Generally speaking, the Northern League is composed of many forces and casual cultivators in the northern part of the East China Sea. In addition to Qianyuan City, where the essence of the Northern League is located, there are still 18 large-scale forces under the jurisdiction of the Northern League. Thirty Six medium-sized forces and seventy-two small-scale forces, these are the branches of the towering tree of the Northern Alliance. They are the exterior and interior of Qianyuan City, where the headquarters of the Northern Alliance is located, and together control the East China Sea. northern seas.
The Li family is the bottom of the thirty-six medium-sized forces. The division of the major forces in the Northern Alliance has its own standards. Generally speaking, if one wants to become one of the eighteen large-scale forces, at least one of the forces must The existence of the patriarch of the Dharma; and the Daoist in the middle stage of forging alchemy is the lowest symbol of a medium-sized power; even if it is a small force, there must be a Daoist forging alchemy to set up its own banner.
Although the Li family had Li Xiuzhu advanced to the alchemy stage in the past two years, and then Chu Ting joined the Li family in name after the advanced alchemy stage, the strength of the Li family has increased a lot. The status has also been consolidated, but the strength of the Li family is still at the bottom among the thirty-six medium-sized families. Many small forces have surpassed the Li family in terms of the number of Daoist alchemists and their overall strength. After this alchemy meeting, the Li family could not pass the North Alliance's strength certification, leaving the position of the medium-sized forces for them to compete.
Every hundred years, the Northern League will take advantage of the founding ceremony of the Northern League to hold a competitive meeting of the major forces. At that time, the three major forces, large, medium and small, will choose to make alchemy, or refine weapons, or form formations, or make talismans. The four types compete with each other, and then evaluate the status of each power based on the comprehensive strength developed by the major powers over the past century. After each competition, the last three large powers will automatically fall into medium-sized powers. The top three best-performing medium-sized powers will make up for it; similarly, the last six medium-sized powers will be replaced by the six strongest small-scale powers; and the last twelve small powers will be replaced by the Northern Alliance The major forces choose from the different forces in the North Sea.
The Li family ranked 29th among the 36 medium-sized powers last time, and it is only next to the six eliminated medium-sized powers. It is one of the "hot" candidates for being reduced to a small power this time.
When Lu Ping rushed to the Qianyuan Mountain in the middle of Qianyuan City, Li Maolin and Li Xiuzhu, the heads of the Li family, were already waiting here. Lu Ping went up to meet Li Maolin, and heard Li Maolin say haha, saying: "Niece Chu Ting Because of my health, I will not come to enjoy this competition.”
Lu Ping nodded expressionlessly. Lu Ping knew in his heart that it was naturally because of what happened yesterday. The two had a rift. Naturally, they were out of sight and out of mind, and Li Maolin obviously knew about it. Li Xiuzhu glanced at Lu Ping and saw his face He followed Li Maolin expressionlessly and walked up the towering Qianyuan Mountain. After thinking about it, he didn't say anything, and quietly followed with Chi Lianying behind Lu Ping.
"Isn't this Old Brother Li from Sanjia Island? This time Dan will come too early!" A middle-aged scribe with a three-strand long beard led several people slowly from the side.
"Oh, it's Brother Shangguan. Brother Shangguan came here on behalf of the family this time. I'm afraid it is inevitable for your family to advance to a medium-sized power? My Li family is no match for the Shangguan family. Maybe this Danhui will be replaced by Brother Shangguan's family Maybe, if you come early, it’s just to fly first to the stupid bird.”
Seeing someone coming, Li Maolin's face changed slightly, but he still went up to meet him, talking and laughing happily.
"Brother Li's family is not bad either. I heard that two years ago, the virtuous niece and one of the priests in the family both advanced to the alchemy stage. The strength of Brother Li's family has greatly improved. I just don't know where Brother Li invited for this alchemy meeting. A master of alchemy to participate?"
Li Maolin brought only a few people behind him, and the head of the Shangguan family only lingered on Lu Ping and Chi Lianying.
"It's just a little bit of help. After all, both of them have just advanced, and they are both women's generation. They are not comparable to Shangguan Hao's nephew. I heard that the cultivation base has reached the second level of forging alchemy, and now they have replaced Shangguan brother. Take care of family business."
"Uncle Li is absurd. My nephew, He Dehe Neng, is just doing odd jobs under his father." A handsome young man behind the head of the Shangguan Patriarch, who has never left Li Xiuzhu's eyes since the beginning, said hastily and respectfully.
Li Xiuzhu frowned when he saw this person.
"Brother Li, how did you think about the matter that my younger brother mentioned to you last time?" The owner of the Shangguan family hid his sword in his face and asked, "The daughter of Quanzi and Brother Li can be regarded as a man and a woman, and they are in the same family. The thirty-six medium-sized forces are bound to win, and when the time comes, you and I will join forces, even if Brother Li's family will be reduced to a small-scale force this time, the Zhangwang family of Sanjia Island will not dare to do anything."
Li Maolin pondered and said: "Brother Shangguan is so sure to advance to a medium-sized force this time?"
"Of course!" The head of the Shangguan family said confidently: "In my Shangguan family, there are only five monks in the alchemy stage, and two monks who have reached the middle stage of alchemy. It can be said that the standard for a medium-sized force has already been met. The title of the Danhui is nothing more than that, and this time my Shangguan family is fortunate to have invited Master Yue to make a move, and I will definitely be able to rank among the top among the seventy-two small forces."
Patriarch Shangguan pointed to an old man with a haughty expression behind him and introduced to Li Maolin.
Li Maolin's expression changed, and he said in surprise, "But old Mr. Yuejiang Ruiyue?"
The old man with a haughty expression nodded in satisfaction when he saw that a forging alchemy master like Li Maolin respectfully called himself "Sir", but he didn't speak.
Li Xiuzhu next to Lu Ping, when he heard the head of the Shangguan talk about the two marriages, his expression was a little dark, as if he was extremely reluctant, and he was also surprised when he heard the name "Yue Jiangrui".
Lu Ping didn't know the details of this Yue Jiangrui, and Chi Lianying beside him explained in a low voice: "This Yue Jiangrui has been immersed in the art of alchemy for hundreds of years, but he has always been one step short of becoming a master of alchemy because of his inability to break through the alchemy stage. The reputation in the Northern League is not small, because there are dozens of kinds of half-step forging alchemy pills refined by him, and the success rate of alchemy is even higher than that of some alchemy masters. He is considered to be the number one person under alchemy masters."
Hearing this, Lu Ping was also quite surprised. The half-step alchemy pills that Lu Ping has now refined are not more than ten kinds in total, which is completely different from this person.
Li Maolin thought for a while, and then said: "Although the matter of marriage is determined by the parents, it is more important whether the two are in love with each other. If Shangguan's nephew can win the favor of the little girl, the little brother has nothing to say. But this time, my Li family may not be able to keep the position of the thirty-six families."
The Patriarch of Shangguan's face changed when he heard the words. No one in the room noticed Li Xiuzhu's expression just now. Li Maolin's statement was already a clear rejection of the marriage between the two families.
At this moment, Yue Jiangrui, whose hands were behind the back of Patriarch Shangguan's side, pointed at Lu Ping, and suddenly said, "Could it be that this young boy is what Li Patriarch is relying on for this alchemy?"