Looking back, he saw Xie Zuomiao already kneeling on one knee, swearing an oath to the heavens. For him, the humiliation suffered within the Earth Alliance had been too much, too much. Despite being the steward of the Tomb, when had he ever received the treatment befitting one? Even a minor demon from the Heavenly Savage City Lord’s manor, one of the lowest status and far weaker than him, could bully him to their heart's content. He had endured such days for far too long; he truly did not wish to continue living this way.

Although he didn't know Ye Jingyu very well, nor was he sure of his character, regardless, Ye Jingyu was still human. Pledging allegiance to a human was surely better than pledging it to a horde of demons, wasn't it?

Following Xie Zuomiao’s declaration, Hua Yusen, Teng Xiaoyan, Huo Yuanlei, and even Wang Yuxin, who had just opposed Ye Jingyu, all knelt down on one knee and made their solemn vows.

Don't be fooled by their high status in the Dark Alliance; their experiences were not much better than Xie Zuomiao’s. Rather than continuing to suffer such indignity, they might as well follow Ye Jingyu and fight a good battle.

Seeing the five great deacons all kneeling, everyone else present also dropped to one knee, uttering fierce oaths. Those who attended this meeting truly hoped for the Dark Alliance to become powerful; even if there was only a sliver of hope, they would not let it go.

Seeing the determination in their eyes, and recalling the humiliation they endured in the Earth Alliance, Ye Jingyu let out a heavy sigh.

“Since you all place such trust in me, I, Ye Jingyu, vow here today that as long as I draw breath, I will absolutely not fail you all!” At that moment, this vow sprang from the deepest part of his heart...

Hearing Ye Jingyu’s words, joy lit up everyone's faces. With such a powerhouse anchoring them, future matters would become much easier.

Everyone rose from the ground and returned to their seats. Ye Jingyu naturally took the foremost position. There was no lavish inauguration ceremony, nor any grand declaration; he simply ascended to the position of Dark Alliance Leader, becoming the master of the entire organization. When the Dark Alliance later became the largest underground force in the Celestial Realm, no one would believe that the induction ceremony for the first Dark Alliance Leader was this anticlimactic.

Through the detailed explanations from the five great deacons, Ye Jingyu gained a deeper understanding of the current state of the Dark Alliance. Although the Alliance was merely an empty shell, it had existed for many years, and this shell was surprisingly vast. The current membership numbered as many as a million, scattered across every corner of the Earth Alliance. While the majority merely held nominal titles and rarely involved themselves in Alliance affairs, they could certainly be relied upon to provide information if asked.

Thus, Ye Jingyu effectively held in his hands a powerful intelligence network, and intelligence was precisely what he needed most right now.

After discussing matters with the five deacons for a while, Ye Jingyu decided that the first order of business was restructuring the Alliance's discipline. Those members merely carrying the Dark Alliance name without doing any work would be set aside for the moment. However, those members who had consistently traveled far and wide working for the Alliance’s interests absolutely required the establishment of clear regulations. Without rules, nothing can be accomplished—let alone for an organization.

Of course, enforcing discipline required a strong military force. In Ye Jingyu’s plan, the five great deacons were to select a group of talented members whom he would personally instruct in cultivation techniques. He needed the Dark Alliance to exude vibrant life; relying on him, the Leader, was insufficient. They needed their own core strength. Only by becoming intrinsically powerful would more people willingly join the Dark Alliance.

In Ye Jingyu’s vision, the Dark Alliance would become a secret force under his control. Since it was his asset, it needed careful forging.

Upon hearing that Ye Jingyu would personally impart cultivation methods, everyone was delighted. After all, Ye Jingyu was a Zhou-tier expert; the techniques he taught could hardly be subpar.

Aside from building a formidable armed force, the Dark Alliance also needed its own economic foundation. No organization could sustain itself without funds. Not everyone possessed the resolve of Xie Zuomiao and the others; often, profit was what they pursued. As long as sufficient rewards were offered, few could resist temptation.

None of this could be achieved overnight. After deliberating for more than two days, Ye Jingyu and the others finally formulated a grand strategy. Ye Jingyu instructed the five great deacons to begin selecting trustworthy and talented members, while he, accompanied by Ni Bo and the others, returned to his own base. He intended to use the power he already commanded to secure the Dark Alliance's first substantial capital.

In a hostile territory like the Earth Alliance, the simplest, most direct, and most effective way to amass initial wealth was through plunder.

On the morning of the third day, the sun hung high in the sky, casting comfortable golden rays upon everything. Ye Jingyu was already standing in the training grounds of the Blood Demon Legion's encampment.

Wu, Yue, and Yan, the three Zhou-tier experts, led their respective troops scattered across the field. Eager to secure a Purple Crystal Stone, these demons were rigorously punctual. Nearly twenty thousand members of the Fury Demon Legion were present, but where were Kuang, the commander of the Fury Legion, and his five thousand personal guards?

Had that wretch taken a soccer-ball-sized Purple Crystal Stone and fled into the night?

Seeing this scene, Ye Jingyu's expression darkened. He detested betrayal the most. I beat him up, yes, but I also compensated him with such a massive Purple Crystal Stone—did he truly betray me like this?

Just as Ye Jingyu was about to issue orders to find Kuang at any cost, the urgent sound of hooves suddenly echoed from a distance. Ye Jingyu turned his gaze westward, where a massive cloud of dust was churning up. A group of Fury Demons riding Tyrannosaurus Lizards sped toward them. As they drew closer, Ye Jingyu saw that every single one of these Fury Demons was injured, and their mounts were equally battered, clearly emerging from a fierce battle.

The one leading them was not Kuang, but one of Kuang’s lieutenants, Hou.

When Hou spotted Ye Jingyu, clad in black, standing in the center of the field, his entire body launched from his mount. However, perhaps due to severe injury, he failed to stabilize himself and slammed directly into the ground before Ye Jingyu. His body was immensely heavy, carving a deep crater into the earth. Yet, he was covered in wounds, and the impact caused his unhealed gashes to split open anew. Dark golden blood erupted like a spring, but he seemed oblivious, scrambling to his feet and shouting toward Ye Jingyu, “My Lord, save us! Lord Kuang and the others... they are close to collapse...”

“Hm?” The entire assembly gasped at these words...

(Ahem, power is built step by step, brothers. You need patience when reading! Don't rush, don't rush. If you rush, I might rush my writing too! Rushing leads to sloppy work, and I, Xingchen, cannot repeat past mistakes! Otherwise, I’d be letting everyone down! Hey, three chapters delivered—please offer lots of support!)D