Night of Despair

Chapter 361 - 361 359 eruption five

?Chapter 361: 359 eruption five Chapter 361: 359 eruption five “Three: Evil Spirit.”

“The initial discovery of the Evil Spirit originated from the Mountain Manor visited by Zheng Ying. The most distinctive feature of this level of Spirit Disaster is the Spiritual Domain. An Evil Spirit can twist reality with Spiritual Fluctuations, creating a special and mysterious space. It drags living beings from the outside into it. Within the Spiritual Domain, one might encounter rules of murder far surpassing the number of Yin Spirits, with danger and traps at every turn. A moment of carelessness can lead to instant death. And to exit the Spiritual Domain, one must satisfy certain hidden rules; otherwise, one would sink within it forever, until killed by the rules of murder.”

“This summary of the three types is what I’ve compiled from all the surrounding case data. I hope everyone takes it seriously.”

Yu Hong said, “Another thing I must remind everyone of is the highly explosive nature of the Spirit Disaster’s rules. This means that even the lowest-level Ghost Body, once its conditions for the rules of murder are met, can unleash a terrifying force far beyond its normal state, in an attempt to strangle you.”

“In other words, once you trigger the rules of murder, you’re likely doomed.”

“Temple Master, I remember… the Ancient Books also mentioned that there should be another layer of Spirit Disaster, the Demon Spirit, which can twist reality on a large scale and create massive Spiritual Domains…” Zheng Ying, who had just come in from the back, said solemnly.

“If we encounter this level of creature, covering the areas we live in and dragging everyone into the Spiritual Domain, what should we do then?”

“Fear not… I’ve also considered this possibility, hence… to deal with this potential danger, I’ve decided…” Yu Hong looked around at everyone and paused.

“To convene the first ever Spirit Light Conference in Taizhou City!”

At this statement, a look of hope immediately appeared on the faces of those who guessed what the Spirit Light Conference meant.

“Right, if we could merge with the Spirit Light again, everyone would gain stronger protection. Even with the turmoil of a Spirit Disaster, our group here could hold our ground.”

Cheng Shu perked up and nodded.

“Besides this, we need to fight for more support from the Taoist Sect; the stronger the force against Spirit Disasters, the better. We also need to find a way to communicate with the Seven Evil Alliance; we can’t let them continue causing trouble like this.” Yu Hong sighed.

“We’ve already contacted the Heavenly Master Mansion. After spending a considerable sum, we finally reached two servants of Left Heavenly Master. As you, Zheng Ying, instructed, we delivered a letter of persuasion. But now… it’s been two days without any news. I suspect there is too much information being sent, and the Heavenly Master hasn’t taken notice.” Yu Mo shook her head.

“What about the Seven Evil Alliance?” Yu Hong looked toward the door.

For a moment, no one knew who he was asking.

But soon.

A blurry figure suddenly appeared at the door of the room, startling everyone.

So many experts in Daoist Skills, yet not one had detected the approach of this person.

This was simply…

If this person had malicious intentions, it’s feared that in just that instant, he could have wiped out the entire high-level of Qingchen Temple.

Yu Hen and the others, thinking of this, felt a chill sweat on their backs.

But soon, they recognized the person.

It was the mysterious expert, Mr. Qing, who had come in time to support them last time and rescued them from the Spiritual Domain.

“Alliance Hierarch, I’m sorry… I tried to persuade them, but…” Qing Huang still wore his mask, looking helplessly towards Yu Hong, bowing his head.

“What is the Seven Evils’ opinion?” Yu Hong asked.

“I didn’t see everyone; in the short term, I only found three and tried to persuade them, but no one cared. Then I went to find the Vice Alliance Hierarch and left a message outside his retreat, but got no response.” Qing Huang shook his head, “I believe, instead of seeking approval from the Seven Evil Alliance, it’s better to first rally the medium and small Magician groups. These groups are naturally receptive to Spirit Light Secret Skills and progress quickly in cultivation. They are also the largest group directly affected by the Spirit Disasters. The forces previously destroyed by the Spirit Disasters were also mostly medium and small groups.”

“That’s a good suggestion.” Yu Hong nodded, “Yasong has a broad territory with many Magicians. Excluding the Nine Sects, how many are worth rallying, do you have a plan?”

“I’ve prepared some, and already have a rough plan.” Qing Huang nodded, having now eliminated several of his old enemies, his status within the Seven Evil Alliance had risen, tasting the spoils, he now couldn’t wait for the Spirit Light to get stronger.

Thus, he was the most active in promoting this cause, as for whether he believed the Source Disaster would end the world, that is a matter of perspective.

In any case, this excuse would allow him to use the Spirit Light Secret Skill to absorb all medium and small Magician groups.

Even if danger arose, Yu Hong would be in front, so he wasn’t the least bit worried.

“But such a grand action will surely attract the attention of the Taoist Sect and the Seven Evil Alliance… with our current strength…” Yu Hen couldn’t help but voice his doubts.

“As long as we can find enough experts and gather strong enough forces, I’ll handle that.” Yu Hong said.

In critical times, whoever tries to stop him would become his enemy.

Whether the Taoist Sect or the Seven Evil Alliance, he wouldn’t mind truly employing his full strength in a clash when the time came.

Up until now, since arriving in this world, he had never fully unleashed his power in battle.

One reason was a lack of necessity.

The second was the absence of a worthy opponent; the destructiveness he could cause at full strength was just too great.

When he fought against the Black Giant, in just over ten minutes, nearly half of a small city was almost destroyed.

Not to mention now that his Power has grown even stronger.

“We trust in that, with the enhancement of Spirit Light, the strength of our Alliance Hierarch definitely far exceeds our imagination,” Qing Huang nodded, “But… if the Alliance Hierarch is detained and trouble arises elsewhere, how should we deal with it? After all, whether it’s the Taoist Sect, the Seven Evil Alliance, or the Spirit Disasters, none of them are in a one-on-one duel.”

“So, do you have any suggestions?” Yu Hong, organizing such a vast force for the first time and with little experience, took the initiative to seek advice.

“My suggestion is, first, we must appoint one to three Vice Alliance Hierarchs to handle various situations when the Alliance Hierarch is unavailable. Choosing one or three individuals will facilitate unifying the decision-making power at critical moments. Either a sole decision-maker or a vote among three would be feasible.” Qing Huang clearly had his proposals prepared in advance and responded swiftly.

“Next, we should establish a tiered system. Within the Mutual Aid Alliance, the high-level experts’ strengths are not clearly distinguished. We must establish specific boundaries to differentiate the experts from ordinary skilled individuals and common Magicians, to prevent the misallocation of sending common Magicians to deal with high-risk Spirit Disasters. It is crucial to match strong hands against high risks to prevent ineffective damage.”

“This makes sense,” nodded Yu Hong. “But while your suggestions are good, we still have too few masters within the Mutual Aid Alliance…”

“This requires recruiting more powerful Magicians to join,” said Qing Huang earnestly.

“Do you have targets in mind?” Yu Hong’s eyes lit up.

“I have this list.” Qing Huang skillfully pulled out a document from his sleeve and handed it over.

He couldn’t see through Yu Hong, but now, having noticed the rapid increase in the strength of Spirit Light, he had clearly placed all his bets on the side of the Mutual Aid Alliance.

Yu Hong took it and casually flipped through it.

The document clearly listed all the Magician experts deemed worthy by Qing Huang from five different factions: Taoist Sect, Buddhist Sect, Seven Evil Alliance, officials, and civilians.

“The experts I’ve listed here are of the same caliber as me, even stronger than what I was before. They are few in number, but each is exceedingly powerful. With the current boost from Spirit Light, they would undoubtedly have significant effectiveness in actual combat,” Qing Huang asserted earnestly.

“I have another suggestion,” suddenly interjected Yu Shan, an old Daoist who had just arrived. “Since your Spirit Light Secret Skills are so potent, there will inevitably be those who master the secret technique but aren’t willing to rush to the front lines to combat Spirit Disasters once it is widely dispersed. How will you handle this situation? You must realize that if such individuals become numerous, it will definitely dampen the morale of the front lines, as no one wants to fight to the death while others safely reap the benefits without risks.”

“That’s an excellent question.” Qing Huang clapped his hands and laughed. “I too had concerns in this area. Even if the Alliance Hierarch can threaten to withdraw Spirit Light to compel such people to act, in reality, it isn’t very effective. Their complacency might even lead to more dangerous crises.”

Yu Hong nodded and began to reflect on how Hope City had resolved this issue.

Suddenly, an idea flashed through his mind.

Everyone in the world is driven by self-interest; irrespective of their nature, individuals will always be motivated by personal gain.

So…

“I understand now. We can use an incentive mechanism to divide contributions into levels. The more one contributes, the more Spirit Light and benefits one will receive, and naturally, the more powerful one will become,” Yu Hong spoke up.

“Until now, the distribution of Spirit Light has been even, but I can change that to an unequal distribution in the future. Give more to those with strong contributions, less to those with weak contributions, withhold from those without contributions, and for those causing reverse damage, deprive them of some Spirit Light based on the severity.”

“This is a good point!”

All in agreement, they nodded their heads.

Then they began to discuss the details of the organizational structure, each pitching in.

But while everyone was engrossed in the heated discussion, Qing Huang, who had initiated the conversation, harbored other thoughts.

He quietly leaned against the wall, gradually shifting from posing questions and offering suggestions to listening to others.

Seizing the spare moments, he observed Yu Hong, deeply engrossed in thought, several times, finally confirming a suspicion he had.

‘Indeed…’

Qing Huang was certain in his heart.

‘Zheng Ying doesn’t care at all about the top Magician experts listed on my document. The core of any well-established organization is the leader and the dominant figures in the suppression structure.

The core of the Mutual Aid Alliance is Zheng Ying himself. Once he is defeated or killed, the entire Alliance would collapse instantly.’

‘Yet… Zheng Ying appears entirely unconcerned with this problem; instead, he is discussing various organizational details with everyone. His ability to settle his mind and devote time and energy to these details indicates…’

A faint gleam flashed in Qing Huang’s eyes.

‘He has absolute confidence.’

‘Confidence that he will never be defeated!’

‘Even when facing the Seven Evil Alliance and the Taoist Sect, he maintains such composure and self-assurance. As expected… Zheng Ying, before joining the Qingchen Temple, could not have possibly been just an ordinary person!’

By this time, the group had essentially outlined the framework of the Mutual Aid Alliance.

Yu Hong would serve as the Alliance Hierarch, with three Vice Alliance Hierarchs responsible for taking over the Hierarch’s duties at crucial moments and managing the organization’s day-to-day operations.

The Vice Alliance Hierarchs need not possess great strength, but they must have a strong ability to operate the organization.

Next topic was the Alliance’s combat force.

The administrative and combat operations were to be separated.

The combat level system, as mentioned by Yu Hong, ranged from low to high: Enhanced Level One to Nine, followed by Evil Level, War Level, Nightmare Level, and Despair Level.

The first nine levels indicate situations that can be resolved with conventional firearms and weaponry. The Evil Level is a higher tier, essentially the limit that an ordinary Magician can reach.

As for the War Level, it corresponds to the Temple Master Level. The higher Nightmare Level and Despair Level are as of yet just names, to be determined after actual contact.

Clearly, Yu Hong had directly adopted the classification system from Hope City.