“He-he, Vice-Sect Leader Moonlight, I’m glad we’ve come to a peaceful agreement.”

Luckily, the clam decided not to attack. I wasted a vial of Lucia’s impurities, but I can’t feel too bad about the loss. If the clam attacked us, I wouldn’t have been able to defend without using it. “Yes, I’m glad things worked out peacefully. I’m just curious, aren’t you even the slightest bit angry at us?”

“Hmm.” The clam opened its shell by a bit, and a long tentacle came out and swept its shell. It seemed like it was licking its lips or attempting to act like how a person would lick his lips. “I’m not upset about my son dying. I was originally angry that your sect chose not to give me any face, but after receiving such a luxurious reception, how can I stay mad?”

“Your son means that little to you?” Beasts usually have strong connections to their offspring. I’m a bit surprised that the feelings between this father and son are so callous.

“Erm.” The clam rocked back and forth. “What do you know about clams and their reproductive cycles?”

“Admittedly, I don’t know much.” My education on beasts were purely about their weaknesses. Maybe learning in depth would help more, but the vast quantity of topics I had to study prevented me from focusing on one thing too deeply. I do know that clams have eyes. Supposedly. I just don’t know where they are.

“Well, I’ve had millions of children, and hundreds of thousands of them have died. There’s nothing special about one child or another. And quite honestly, I don’t know his mother either. You see, when clams reproduce, we shoot our sperm into the ocean and forget about it until a few kids eventually come to find us out of curiosity a few years later.”

That’s … disgusting. “I see.” Now to change the topic before the clam can elaborate. “What are you going to tell the Thousand Sect Alliance?” All the sects of Kong County that Lucia robbed had united and gathered underneath the leadership of the clam. Now that the clam’s no longer hostile, it’s hard to tell what’ll happen. It’s best if they give up, but I’m not sure our troubles will pass that easily.

“Eh. How about … we say the Shadow Devil Sect is going to become the leader of the Thousand Sect Alliance and anyone who disagrees will be robbed? I wasted eleven years rushing here; going back empty-handed would be quite depressing.”

“I like the way you think.” It reminds me of a certain someone. Ah, I wonder when I’ll see her again. “Then we have a deal. My Shadow Devil Sect isn’t hurting for riches at the moment, so if any sects disagree, you can have all their belongings. Of course, that means you’ll have to subdue them yourself, but that shouldn’t be an issue, right?”

The clam grinned, I think. “As if anyone in these outer regions would have the audacity to oppose a sky-realm expert.” The clam chuckled for a moment before the tentacle shot out of its shell and wrapped around a cup of tea that it dumped into its mouth. Was it a mouth? I’m not sure. “Let me give you a gift to celebrate or meeting.” Before I could say anything, the clam’s shell opened even further, and a yellowish blob flew out, landing on the floor with a very wet-sounding splat.

“Oh. Um. Thank you.”

The clam chuckled again, and its tentacle came out, wrapping around and … licking the yellow blob until finally, a shiny surface was revealed. It was a pearl the size of my head. “Humans love pearls, don’t they? It’s a gift from me. No need to thank me; just don’t forget about me when you become an immortal.”

“I’m flattered.” Immortality. Will I achieve it? I’m not sure. It’s difficult for even heaven-defying geniuses, and I’m not one of them. “Senior Clam might be thinking too highly of me.”

“Nonsense, you’ve reached the sky realm before the age of thirty. Have some more confidence in yourself.” The clam closed its shell and rocked back and forth. “Compared to the geniuses of Deepwater Province, you’re much more talented. Perhaps you might not be as gifted as those heaven-defying geniuses in the center of the continent, but I believe in you; after all, the amount of resources in these outer regions is paltry compared to those in the center.” The clam used its tentacle to wipe its shell again. “Let me make a prediction for you: unless you’re killed in combat, you’ll definitely become an immortal.”

Never did I expect the day to come when a clam would be giving me encouragement. But I know my rapid growth is due to absorbing Lucia’s impurities. Perhaps, when she becomes an immortal, I can absorb her impurities again then? “I will definitely become an immortal.”

“That’s the spirit!” the clam said and rose off the plush, carpeted ground. “Come, let’s announce the Shadow Devil Sect’s entrance to the Thousand Sect Alliance.” The clam extended its tentacle towards me, and I firmed my will before grabbing it with my hand. The next instant, we were teleported away from the building and into the sky above the waiting crowd. The Shadow Devil Sect members were surrounded by millions of people, with a clear divide between them and the rest.

“Members of the Thousand Sect Alliance!” The clam’s voice echoed over the crowd. “The Shadow Devil Sect has joined the alliance. There’s no reason to fight anymore.”

Silence blanketed the area. A lot of the faces beneath were baffled. Someone shouted, “But the Thousand Sect Alliance was formed to defeat the Shadow Devil Sect!”

“Who spoke just now!?” the clam shouted. “Which sect are you from? Want me to destroy it!? Listen here, this father’s not afraid of bloodshed!”

There was no response. I cleared my throat. “From now on, the Shadow Devil Sect shall be the leader of the alliance. Any sect who disagrees may leave the alliance—with a small penalty fee of course.” A whole sect’s wealth, when compared to how much Lucia has, is small, so I’m not lying when I say the fee is a small one.