Chapter 365: Chapter 365: Yang Yan Alliance
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the voice, Xiao Yan and the others immediately looked toward the door—and were overjoyed. They all stood up at once.
"Brother Wei!"
"Wei Yang!"
Wei Yang stepped in through the doorway, smiling and nodding. "So you’re all here."
Everyone greeted him warmly with big smiles, then they all sat back down together.
"Haha, I was just talking about you earlier—wondering what took you so long to come back!" Hai Bodong laughed heartily.
Xiao Yan and his two brothers also smiled as they looked at Wei Yang.
Wei Yang’s return was like a huge weight lifted off their chests. The tension that had been pressing down on them vanished in an instant—it felt like they’d just taken a calming pill.
Even if Wei Yang didn’t do a single thing, just knowing he was around brought a strong sense of reassurance.
Seated comfortably in a chair, Wei Yang swept his gaze over the group and asked with a light smile, "You were just discussing the formation of a new faction?"
"That’s right," Hai Bodong nodded. "All of our clans have talked it over, and nobody raised any objections. The only group left is the Alchemist Association. But that old man Fa Ma insisted on waiting until you returned to give your approval."
At this, Hai Bodong looked at Wei Yang with slight nervousness and asked, "Wei Yang, what’s your opinion on this?"
Wei Yang let out a helpless laugh and shook his head. "Stuff like this—you guys can handle it. I obviously have no objections."
Upon hearing that, Hai Bodong’s expression brightened. He clapped his hands and said excitedly, "With your approval, our alliance is officially a done deal!"
"Since we’re all in agreement," said Xiao Ding, who sat in his wheelchair with a warm smile, "What should we name our alliance?"
"Name?" Everyone turned their eyes toward Wei Yang.
Wei Yang blinked, a bit stunned. "Why are you all looking at me? This kind of thing—just decide it yourselves. I’m really not good at naming stuff."
"Uh..." Hai Bodong and the others were briefly stunned. Then they all turned to look at Xiao Yan.
"Ahem." Xiao Yan cleared his throat. "Naming things... isn’t really my strong suit either."
Wei Yang rolled his eyes. At least the kid is self-aware for once.
Seeing this, Xiao Ding, Xiao Li, and Hai Bodong couldn’t help but laugh awkwardly.
They hadn’t expected that the two most important figures in this alliance would both push away the responsibility like that, acting like hands-off bosses.
So, with no other choice, Hai Bodong and the others began brainstorming the name themselves.
"Well, since we’re forming an alliance, the name should definitely include the word ’Alliance’," Xiao Ding said after thinking for a while. "How about we call it... Yang Yan Alliance?"
Originally, Xiao Ding had considered naming it just Yan Alliance, but after thinking about it more, he felt it didn’t sound quite right.
After all, Xiao Yan’s name included the character "Yan" (炎), and naming the entire alliance after it would seem a bit too focused on him. So he added the character "Yang" (阳) to balance it out.
"Yang Yan Alliance..." Hai Bodong stroked his beard and repeated the name thoughtfully. "Wei Yang and Xiao Yan—Yang and Yan?"
He nodded. "That’s a solid name. I’m in favor."
Xiao Li, sitting to the side, also nodded in agreement.
And then, all three turned to look at Wei Yang and Xiao Yan.
Wei Yang shrugged. "I’m fine with anything."
Xiao Yan casually nodded as well. "No problem."
"In that case, it’s settled!" Hai Bodong declared. "Our new faction will be called the Yang Yan Alliance!"
And just like that, the decision was finalized on the spot.
There was no need to consult with the imperial family, the Alchemist Association, or even the Mu or Nalan Clans.
As long as Wei Yang and Xiao Yan had no objections—no one else would dare voice one either.
After the matter of the alliance’s name was settled, Hai Bodong finally relaxed completely. Smiling, he picked up a cup of tea and took a slow sip.
This whole discussion—at its core—was just to get Wei Yang on board.
Before Wei Yang gave his actual approval, none of them felt truly at ease. There was always a lingering sense of uncertainty.
But now that Wei Yang had nodded, this newly-formed faction had its strongest backing.
"Old Hai, you mentioned something earlier about a Great Meeting of Factions?" Xiao Yan asked curiously. He had never heard of such an event before.
Xiao Ding and Xiao Li also looked toward Hai Bodong.
"Our Jia Ma Empire is located in the Northwestern Region of the continent," Hai Bodong said with a smile as he set down his teacup.
"And within this vast region, there are close to a hundred countries of various sizes. Jia Ma Empire is just one of them."
Everyone nodded lightly, focusing intently.
"In each of these countries, there are always some fairly strong sect powers. Altogether, they number in the hundreds—perhaps even more."
Hai Bodong continued, "This so-called Great Meeting of Factions is organized by some of the most powerful forces in the Northwestern Region. As for the purpose... let’s just say, it’s not entirely noble."
"They’re basically a bunch of ambitious folks who want to unify all the sects in the Northwestern and become a dominant force capable of contending with the top-tier powers of the continent."
Hearing that, Wei Yang and Xiao Yan exchanged glances—but neither spoke.
"Tch~" came a slightly amused voice from within their hearts. It was Yao Lao, clearly snorting in disbelief.
"Of course," Hai Bodong added with a smirk, "None of those ambitions have ever been fulfilled. The Northwestern is simply too vast, filled with too many powers and too many tangled relationships. So to this day, no single overlord has ever emerged. At best, it’s just a standoff between many strong forces."
"Mind you—those ’strong forces’ don’t include Yun Lan Sect. With Yun Lan’s strength, it could only be ranked as second-rate within the northwest region."
Hai Bodong paused for a moment before continuing with a chuckle, "Though, that was Yun Lan’s status back when Yun Shan wasn’t active. After his return, Yun Lan Sect’s strength skyrocketed over the past few years. If it hadn’t been destroyed, they might’ve barely squeezed into the first-rate category by now."
"Had they survived to participate in the next Great Meeting of Factions, I imagine they could’ve finally shut a few mouths. But now... Yun Lan Sect is no more."
Hearing all this, the Xiao brothers were visibly astonished.
They had never expected that Yun Lan Sect—which once loomed over the Jia Ma Empire like a mountain—was actually considered so minor in the greater Northwestern. Barely second-rate.
"Then, in our Northwestern Region... which sect is the strongest?" Xiao Ding asked with curiosity.
"The strongest, huh..." Hai Bodong stroked his beard and mused, "If nothing has changed, it should still be the Heavenly Serpent Mansion."
"Heavenly Serpent Mansion?" The Xiao brothers froze for a moment—they had never heard of the name before.
But Wei Yang’s brow twitched slightly.
Heavenly Serpent Mansion...
Because of Qing Lin, he had been intentionally avoiding them. Even back in the Black-Corner Region, besides evading the people from Soul Hall, he had also kept his distance from the Heavenly Serpent Mansion.
"That Heavenly Serpent Mansion is a true first-rate power in the Northwestern," Hai Bodong explained. "Their strength far surpasses Yun Lan Sect."
"They even nearly won control of the entire Northwestern during one of the past Great Meeting of Factions, almost becoming its supreme overlord."
"It’s rumored that the Heavenly Serpent Mansion still has an ancestor alive—a legendary Dou Zun expert. But it’s just a rumor, unconfirmed."
Hai Bodong shook his head in awe as he spoke.
"A Dou Zun in the Heavenly Serpent Mansion!?" The Xiao brothers’ expressions turned serious.
"It’s hard to say. Like I said, it’s just a rumor, and no one’s seen him in many years. If he does exist, he’s probably near the end of his lifespan and has been in closed-door seclusion for ages, unlikely to appear easily," Hai Bodong replied.
"But even so, just the possibility of a Dou Zun is enough to deter most would-be enemies. That’s how terrifying a Dou Zun’s reputation is."
"Mm." Xiao Yan nodded solemnly.
Just the title of Dou Zun alone was enough to intimidate countless ambitious factions for years.
That’s what it meant... to be called Zun—"Venerable"!
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