A Sect from a Spirit Vein

Chapter 109 - 101: Swallowing the Elephant Like a Snake

Three Foundation Establishment cultivators were slain by the array, over a hundred Middle and Late Stage Qi Cultivation cultivators were captured, two floating battleships were seized, and Bichao Mountain was conquered, leading to the destruction of Chaosheng Sect which had a legacy of three hundred and fifty years!

Under Lu Qian’s leadership, the coalition army only lost about twenty cultivators, with no fatalities among the Late-Stage Qi Cultivators.

Everyone’s eyes burned with excitement as they gazed upon Lu Qian, this young man who brought forth another miracle, the new master of Bichao Mountain.

Zhou Chao stared at Lu Qian in a daze, his dark face filled with excitement and urgency.

He was excited because Lu Qian did it again; he had once more rewritten the fate of the Zhou Family. At this moment, Zhou Chao was immensely grateful to have met Lu Qian at Plum Blossom Marketplace and to have established a connection with him through a volume of the Six Harmonies Array secret manual. In hindsight, it seems there might have been some divine orchestration all along.

The urgency came from the war’s unfinished business, especially for the Zhou Family, as Yuqing Mountain was yet to be reclaimed.

After a brief cheer, Lu Qian gestured for everyone to quiet down and instructed Tan Hong and his wife to bring forth nearly forty Early-Stage Qi Cultivation captives and unseal their Dantians.

The captives, initially terrified, were somewhat relieved by the unsealing, realizing this did not signify their impending execution.

Lu Qian proclaimed loudly, "Chaosheng Sect is thoroughly annihilated, now nothing more than a wisp of smoke. As of today, you no longer belong to Chaosheng Sect cultivators. But have you thought about your future?"

"Do you wish to join my Yunshan Sect, enjoy various cultivation resources provided by the sect, secure and pursue the great Dao?"

"Or would you prefer to become a loose cultivator, without even a Spirit Vein, and with your low cultivation, lacking means to make a living? The path of cultivation would naturally be incredibly difficult."

Seeing the fluctuating gazes of these cultivators as they began to ponder, Lu Qian called out loudly, "Decide now! If you want to be a loose cultivator, step forward now!"

No one moved.

Who would dare? Who knows if Lu Qian’s words were a trap, whether stepping forward would result in becoming an example to deter others?

Besides, what Sect Leader Lu said was the truth; with their low level of cultivation, unable even to perform exorcism, they might not even make it out of Bichao Mountain.

Since their lives were spared, they might as well go with the flow and stay compliant.

Lu Qian nodded with satisfaction. "Since everyone wishes to join my Yunshan Sect, you must work hard in the future. Only by proving yourselves through examination will you have the opportunity to become a Yunshan Disciple. I will set a trial period for you, during which you will reside on Lotus Peak of Yuqing Mountain. Only those who pass the trial can officially enter Bichao Mountain. Do you understand?"

A scattered echo of "understood" emerged, settling the arrangement for these cultivators.

Zhou Chao and the three sect cultivators were all startled upon hearing this.

The Sect Leader of Spirit Snake Peak, Zhao Xianzong, cursed under his breath, calling Lu Qian a cunning fox for deliberately placing these cultivators on Lotus Peak, with the Zhou Family and the three sects nearby as guards, ensuring these former Chaosheng Sect cultivators wouldn’t dare cause trouble.

Clever and slick, at this rate, the Zhou Family and the three sects would soon become his vanguard.

After some contemplation, Zhou Chao understood as well. He wasn’t too angry; instead, a peculiar thought crossed his mind.

Perhaps only someone like Sect Leader Lu is fit to be the master of a sect.

In fact, Lu Qian’s intention was not only to have the Zhou Family and the three sects watch over this group, sending them from Bichao Mountain to Lotus Peak but also for two major benefits.

Firstly, the risk of them causing trouble in Bichao Mountain was completely eliminated. Secondly, being moved to a new environment means they won’t be constantly reminded of the bygone Chaosheng Sect.

They will be escorted by the Zhou Family and the three sect cultivators to reside on Lotus Peak, undergo numerous transformation methods to gradually build recognition towards Yunshan Sect, and finally become genuine disciples of Yunshan Sect.

Lu Qian divided these nearly forty people into four teams, appointing a few temporary leaders, each managing ten people. Once on Lotus Peak, they should focus on cultivation and not wander aimlessly. Cultivation resources will be distributed regularly.

With matters settled, Lu Qian clasped his hands towards Zhou Chao, "Young Master Zhou, from now on, you are the Patriarch of the Zhou Family. Now that Chaosheng Sect is destroyed, you can take your clan and reclaim Yuqing Mountain."

The heads of Zhang Shouchang and Qian Ruyi were handed over to Zhou Chao by Lu Qian, to continue to contribute to Yuqing Mountain.

From the recently surrendered cultivators, Lu Qian learned about the total number of Chaosheng Sect disciples; after deducing those who surrendered and those slain, there were at most ten left guarding Yuqing Mountain.

And with more than sixty people under Zhou Chao’s command after the Third Elder’s branch joined, those ten, upon seeing the heads of their Sect Leader and Elders, would undoubtedly choose to surrender upon learning the sect was destroyed.

As for whether to abolish their Dantian Spiritual Roots after forcing their surrender, or simply execute them, Lu Qian left that decision up to others.

Next, Lu Qian turned to the Zhou family’s foreign cultivators, including Zheng Duan and others, who looked hopeful. He straightforwardly said to Zhou Chao, "Besides, I still need a few people from you. These foreign cultivators, who have distanced themselves from the Zhou Family due to past grievances, would be useless to forcibly retain. Since you’ve given me the entire Lotus Peak, simply let them choose freely. Those willing to stay in the Zhou Family, let them. Those unwilling, let them join my Yunshan Sect."

Zhou Chao glanced around, seeing every foreign cultivator filled with joy, feeling both bitter and helpless, then nodded in agreement.

Lu Qian immediately instructed Zheng Duan to take the group back to Bichao Mountain to report to Jiang Qingfeng.

This group of more than thirty foreign cultivators, for them, represented a chance to shed the label of outsiders, avoid being ostracized by Zhou Family cultivators, and enjoy better Spirit Veins for cultivation, which was a great boon, boosting their loyalty to Lu Qian, who promptly left in high spirits.

Since they were willing to join, with a little transformation and guidance, they could become qualified Yunshan disciples. Eventually, the cultivators from Lotus Peak could also be accepted, ensuring security.

Seeing everything settled, Zhou Chao was anxious, eager to fly to Yuqing Mountain to reclaim the mountain gate.

Both floating battleships were voluntarily handed over to Lu Qian by Zhou Chao. After saving the Zhou Family again, how could he dare to covet the spoils of war?

Zhou Chao also handed Lu Qian one of his family’s Thousand-Mile Mirrors to maintain communication, then tearfully bid farewell, leading the Zhou family cultivators, along with those initially turning to Yunshan Sect, racing towards Yuqing Mountain.

After a brief rest, Lu Qian conferred with the three sect leaders for a moment, reaching a consensus, inviting them to return to their stations and promising to offer promised rewards after organizing Bichao Mountain.

Additionally, he hinted at arranging a discussion with the Zhou Family to dissolve the vassal contract with the three sects, forming an alliance with Yunshan, the Zhou family, and the three sects for mutual development.

Previously, the Zhou Family, along with the external cultivators, had a total of one hundred and fifty cultivators. Inviting a Foundation Establishment Honored Guest would still control the overall situation. However, now, with only sixty or so Zhou Family cultivators left, inviting Foundation Establishment cultivators would be akin to conspiring with a tiger, highly dangerous.

Thus, until the Zhou Family can nurture their own Foundation Establishment cultivators, they could only remain a Qi Cultivation Sect. As such, they could no longer fulfill the role of a Sect Leader. The vassal agreement was practically obsolete, better to cancel it magnanimously.

For Lu Qian, although Bichao Mountain was initially established, Yunshan Sect had expanded like a snake swallowing an elephant, yet had not yet transformed into true strength. In the long run, they could only close the mountain, nurture and develop quietly, thoroughly assimilate the former Zhou Family’s foreign cultivators and those who surrendered. Numerous matters would still rely on the strength of the Zhou Family and the three sects.

Hence, forming an alliance among the five families would ensure no excessive steps were taken and further extend the honeymoon period between them and the Zhou Family, as well as the three sects.

The three sect leaders were naturally delighted with Lu Qian’s plan, immediately taking their leave.

At this time, the sun had just risen, shining brightly.

Standing atop the completely tranquil Bichao Mountain Square, Lu Qian listened as the sea of trees rustled under the gentle breeze, producing a tidal sound, watching the gathered Yunshan Sect members, took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled.

A new page for Yunshan Sect has begun.

(End of Volume Two, The Hatchling Sparrows Break the Shell. Volume Three, Spread the Wings to Fly, begins.)

(A readers’ group has been formed, see the introduction for details.)