Only after unifying the world did I realize that immortals existed in this world.

Seeing that he remained silent, Ning Boxing smiled smugly and turned to Xie Cangrong: "Your Majesty, even ghosts and gods fear me!"

"Whatever they may be, if any foreign race dares to invade my Great Xia, this humble general is willing to be the vanguard, and take their head amidst ten thousand troops!"

"Boxing!"

However, the smug Ning Boxing was glared at by Xie Cangrong: "How many times have I told you? Drinking will ruin everything!"

"To behave improperly before the palace is utterly disrespectful!"

Ning Boxing wasn't annoyed by the Emperor's reprimand; he just chuckled and scratched the back of his head: "Your Majesty, I feel more energetic after drinking!"

This drew laughter from the military officers' side.

The generals on the Great Xia side were laughing and joking, and the atmosphere was harmonious.

Lu Junfeng was in an awkward position.

Xie Cangrong then turned to look at Lu Feng, whose face was stiff, and said with a smile, "My general is a fool, and I hope the envoy will forgive my rudeness."

Lu Junfeng simply chuckled dryly, "General, your bravery and imposing presence are truly admirable. However, Your Majesty, the demonic cultivators and monsters are far more ferocious than ordinary people could imagine; it's really..."

"Your Majesty, only the strong survive."

Before he could finish speaking, another general spoke up from the side of the military commander.

"The Immortal Alliance is not responsible to our dynasty, but we will take full responsibility for ourselves."

His appearance wasn't as menacing as Ning Boxin's, enough to frighten children. Instead, he was quite handsome, with a refined and scholarly air about him. He raised his wine cup and gestured towards Lu Junfeng and the other cultivators: "Envoy, our Great Xia has always been known for its unyielding spirit, and we fear no invading enemy."

After saying this, he drank the wine in his cup in one gulp.

Meeting the other's gaze, one felt an invisible force surging towards them in waves, continuous and unending. This person's aura was even more imposing than that of the flamboyant Ning Boxin.

With the two generals taking turns serving him, Lu Junfeng was starting to feel overwhelmed and was speechless for a moment.

The atmosphere became tense.

Xie Cangrong picked up his wine cup, drank the wine in one gulp, and then said to Lu Junfeng, "As the envoy has seen, our soldiers are fierce and confident, and unwilling to be subservient to others. Moreover, there are no demons lurking within our borders, so please allow us to deal with this on our own for now."

Xie Cangrong took a roundabout approach, negating the so-called benefits the Immortal Alliance could offer in their cooperation by pointing to the Immortal Alliance's failure to meet its protection requirements and the opposition from his subordinates.

In other words, the Great Xia Dynasty currently has no need for the Immortal Alliance's protection and is self-sufficient. Don't use this so-called protection as a bargaining chip; don't try to get something for nothing. If you want to cooperate, you'll have to pay a much higher price.

Xie Cangrong was well aware of one thing: his Great Xia possessed qualities that attracted the Immortal Alliance, and they would not give up the opportunity to cooperate with him. He held the power of national destiny in his hands, and Great Xia was not to be trifled with. Although on the defensive, he had the right to sit at the table and negotiate.

Whoever takes the initiative is the one who is anxious.

Anyway, Da Xia isn't in a hurry, or rather, Xie Cangrong won't let others know that he is in a hurry.

Xie Cangrong looked at Lu Junfeng with a smile: "If that day ever comes and our dynasty is in dire straits, surely the righteous sects of the Immortal Alliance, who take it upon themselves to save the world, wouldn't stand idly by!"

"Forehead……"

Lu Junfeng's lips twitched, feeling as if he had swallowed a fly: "Of course."

Xie Cangrong downed his wine and laughed, "Truly worthy of being called a righteous immortal sect, worthy of admiration!"

This negotiation was a complete disaster.

This means that Xie Cangrong received the protection of the Immortal Alliance for free without paying anything in return.

Lu Junfeng drank the wine, maintaining a composed demeanor on the surface, but his heart sank to the bottom.

The banquet continued, but the fine wine and beautiful music lost their flavor.

He hasn't figured out the next step yet.

At this moment, Liu Bingxuan raised his cup to toast them and smiled, saying, "Since the envoy comes from a sacred sect of immortals, transcending worldly affairs and able to control a floating vessel, he must possess extraordinary power and magical abilities of the immortal sect. I wonder if he could introduce some of these to us mortals?"

"To be frank, Your Majesty, there are always some scoundrels in our country who use magic tricks to deceive the emperor and mislead the nation. Today, Your Majesty was even impeached by the remonstrating officials because of you all."

Liu Bingxuan removed Xie Cangrong from the list, but still expressed the doubts of the ministers about these cultivators.

Upon hearing Liu Bingxuan's words, the expressions of the several cultivators turned somewhat unpleasant.

They could easily tell from the implication that the other party suspected them and implied that they needed to take steps to prove their identity.

They are cultivators, possessing magical powers, yet they are now suspected by a group of mortals of being charlatans and fraudsters. How insulting!

The disciple who had just been rebuked by Ning Boxin couldn't contain himself any longer. He slammed his hand on the table, stood up abruptly, and said angrily, "If His Majesty is unwilling to join my Immortal Alliance and is so wary, then he has no need to trust us! So what if we are liars?!"

Since entering the sect to cultivate, when has he ever suffered such humiliation as a mortal?

Ning Boxing seemed to sober up completely; his eyes widened like copper bells, and he roared, "How dare you!"

Lu Junfeng quickly put down his cup, glanced at his junior brother, and hissed, "Shi Yu!"

"sit down!"

"Senior brother..."

Shi Yu was scolded by his senior brother. He gritted his teeth and reluctantly sat back down.

Liu Bingxuan frowned slightly, and before Lu Junfeng could apologize, he questioned, "Envoy, it is our duty as subjects to have doubts. His Majesty overruled objections to welcome you all and has not treated you unfairly in the slightest. Yet your junior brother points the finger directly at my lord; is that not impolite?"

The opposing team is a group of shrewd people, while our side is a bunch of pigs.

Lu Junfeng felt somewhat powerless.

His junior brother didn't seem to understand one thing...

They are currently the weaker party, and it is they who are more eager to cooperate with Great Xia. They bear the mission of their sect and the Immortal Alliance, and have found this land of abundant resources and outstanding people. Their goal is to bring Great Xia under the wing of the Immortal Alliance, no matter what.

Having such a strong rear base with abundant spiritual energy and talented people would be a qualitative leap for both the Taihua Sect and the Immortal Alliance.

They cannot make the other party's demands on their own; they can ask an elder with higher authority to discuss it later. However, if they offend the other party with their words, creating obstacles for the future, then that would be their fault.

Besides, they can't even find their way home, so what right do they have to be so arrogant?

He suppressed his emotions, raised his cup, and bowed, full of humility and remorse: "My junior brother is impetuous and has offended His Majesty. I will punish myself with a cup and humbly beg Your Majesty's forgiveness."

"It's alright~"

Xie Cangrong's expression remained warm and approachable, but no one could discern the turmoil within his heart.

He wasn't without demands of these cultivators; by being reasonable and forgiving, he could seize the initiative and push forward.

He smiled and steered the conversation back on track: "The envoy has not yet explained to my ministers what supernatural powers and magic you all practice, or what extraordinary strength you possess?"

Lu Junfeng replied, "Your Majesty, the path of cultivation lies in transcending the mundane, comprehending the mysteries of heaven and earth, and reaching the pinnacle of cultivation to unite with the Great Dao, attaining longevity, the ability to move mountains and fill seas, and becoming omnipotent..."

"As for magical arts and supernatural powers, they encompass everything. As long as one has the knack for cultivation, they can be infinitely varied and anything is possible. One can manipulate the five elements, summon rain and thunder, ride the wind, and change size at will..."