed, becoming a vassal of Taiyi Sect.
Jade Sword Sect had no intention of dealing with a small sect like Fire Cloud Sect, and with Taiyi Sect taking the lead, they were even less inclined to intervene in Fire Cloud Sect's affairs.
Now that Fire Cloud Sect had become a vassal of Taiyi Sect, Taiyi Sect would be responsible for guaranteeing and overseeing all of Fire Cloud Sect's actions.
With Taiyi Sect's control over its vassal sects, Fire Cloud Sect would likely be unable to escape their influence. Without Taiyi Sect's approval, they would not be able to continue colluding with the Dali Dynasty either.
After dealing with this matter, which took quite some time, Meng Zhang made some arrangements for his disciples and hurriedly headed to the frontline.
According to Meng Zhang's prior arrangements, most of the elite cultivators of Taiyi Sect would follow Jade Sword Sect's summons and be deployed in various directions.
With Meng Zhang's persuasion, the high-level members of Jade Sword Sect agreed to leave Niu Dawei, Taiyi Sect's Sect Master's senior disciple, to oversee everything in the sect.
Meng Zhang specifically instructed Niu Dawei that this upcoming all-out war with the Dali Dynasty was truly dangerous, and he could perish at any time. Niu Dawei must constantly monitor the situation at the frontline. If they received news of Jade Sword Sect's defeat, he must immediately put everything aside and organize the disciples to migrate towards Maple Leaf Mountain City.
The entire process needed to be swift and secretive, and Taiyi Sect's whereabouts must not be revealed under any circumstances.
At a critical moment, he must make decisive decisions and be willing to sacrifice everything irrelevant to ensure the safety of his disciples.
Niu Dawei had to make detailed plans in advance regarding how to arrange the migration of disciples and how to transport various supplies. If the worst-case scenario occurred, they must act immediately without any delay.
The disciples in charge of the rearguard must be reliable individuals, responsible for collecting the mother discs of the Mother-Child Transmission Discs once everyone had left through the transmission.
If necessary, they must destroy the mother discs to preserve Taiyi Sect's migration secrecy.
When facing Meng Zhang's arrangements for post-events, Niu Dawei felt a sense of reluctance.
However, there was no choice but to comply with Jade Sword Sect's summons, and Meng Zhang was determined to fight this battle.
Meng Zhang left Niu Dawei, the senior disciple of the Sect Master, behind just in case.
Niu Dawei, who had acted as the acting Sect Master for many years, was qualified enough to lead Taiyi Sect.
The elite disciples of Taiyi Sect, who were called for service, needed to travel to the frontline in batches using flying boats. Meng Zhang couldn't wait for them and flew alone towards the direction of Yellow Lotus Holy Mountain.
Yellow Lotus Holy Mountain was actually the collective name for a series of meandering, towering mountains that extended into the clouds.
In the entire Jiuqu League, no other mountain range could match the grandeur and magnificence of Yellow Lotus Holy Mountain.
The tallest and most majestic main peak of Yellow Lotus Holy Mountain, along with a long string of surrounding peaks, formed the core area of the holy mountain and the location of Yellow Lotus Sect's Main Altar.
The Hundred Grass Slope, Taiyi Sect's mountain gate, was tens of thousands of miles away from Yellow Lotus Holy Mountain. Meng Zhang rushed all the way, and it took him several days to reach his destination.
[Thanks for reading at .com/maxnkoga , if you supporting this novel, a heartfelt thankyou, enjoy the content!]