183: Chapter 183 Conflict Resolved, Alliance Reunited

Morning light washed over the eaves of the Council Hall, a pale golden halo flowing across the surface of the jade stele.

When the last ray of morning light climbed onto the Covenant Stele, Chen Wuwang still stood in place; the light pad in his palm had long since gone dark, yet his knuckles were still slightly clenched.

He didn't move or speak, simply watching the crowd below—some bowing their heads to take notes, some gathered in a circle arguing over shift schedules, and others transcribing lists onto the Family's Jade Slips one by one.

The hostility was gone from the air, but things hadn't reached a point of warmth yet.

The people of the Cangling Clan and Chiji Ridge sat back-to-back, separated by a three-step-wide gap, neither side sparing the other a single glance.

The young Elder from the Xuansha Tribe stood in the corner with his arms crossed; when his gaze swept over the Sand Clan representatives, he furrowed his brows and turned to leave.

Chen Wuwang's eye twitched slightly; he knew well that signing a document was one thing, but truly working side-by-side was another matter entirely.

He quietly closed his eyes, a faint, imperceptible stream of data flashing deep within his Mechanical Prosthetic Eye.

At midnight yesterday, the third heavenly secret instruction generated by the System surfaced in his mind: "Today at the third quarter of the Hour of the Dragon, the Eastern District Dispatch Station will exhibit abnormal psionic fluctuations."

It was about time.

He raised his hand and swiped, a holographic projection popping up in mid-air—the structural diagram of the Eastern District Dispatch Station slowly rotated, a red dot flashing and jumping at the location of an old shunt valve.

"Abnormal psionic fluctuations at the Eastern District Dispatch Station,"

He spoke, his voice neither high nor low, just enough to carry through the hall. "Mining Supervisors of the Cangling Clan and the Inspection Team of Chiji Ridge, proceed immediately for a joint investigation and submit a report within one hour."

As he spoke, the representatives of both clans looked up simultaneously.

The middle-aged man from the Cangling Clan stood up and flicked his cloak. "Perfect. I’ve been wanting to check if your Chiji Ridge has been skimming the energy quotas for the Southern Section Fortifications."

The female cultivator from Chiji Ridge sneered. "If you dare to come, don't be afraid of us finding out about your clan's illegal bypass connections from last year."

The two walked out of the hall one after the other, followed by their respective attendants, the atmosphere so tense it felt like water could be wrung from it.

Chen Wuwang didn't follow, nor did he say much; he only lightly tapped the tabletop twice, as if waiting for something.

Half an hour later, the Communication Jade Talisman vibrated.

"Head of the Chen Family," the Cangling Clan Mining Supervisor's voice sounded surprised. "It wasn't a manual fault. The aging of the Eastern District shunt valve caused a Spiritual Pressure imbalance. Two more hours, and the Southern Defense Line would have lost power."

"Handled?"

"We're fixing it. Chiji Ridge brought a spare valve core, and we... worked on it together."

His knuckles unconsciously tapped the table three times.

A moment later, a second message arrived: "Finished. While we were at it, we rerouted the power lines that were the subject of disputes three years ago. From now on, they’ll run separately without interfering with each other."

He put down the jade talisman, neither smiling nor saying anything, only gently placing the light pad in his hand beside the Covenant Stele—the movement was like a silent confirmation.

The afternoon sun grew brighter, and more people filled the Council Hall.

The Technical Sharing Pool opened for applications for the first time, and issues immediately boiled over.

The Xuansha Tribe Elder slammed a Jade Slip on the table. "Someone has to be able to decipher these Ancient Seal Script Documents, right?"

The Chiji Ridge female cultivator threw out a Beast-skin Scroll. "Borderland slang abbreviations—not many people understand those."

The old man from the Cangling Clan unfurled a Hand-drawn Chart. "How about we try to verify the text with diagrams?"

A cacophony of arguments broke out.

Chen Wuwang finally moved.

He walked to the center of the hall and tapped with his finger. The Family's AI core, the "Eastern Wasteland Intellectual Brain," activated. A standardized application template was instantly generated, and a multi-clan common scheduling algorithm was simultaneously pushed to all the representatives' Jade Slips.

"Unified format, interconnected data, and scheduling that automatically avoids conflicts," he said succinctly. "Whether to use it or not is up to you."

Having said that, he retreated to a pillar in the side corridor and stopped interfering.

After a few breaths of silence, the young Elder of the Xuansha Tribe was the first to respond: "I'll take the lead in establishing a Liaison Group! Each clan will send one person to handle unified coordination."

"I'll be responsible for proofreading!" the Chiji Ridge female cultivator raised her hand.

"This old man can serve as an arbiter," the Cangling Clan Elder stepped forward with his cane. "After all, I've lived long and seen many a mess."

A group of people gathered around the long table and began electing candidates for the Coordination Group.

Some suggested drawing lots, others advocated for ranking based on contributions; the debate was endless, but the tone no longer held the scent of gunpowder, instead carrying a long-lost sense of earnestness.

Chen Wuwang leaned against the pillar, watching quietly.

A faint blue light flickered in Chen Wuwang's right iris. Wherever his gaze swept, data streams of the crowd's micro-expressions unfolded frame by frame on his retinal projection.

Most people looked focused, either taking notes, debating, or laughing while clapping each other's shoulders.

But on the edge of the crowd, three figures appeared slightly unusual—one with wandering eyes, one unconsciously rubbing the edge of a Jade Slip, and another who remained at the junction of shadows, never participating in any discussion.

The three in the shadows froze simultaneously, the edges of their Jade Slips pressing crescent-shaped indentations into their fingertips.

Twilight gradually set in as the setting sun spilled through the high windows, bathing the entire Council Hall in warm gold.

Chen Wuwang slowly walked up to the high platform.

This time, he didn't stand in the center, but walked to the Covenant Stele and gently set down the light pad in his hand, placing it alongside the signed and sealed Jade Records.

The movement was light, yet it felt like the dropping of a stabilizing anchor.

He turned to face the hall, his gaze sweeping over every face—some familiar, some strange, some who had once glared at him, and some who had watched silently from the corners for years.

He suddenly smiled, his voice as low as if talking to himself: "In those arguments, there is no curve of flattery; in the strength of those shoulder-pats, there is no lingering scent of probing."

The crowd looked up at the sound.

He then raised his voice: "From today onwards, the ninth day of every month shall be the 'Joint Alliance Council Day.' I will no longer preside over it; the Elder on duty will have the final say."

There was a moment of silence.

"Ha!" the Chiji Ridge female cultivator was the first to laugh out loud. "Don't you regret it, Head of the Chen Family! We won't be as easy to talk to as you!"

"Exactly!" the Xuansha youth shouted. "Next time, I'm going to propose ten reform initiatives!"

The Cangling Clan Elder lightly tapped the ground with his cane. "Old rules: speeches are limited to three breaths; overtime means standing in punishment."

A burst of laughter erupted.

Even the most stubborn Elders shook their heads and laughed. Some slapped the table, while others tapped their Jade Slips together, betting on who would dare to be the first to challenge the presiding Elder next month.

Chen Wuwang stood on the high platform, draped in twilight, the smile on his face yet to fade.

He knew this fire had just been lit and might be extinguished by a single gust of wind.

He also knew some were still watching from the sidelines, and some hands were already quietly reaching into the shadows.

But he knew even better that at this moment, every argument, every pat on the shoulder, and every laughing curse in the hall was real.

They had begun to fight for themselves.

This was how an Alliance should be.

He took one last look around, his gaze passing over the busy figures and landing in the center of the crowd that had yet to disperse.

No one left.

No one was silent.

Everyone was talking, everyone was acting, and everyone was trying to turn this land into the shape they desired.