As soon as the White Emperor stepped down from Wudang Mountain, the Northern Alliance immediately launched a southward push, mounting a full-scale offensive against Jun Chen from all directions.
The reason Ji Ruxue and Ji Zun had delayed making a move was not out of reluctance, but because of their status. While both the Demon Sect and the Heavenly Sect commanded influence in political and military circles, their true standing remained rooted in the Jianghu rather than the imperial court. Long Yin certainly could have taken the lead, but he seemed hesitant or weighed down by other considerations, unwilling to stick his neck out. Shangguan Zhirou would gladly have stepped up, but Ji Ruxue, Ji Zun, and Long Yin all opposed it—for several grown men to push a woman forward to act as a shield was completely out of the question!
After much deliberation, the Northern Alliance—which their opponents likely viewed as nothing more than a ragtag group of amateurs—truly could not function without the White Emperor... It all felt rather lacking in proper justification and authority.
Chapter 140