Chapter 97: Acting Leader of the Hundred Flowers Alliance?

The thought of soon being confessed to by Meng Qingwan made Xiang Nan turn around, his face filled with sorrow as he looked at her.

“Qingwan, you’re a good person, but if I agree to you, what about Xiaoya, Su Yao, and the others? I can’t just leave them.”

“You don’t have to leave them. I’m here, and you don’t need to return to my hometown. You can still live with Xiaoya and Yao Yao.”

“Hmm? I didn’t expect you to be so open-minded.”

“Yes, don’t worry, I won’t tie you down. There are fewer than fifty disciples left in the Hundred Flowers Alliance now. I’ve already sent word for them all to come to the capital.”

“The Hundred Flowers Alliance disciples? Hey, what exactly are you telling me?”

“I’m talking about you becoming the acting leader of the Hundred Flowers Alliance. What else do you think I mean?”

“Ah? Acting leader of the Hundred Flowers Alliance?” Xiang Nan’s eyes widened in surprise.

“You already know about the Hundred Flowers Alliance. Ever since my master went to the Earth Abyss, there’s been no news—no one knows if he’s alive or dead. After that incident, my senior sister died as well, leaving the alliance in complete disarray. They want me to become the Sacred Maiden and continue managing the alliance. But I’ve never done anything like this before. If the Hundred Flowers Alliance doesn’t have strong leadership now, it will surely fall apart.”

Meng Qingwan looked at Xiang Nan earnestly and continued, “You are the young master of the Eagle Alliance, experienced in these matters, and most importantly, I trust you. You can revive the Hundred Flowers Alliance.”

Xiang Nan smiled wryly and sat back down on the stone. “You really think highly of me. I’m already wrapped up in so much trouble myself. I don’t even know how many underground factions are scheming against me.”

“But none of them have succeeded, right? You always manage to turn danger into safety,” Meng Qingwan said, blinking her big eyes, her gaze gentle and pleading.

“You really believe in me that much?” Xiang Nan felt a flicker of hope.

He was already the target of many enemies. Even if the Lone Wolf managed to ‘debunk’ that video, many would still act on the principle of ‘better safe than sorry’ and come after him.

Running away was never a solution.

Xiang Nan would never run.

With his system and the innate treasure Taiji Diagram, what was there to fear?

Never mind the small Hundred Flowers Alliance—one day, he’d unify all seven alliances of Jiuzhou. Then he could finally indulge in being the Supreme Leader.

“Alright, for your sake, I’ll take on this responsibility.”

“Really?!” Meng Qingwan’s face lit up with joy, unsure how to contain her happiness.

“I’ll send a notice to the Hundred Flowers Alliance disciples right away to prepare for the inauguration ceremony of the new leader.”

“Does it have to be that grand?”

“Absolutely!”

Xiang Nan let out a relaxed breath, feeling refreshed.

“Oh, by the way, I just saw you—you were drawing energy into your body, absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth?” Meng Qingwan suddenly asked.

Xiang Nan was slightly stunned. “You noticed? Aren’t you only a third-rank cultivator? Can you also draw energy into your body?”

Normally, it required a fourth-rank practitioner—someone from the ancestral return era’s Qi cultivators—to truly draw energy into the body.

There were exceptions, of course. Schools like the Lingwu Academy would teach third-rank warriors to draw energy early to prepare their bodies for the fourth-rank ancestral return.

He had once asked his teacher to learn it early but was flatly refused. Only students who reached third rank could learn to draw energy; otherwise, they risked internal combustion or demonic possession.

He had even tried to persuade Principal Sun but got the usual answer, sugarcoated as “It’s for your own good!”

Xiang Nan could only resign himself and work to level up quickly.

“I... have just begun to grasp it. My master taught me before,” Meng Qingwan said modestly.

Xiang Nan knew she was being humble. The fact she could sense spiritual energy flowing was already impressive.

“You know how to draw energy? Great, then teach me.”

Xiang Nan became interested. He had always relied on the Serenity Chant to absorb spiritual energy, but it was a cultivation method of the demon race. He hadn’t tried the human method of drawing energy.

“But didn’t you just...” Meng Qingwan was confused again—he had been absorbing spiritual energy in large amounts, so why pretend he didn’t know and want her to teach him?

“That was just me accidentally stirring the spiritual energy, not true energy absorption. Come on, teach me.”

Xiang Nan had to bluff; the spiritual energy in his brow was a secret that couldn’t be revealed.

He stood and pulled Meng Qingwan over to sit with him on the big stone.

“All right, then!”

Meng Qingwan proceeded to explain in detail how to open the energy sea in the dantian, how to sense spiritual energy, and finally how to draw energy into the body.

She even shared her own spiritual energy with Xiang Nan to help him open his energy sea more quickly.

Amidst the forest, dappled shadows flickered, birds sang, and flowers blossomed.

The afternoon passed swiftly.

Though Xiang Nan had not yet opened an energy sea in his dantian, he could feel the spiritual energy lingering briefly in his abdomen.

This was a very good sign; with continued effort, he would definitely open his energy sea.

Beside him, Meng Qingwan had spent the entire afternoon depleting her already limited spiritual energy to help him.

Now, her face was weary, even turning pale.

“Are you all right? Silly girl, why did you give me all your spiritual energy when you barely have any?” Xiang Nan’s tone held both reproach and concern.

“Only this way can you open your energy sea faster. You’re the young master of the Eagle Alliance and the acting leader of the Hundred Flowers Alliance. The stronger you are, the better the Hundred Flowers Alliance can survive. Besides... I really worry about you,” Meng Qingwan said weakly, but every word came from the heart. As she spoke the last sentence, a faint blush appeared on her pale face.

“Don’t worry. As long as I’m here, the Hundred Flowers Alliance will never fall!” Xiang Nan promised her.

Seeing the sweat beading on her forehead, Xiang Nan retrieved a Rebirth Pill from his system and handed it to her.

“This little pill won’t restore your spiritual energy, but it helps with body tempering. Take it,” he said, then added, “Eat it at home with the door closed. You know how body tempering works.”

“Mm,” Meng Qingwan, though puzzled, trusted him and agreed.

Worried she was too exhausted, Xiang Nan also sent some true qi back into her.

But the spiritual energy in his brow—his secret—he dared not use.

“We keep exchanging energy like this; it feels a bit like the dual cultivation scenes in novels!” Xiang Nan joked.

Meng Qingwan blushed deeply again, looking shy and quite charming.

“It gets dark early in the mountains; let’s head down quickly.”

After an afternoon of cultivation, their bond had deepened considerably.

Xiang Nan took Meng Qingwan’s hand, and together they walked down the mountain.