A Sect from a Spirit Vein

Chapter 113 - 103: Dealing with Two Sects (Alliance Leader “Tanshui” Bonus - )_2

Lu Qian could only lower his voice and say, "There’s a fight coming."

With a snapping sound, the armrest of the chair was crushed to pieces by Guh Niqiang, a flash of fire igniting in her eyes.

Lu Qian sighed helplessly.

"Seventh, it is about constantly improving the cultivation level of everyone here," Lu Qian said earnestly. "Each of you is the person I trust the most, and the future of the Yunshan Sect relies on everyone here to support. Once the sect’s system is established, everyone here, except Baitao and Xiaolin, will take important positions within the sect."

Baitao pouted with dissatisfaction, while Zhang Lemei beamed with delight and nudged Tan Hong a few times, who could only respond with a wry smile.

"But in this world, strength is ultimately the most important. Imagine if a sect elder or steward had a cultivation level lower than an ordinary disciple; how could they maintain their position?"

With these words, Tan Hong and his wife, especially Zhang Lemei, felt the immense pressure. They were currently at the mid-stage Qi Cultivation; Tan Hong was at the seventh layer while Zhang Lemei was still one step away from the seventh. Both had four spiritual roots and were of average talent, and without significant effort, it would be easy for others to surpass them.

Jiang Qingfeng, on the other hand, appeared composed. She had three spiritual roots and was now stable at the seventh layer of Qi cultivation. As long as she continued cultivating normally, reaching the eighth layer and late-stage Qi cultivation wasn’t far off. Besides, she never cared much for these positions; as long as she could assist her junior brother, that was enough for her.

These words from Lu Qian were heartfelt and sincere. To fully integrate the former Zhou family’s unrelated cultivators and the Chaosheng Sect’s defectors into Yunshan Sect, turning them into real Yunshan disciples, more time was needed. During this time, only those present, the true veterans of Yunshan, could shoulder great responsibilities.

Moreover, these words were also a reminder to himself, Lu Qian.

Although he had advanced to late-stage Qi Cultivation, the situation was now more complex. As the sect leader, he naturally had to ensure his combat power. Firstly, to fully control the sect and secondly, to establish a stable foothold in Chongming County.

Now, he was entangled in many affairs, but the task of cultivation was also pressing. On the one hand, he had to enhance his cultivation level according to the "Hidden Cloud Scripture." On the other hand, he had to comprehend the "Wave Array Secret Manual," continuing to learn the Dharma Gates and mantras of the Yin Yang Five Elements Grand Array and the Qimen Five Elements Formation.

Furthermore, his current spiritual sense strength had exceeded the ordinary early-stage Foundation Establishment. Coupled with his naturally well-nourished spiritual root of five inches, his spiritual power was greater than most, meeting the minimum cultivation requirements for the Yunshan Sect’s inherited secret technique "Wind Shadow Cloud Body." He also wanted to give it a try.

Additionally, there were the various secret scriptures and manuals of the Chaosheng Sect that hadn’t been collated yet, and there could still be unexpected discoveries. As such, time was utterly insufficient; Lu Qian wished he could split himself into eight.

Luckily, they had now acquired the mid-tier second-level spirit vein of Bichao Mountain, which, as a first-level high-tier, met the minimum requirement for a Qi Cultivator to advance to Foundation Establishment. The mid-tier second-level was already sufficient for his daily cultivation.

Moreover, he had obtained some spirit pills from the Danxia Sect, with compensation from Guh Niqiang along the way. At least for the next few months, he wouldn’t lack auxiliary elixirs for cultivation, ensuring his progression wouldn’t lag.

If only there was a way to get the pill formulas for these elixirs from Guh Niqiang, but that’s just wishful thinking. These are the secret inheritances of the Danxia Sect, how could they be leaked?

The relationship between the sect leader and the sect is mutually reinforcing. As the leader of a sect, one must strive wholeheartedly to develop and strengthen the sect, guiding it through challenges, while the sect, in turn, continuously supplies the leader with the best cultivation resources, forming a sharp weapon in the leader’s hands, creating a positive cycle of continuous improvement.

It’s just that the Yunshan Sect is still in its infancy, and discussing this is somewhat premature.

These thoughts flashed through Lu Qian’s mind, and seeing everyone’s expressions, he continued, "Eighth, is dealing with the two vassals inherited from the Chaosheng Sect, Qingli Mountain, and Liuhua Valley."

This statement brought everyone’s wandering thoughts back, and Jiang Qingfeng felt a shock in her heart. How could she have forgotten about this!

Tan Hong and his wife had just arrived and were not too clear; Qingfeng glanced at Lu Qian, saw him nod, and immediately started explaining in a low voice.

It turned out that these two sects had suffered heavy losses under Lu Qian’s leading three-sect assault and pillaging, each with only about ten cultivators left. They had just rebuilt their mountain gates with the Chaosheng Sect’s funding and were now licking their wounds and regaining their strength.

The reason the Chaosheng Sect did not notify these two sects for troop assistance in the recent engagement was due to the sudden attack and consideration of their substantial losses, making forced conscription unwise.

Now, overnight, the situation had sharply reversed. The Chaosheng Sect had been destroyed, and the two sects were likely still in the dark, staying within their mountain gates.

Thus, how to deal with these two sects has become an urgent matter at hand.

At that time, when the Zhou family and the three sects’ cultivators were still around, Lu Qian had considered directly leading the large forces to destroy these two sects. But with Yunshan Sect’s scarce strength then, would it be able to swallow the spirit veins of Bichao Mountain, Lotus Peak, Qingli Mountain, and Liuhua Valley?

It might burst them at once, becoming a target for everyone’s attacks, and even allies would harbor many thoughts.

Thus, Lu Qian decided to delay the process, letting them occupy the spirit veins for now. After all, destroying them later would be easy, without needing large forces to gather, just a few rounds by Guh Niqiang would do.

However, the matter couldn’t be dragged on for long. The two sects would soon learn about the destruction of the Chaosheng Sect and Lu Qian’s occupation of Bichao Mountain. How to handle this indeed caused some headaches, so Lu Qian presented this topic here to hear everyone else’s opinions.

Understanding the ins and outs of the matter, after thinking for a moment, Tan Hong spoke up: "Sect Leader, in my view, we should eliminate these two sects. After all, we’ve become mortal enemies with them, and even if they become our vassals, no loyalty can be expected; they might rebel someday. It’s better to uproot them."

Relying solely on vassal agreements cannot ensure the loyalty of vassal sects. Otherwise, the Zhou family’s vassal three sects wouldn’t have secretly contacted the Chaosheng Sect in the past.

Furthermore, the Dao Heart Oath cannot secure loyalty either.

For the Dao Heart Oath to effectively constrain, the content of the oath must be precise, exact, and measurable. For instance, "Repay someone a specific amount of money within a certain number of days," or "Delivery a certain number of spirit stones to a sect on a particular day and month."

Vague matters sworn upon cannot hold because they include too many undefined and immeasurable elements, the most prominent being "loyalty" and "affection."

"I swear never to betray," "I swear to love you forever"... However, what exactly constitutes "betrayal," and what constitutes "love"? Is it based on a specific behavior or a thought in one’s mind, by whose definition?

Is it about actions or intentions, outcome-oriented or process-oriented?

Everyone is concerned that swearing on vague notions might lead to unforeseen consequences, hence cultivators cannot use the Dao Heart Oath in matters of loyalty and emotion either.

Moreover, the Dao Heart Oath cannot be taken repeatedly. Once sworn, one remains under the oversight of the Celestial Dao.

In the two thousand years of the Cultivation Realm, it has been observed that if a person carries more than five Dao Heart Oaths at the same time, their fortune plummets, and even a tiny event could lead to their death and Dao’s end.

This is Lu Qian’s biggest concern. Qingli Mountain and Liuhua Valley are only two hundred miles from Bichao Mountain in a straight line. If these two sects rebel, a crisis could arise from within, posing danger.

Tan Hong’s words garnered most of the people’s agreement, even Jiang Qingfeng slowly nodded. Although wiping out sects weighed heavily on her heart, it was ultimately for the safety of the Yunshan Sect.

At this time, Master Xuan Ji also spoke: "Sect Leader, I believe making them vassals is feasible."

These words made everyone turn with curiosity.

Just listen to Master Xuan Ji saying: "What concern everyone is nothing more than the rebellion of these two sects. But these two are now already weak in strength. Compared to seeking revenge, I’m afraid they care more about their own survival. Without the Chaosheng Sect’s protection, with the current strength of just a dozen cultivators, they are a juicy target for surrounding sects. Dare they contact other sects under such conditions? Aren’t they afraid of walking into a trap?"