During spring planting season, grasses grew and orioles flew.

The fields of Qian Qu bustled with activity, songs of farm labor everywhere.

Song Qian Ji wielded his hoe, driving the curved-beam plow. As he sowed the seeds by hand, he let the Immortal Spring seep into the soil.

His fluid movements suddenly stopped: “Don’t curse me in my domain… You’re asking why. Of course, I can feel it.”

The souls in his domain normally worked on a field of wheat, only able to sense the outside world when Song Qian Ji used the Immortal Spring.

“What a waste of heaven’s treasures! You’re fortunate to have this priceless object, yet you use it to water the ground!”

“Your land has such weak spiritual energy, no matter how much you water it, it can’t compare to natural spiritual veins.”

“Yes, don’t waste it! Watering the ground isn’t as good as watering me, to nourish my soul.”

Song Qian Ji said: “Whoever speaks another word loses one point.”

Half of the white light clusters shut up, while the other half jumped up and down, emotions running high:

“Do you know how hard it is to earn one point? Have you ever worked?”

“You deduct points as you please, completely inhumane! Shameless, immoral, exploitative Song!”

Song Qian Ji thought to himself, when I was working day and night, you were all in ancestral halls enjoying incense offerings.

“Whoever quiets down first gets an extra point.”

The clamor died down significantly, with only a few dissatisfied voices remaining, but they were too weak to matter.

“You think you’re working for me, for Qian Qu? Working is good for you,” Song Qian Ji sighed deeply, bluffing, “Having something to do gives your life—no, your soul-life—meaning. Otherwise, you have no value to the world, how are you different from waste? Over time, you would be driven mad by loneliness and boredom. Isn’t it better now? You don’t have to rack your brains thinking about many useless questions without answers, just focus on the task at hand. Whether human or soul, all need to be managed by a system.”

The white lights couldn’t help nodding: “That does make sense.”

True Person Shock Heaven vaguely felt something was off about this argument like it was an old method used to discipline outer sect disciples.

But unable to pinpoint the flaw, and afraid of losing points by speaking out alone, he remained silent.

The wheat field fell quiet, returning to peace.

Song Qian Ji resumed swinging his hoe, suppressing a smile at the corners of his mouth.

This management system was too effective—he had to thank Hua Wei Sect for their contribution to his domain construction.

His acquisition of Qian Qu County and its development to this day owed much to the selfless help of Hua Wei Sect and Xu Yun.

Spring breeze, emerald clouds and smoke-like willows, a line of wild geese leisurely flew across the sky above Song Qian Ji’s head.

But birds flying to Hua Wei Mountain dared not sing.

After the spring rain, the moss was damp and the mountain winds were slightly cold.

The entire Hua Wei Mountain was shrouded under dark clouds, with heavy death energy suppressing the spring vitality.

True Person Xu Yun didn’t want Song Qian Ji’s gratitude.

Shi Shui Bridge had been restored to its original state, but the ruins of the main peak had not yet been fully cleared. Glazed tiles and precious jade materials were continuously transported up the mountain, with all stewards rushing about, casting spells.

Someone suggested the Sect Leader temporarily reside elsewhere, but Xu Yun refused, wanting to personally witness the Qian Kun Hall rise from the ground. Chen Hong Zhu and Yuan Qing Shi remained by his side.

Damaged palaces and broken bridges could be repaired, injuries could heal.

But once a sect’s dignity and prestige collapsed, they were difficult to rebuild.

Chen Hong Zhu sighed: “This time last year, our sect was preparing for the Grand Assembly, how glorious it was. Who could have imagined today’s situation.”

Spring should have been the time for tribute. Throughout the Western Celestial Region, mortal territories and small sects affiliated with the Hua Wei Sect would have competed to present their tributes.

Now various sects found all sorts of reasons to delay, postponing again and again, with implicit doubt in their words: Your main peak has been cut down by others, what ability do you have to protect the eight directions, what face do you have to be worshipped by all?

Other sects watched covetously, restless with ambition.

Xu Yun reflected on the whole affair.

The origin of this great calamity was initially just a small outer sect disciple who conflicted with a steward.

Their methods had been correct. Xu Yun searched his heart and knew that other major sects facing such a situation would have made the same choices at each step.

It was just that his Hua Wei Sect had kicked this iron plate.

Song Qian Ji was the catalyst deliberately left by Xian Jian Chen to challenge the sect.

Xian Jian Chen did whatever he pleased, bullying others too extremely.

Xu Yun thought, is there truly no one in this world who can restrain him?

The position of Sect Leader was never meant to be passed to Xu Yun.

That night, Xian Jian Chen, drinking and singing, made his way into Qian Kun Hall, casually pointed, and said, “You’ll do.”

No one dared object, so he became Sect Leader and remained so until today.

On that hasty succession night, the young Xu Yun was utterly terrified yet incredibly excited, kneeling before countless tablets in the ancestral hall, swearing: he would dedicate his life to glorifying the sect.

Now looking around, all he saw were ruins. The souls in the ancestral hall were scattered, the ancestors’ legacy emptied.

Everything he possessed and pursued had come and gone in the blink of an eye, turned to ashes.

Would his entire life be manipulated by Xian Jian Chen?

As Xu Yun thought of this, a violent impulse suddenly surged in his heart—

If I could make Xian Jian Chen and his disciples suffer endless catastrophes, I would pay any price.

“Master, a guest has arrived.”

His thoughts interrupted by his disciple’s announcement, Xu Yun frowned slightly: “I said earlier to temporarily close the mountain gates and not receive visitors, to prevent ill-intentioned people from fishing in troubled waters.”

Yuan Qing Shi said: “But he wrote five characters, saying you would see him.”

Xu Yun smiled coldly, this trick again, could the visitor be Song Qian Ji?

If not for that note “Dead Sea Lotus Falls, Living Gate Opens in Clouds” and the many subsequent incidents.

Xu Yun unfolded the letter, looked intently, and his expression changed dramatically: “Quickly invite the Great Master!”

An elderly monk with a tall stature, wearing golden-red kasaya, with kind eyes and a compassionate appearance, slowly walked across Shi Shui Bridge, as if emerging from the clouds.

The dark clouds above Hua Wei Mountain were suddenly dispersed by a clear wind, instantly bathing everything in bright sunlight.

Chen Hong Zhu felt a stir in her heart, wondering if this was the “Miraculous Hand Divine Monk” Great Master Wu Xiang who had once divined her love fate.

I have already sworn and taken Daoist vows, so clearly his divination wasn’t accurate.

What was his intention in visiting now?

Xu Yun’s smile was bitter as he went forward to welcome him: “We haven’t met for many years, I didn’t expect to meet again today. Having suffered disaster, our dwellings are in disarray, I am ashamed to receive the Great Master.”

The elderly monk clasped his hands together, smiling peacefully, his gaze lightly sweeping over Chen Hong Zhu and Yuan Qing Shi.

Xu Yun coughed lightly: “Your master has important matters to discuss with the Great Master.”

“Yes,” Chen Hong Zhu bowed and withdrew, extremely puzzled in her heart. Her father had been dejected for days, often sighing, looking old and frail. Why had this monk’s arrival immediately revitalized his spirits?

Xu Yun was eager to ask something but seemed afraid to do so. With a wave of his dust whisk, he set up a spiritual barrier to prevent eavesdropping.

The elderly monk didn’t say much, directly taking out a jade basin. The basin contained shallow blue seawater, with a silver-petaled lotus bud about to bloom.

“What the patron seeks, this poor monk has found. Tonight at the midnight hour, the flower will bloom, withering in an instant,” the elderly monk said. “Do not miss it.”

Xu Yun’s whole body shook, frozen in place, only his aged eyes gleaming with light: “Dead Sea Lotus, Dead Sea Lotus!”

The elderly monk smiled: “With this spiritual medicine, it can heal the patron’s old injuries. Advancing to the Transformation Spirit stage is within reach.”

Xu Yun carefully held the jade basin, his expression almost manic: “Good, excellent! Great Master, your kindness to me is like giving me a new life!”

…

Xu Yun escorted his guest to Shi Shui Bridge, extremely grateful and respectful.

“No need to see me further,” the elderly monk casually suggested. “In this poor monk’s opinion, why not completely exempt the annual tribute, close the mountain gates, and rest for recovery.”

Xu Yun thought briefly: “I’ll follow the Great Master’s advice. Starting today, recall all sect members traveling outside. When the secret realm opens, we will avenge our humiliation and revitalize the sect’s prestige.”

Wu Xiang nodded with a smile: “Excellent.”

Chen Hong Zhu watched the elderly monk fly into the clouds, secretly wondering how her father made such a decisive judgment after meeting one monk.

She advised: “If we completely exempt the annual tribute, it will be difficult to collect again in the future. If we close the mountain gates, using all formation power for defense, although we can resist external enemies, how will we go down the mountain to recruit disciples?”

Xu Yun was confident, proudly saying: “Your father will go into seclusion tonight. When your father emerges, all difficulties will be easily solved!”

Chen Hong Zhu urgently said: “Father and the peak masters previously promised me, allowing me to go down the mountain to recruit new outer sect disciples, letting me participate in managing the scripture hall, spirit stone mines, and outer sect. If we completely close the mountain gates, then…”

Then wouldn’t those promises be empty words?

“Sister, you can see the current situation, constrained by circumstances, we must prioritize the greater picture,” Yuan Qing Shi hurriedly said. “What we promised you before, we’ll discuss again in three years.”

He stepped forward to pull Chen Hong Zhu, whose eyes turned slightly red, but she remained motionless.

“You deceive me!” she shouted sternly.

“Who’s deceiving you?” Xu Yun was angry at her inability to see reason. “If you insist on going, everything previously promised to you is yours! But until the secret realm opens, you may not return to the sect for three years!”

Yuan Qing Shi persuaded: “Sister, don’t be willful. Wandering alone outside, the world is treacherous. Without fellow sect members’ assistance, you’ll barely protect yourself, how will you recruit outer sect disciples?” He lowered his voice, “Actually, Elder Liu has already captured a batch of mortals from the foot of the mountain for mining and spirit plant cultivation, so you needn’t worry about lacking people to use…”

“Brother, you don’t understand.” Chen Hong Zhu murmured.

Xu Yun’s tone softened slightly: “Hong Zhu, stop making trouble. Stay by your father’s side to cultivate. Three years later, the secret realm will be your great opportunity.”

Chen Hong Zhu smiled mournfully, knelt on both knees, struck the ground with her sword, and bowed her head three times:

“Father, your daughter is leaving!”

Early spring. After the rain at Hua Wei.

The cultivator Chen Hong Zhu, carrying thirty thousand spirit stones, three thousand volumes of Daoist scriptures, three hundred bottles of medicinal pills, and thirty precious swords, descended the mountain into the mortal world.

As a woman, she set up altars to teach scriptures, accepted disciples on behalf of her master, regarding the ridicule and mockery of the cultivation world as nothing.

She did not compete with major sects for disciples, but traveled to poor and remote places, teaching writing, treating illnesses, lecturing on basic Daoist scriptures, and allowing everyone to learn regardless of spiritual roots.

Three years later, she had unexpectedly created a new world, known as the “Little Hua Wei Sect.”

Holding a torch against the wind, illuminating the long night.