208: Chapter 208, at the Seven Clouds Sect, Sunset Glow

That was to reopen the Sect gates!

After the Zhang Family took control of Longhu Mountain, they unexpectedly reopened the Sect gates wide to recruit Disciples. Apart from key powers and the most core Cultivation Technique being controlled by the Zhang Family, everything else was handed over to talented people of outside surnames. They took the opportunity to improve and optimize the Zhang Family Bloodline with external Bloodlines. Geniuses appeared one after another, and they thrived more and more, becoming the second-ranked Sect in the world.

In this world, people ultimately fear power rather than respect virtue.

The Zhang Family acted to annex others, yet instead became the second-ranked Sect in the world, with no one daring to criticize them.

With Longhu Mountain 'setting a precedent', how could the families in other Sects not be envious?

Following their example, nowadays, apart from the provincial-level Sects in the Great Qian which are still relatively stable, many other prefecture-level Sects have more or less seen a trend of Families growing stronger.

Compared to that, the Yi and Chu Families of the Dragon Snake Sect are considered mild.

After all, the members of the Wanshou Sect above are extremely scarce, numbering barely a hundred. There are no Named Disciples or Outer Sect Disciples; once they enter the Sect, they are immediately personal or core Disciples.

With few people and abundant resources, plus the mediation of the older generation, unless it concerns their Dao path, minor resources simply cannot spark conflict among the Disciples.

It is merely the difference between 'plenty' and 'extraordinarily plenty'.

Added to that, they are naturally companions to beasts, each one reclusive and lazy, preferring to stay in their own mountains and not caring about any outside affairs.

The Elders even have to rack their brains to stir up the Disciples' competitive spirit, so they don't stagnate in isolation.

Such a Sect fundamentally has no soil for the Family Faction to survive; talent relies entirely on the various cities at the foot of the mountain.

Every Disciple is the apple of the Sect's eye, and they generally get along harmoniously, so they cannot even start a fight.

Therefore, do not be fooled by the fact that the Wanshou Sect sounds more ferocious than the likes of Bishui Palace; in reality, the atmosphere of the entire Jiao Province is considered mild among the surrounding coastal provinces and prefectures.

The fact that a prefecture-level force like the Dragon Snake Sect can have a Legacy of a thousand years shows the generosity of the Wanshou Sect towards its subordinates.

Take, for example, the entire Hai Province, which is independent of the continent. Because its geography makes it constantly subject to attacks by Yao Beasts from the sea, and it is also a hiding place for many roving criminals, it has always been chaotic. In the past millennium, except for the recently destroyed hegemon of Hai Province, Bishui Palace, the prefecture-level forces beneath it have been wiped out batch after batch, with few able to maintain a Legacy for three hundred years.

Even in the surrounding provinces, the provincial-level Sects above, in order to ensure the forces below do not rebel, either have the Families within them be branches of the Families within the provincial-level Sects, or simply find an opportunity to introduce external forces to wipe them out. Not only does this supplement the Sect's resources, but it also frees up new space for newcomers willing to serve, while gaining hundreds of years of stability.

Those who care more about their reputation simply trade pieces with neighboring provincial-level Sects, tacitly eating each other, ultimately maintaining a superficial hostility, and can even shift all responsibility onto the opposing Sect.

All these methods are just to ensure their own continuity without being threatened.

The Wanshou Sect, however, is an exception among them.

The wealth of the Dragon Snake Sect cannot be compared to by Sects in other regions, except for a few other Sects in Jiao Province and a few major provinces like Zhongzhou.

For instance, the Qiyun Sect in Yingtian Prefecture of Yun Province has a total of only three Profound Weapons. Compared to the one or two of an ordinary Sect, it is naturally prominent, but before the ten Profound Weapons of the Dragon Snake Sect, it is not worth mentioning.

Meanwhile, a thousand miles away in Yingtian Prefecture of Yun Province, a major event was taking place within the Qiyun Sect.

...

Yun Province belongs to the southwestern border of the Great Qian, and its resources are lower-middle class. However, because the Sect Head of the Yun Province hegemon, the Yunxiao Sect, 'Immortal Master Chiyun', ranks tenth in the world in strength and is even more of a leader in the resource-poor southwestern region, Yun Province is still considered a relatively stable territory.

Places like Liang Province and He Province further to the left, because they border barbarian tribes and other foreign races, have never been stable due to constant banditry and criminals engaged in the smuggling of salt, iron, and armor.

At this moment, within the Qiyun Sect in Yingtian Prefecture of Yun Province, many surrounding forces had gathered.

The Qiyun Sect is situated in the best location of the Chiyun River, a large river extending from a tributary of the Chiyun River, forming an inland lake with a radius of a hundred miles.

Surrounding the edge of the inland lake is a vast urban cluster, which is the so-called Yingtian Prefecture city, and in the center of the inland lake, there is a massive lake island.

Calling it an 'island' is less accurate than calling it a 'mountain', a towering high mountain protruding from the lake and piercing straight into the sky.

The mountain is so high that it can reach the clouds. The Ancestral Master of the Qiyun Sect, Guanyun, created the Qiyun Cultivation Technique and founded the Sect, which is the origin of the Qiyun Sect.

Apart from the mountaintop being shrouded in clouds and mist, making it hard to see clearly, many suspended pavilions and towers stand on the mountainside.

Beside the high mountain, there are dozens of surrounding Peaks. The highest ones are the seven high Peaks where the seven major branches of the Qiyun Sect are located; besides these, there are the Peaks where the Alchemy Hall, the Hall of Punishment, and others are located.

The shortest few low mountains have had their tops leveled and transformed into residential courtyard complexes or streets and small towns for Disciples and members to trade and interact.

At this moment, on Luoxia Mountain, where one of the seven great Peaks, the 'Luoxia Branch', is located, there were many figures moving about, and lanterns and decorations were hung everywhere.

The people coming and going included not only the Disciples, deacons, and Elders of the 'Luoxia Branch' but also those from the other branches.

Only the 'Yaotian Branch' was missing.

Inside a great hall on the mountain, everyone was tasting fine wine, and loud laughter came from outside.

"Hahaha! Congratulations, Senior Brother, congratulations to Senior Brother for successfully attaining the position of candidate Sect Head. Did I, Junior Brother, arrive late?" Hua Yunsheng laughed as he entered the great hall and walked up to the man sitting at the very top.

Although the man sitting at the very top was called 'Senior Brother', he actually looked only twenty or thirty years old, evidently possessing techniques to maintain his youthful appearance.

This person was the winner of this Qiyun Sect candidate assembly, having defeated the head of the 'Yaotian Branch', the head of the 'Luoxia Branch', Ye Jingtian!

He was also a direct descendant of the Luoxia Ye Family.

This rising star, who was currently the hottest figure in the Qiyun Sect, although his Realm had reached the Middle Stage of Gang Strength, was not angry at the presumptuous behavior of Hua Yunsheng, who was in the Late Stage of the Core Formation.

Instead, he smiled and stopped the attendant nearby, picked up the wine pot himself, and poured a full cup of fine wine for Hua Yunsheng.

"Of course you aren't late, Junior Brother, you are a hero of our branch."

"That's right, Junior Brother Hua, you are a hero of great merit for our branch; we were just waiting for you!" The men to his left and right all looked a bit older than Hua Yunsheng.

These people were either at the Gang Strength or Peak of the Core Formation, and their Realms were all stronger than Hua Yunsheng's, but as the younger Junior Brother of the same generation, Hua Yunsheng was basically more than ten years younger than them, so everyone was very tolerant of him.

"Hahaha! I won't be polite!" Hua Yunsheng, instead of taking the cup of wine, picked up the wine pot and poured it directly into his mouth.

Ye Jingtian shook his head helplessly and smiled, raising his hand to point at Hua Yunsheng: "You, oh you!"

"You fellow have gotten used to wandering outside; you've become too boorish!" One person stroked his beard and feigned scolding him.

If it were normal times, he, who was strict with others, would have already shouted to stop him, but today was a great joyous occasion for the Luoxia Branch, so he rarely joked a few times.

Immediately, the great hall was filled with laughter.

Elsewhere, however, the scene was completely different.

"Lingling, have you considered it?" A beautiful woman dressed in golden-red rosy clothes asked softly while trimming the flower branches inserted in a vase.

But in Fang Lingling's eyes, this voice had a sense of oppression that surpassed blades, spears, axes, and halberds.

Compared to more than a year ago, Fang Lingling's appearance had changed greatly; she no longer wore a plain face, and with just a few light strokes on her face, she surpassed most beauties in the outside world.

She pursed her lips and finally said firmly: "Master, I refuse!"

The beautiful woman's movements paused, and the air instantly solidified.