228: Chapter 228 A New Future!

On the evening of the second day, Yan Ling, accompanied by several nimble-handed maids, rearranged the main hall.

A long table stretched from the front of the hall to the back, flanked by dozens of wide chairs carved from obsidian. Under the glow of the crystals on the dome, the blood-flame patterns on the chair backs shimmered with a faint, dark red hue.

Everyone had arrived.

Hun Muxiao was the first to arrive. She had uncharacteristically changed into a dark red martial outfit, with the blood abyss sword still strapped diagonally across her back. Her ponytail was tied high, and the seven ribbons in her hair had been replaced with dark red ones that matched the color of the blood flames.

She sat in the first seat on the right side of the long table, her back straight and her hands folded on her lap, uncharacteristically refraining from crossing her legs.

Mu Chen and Luo Li followed closely behind, dressed in their usual attire. They sat side-by-side at the end of the table opposite Hun Muxiao, saying nothing, simply waiting quietly.

When Medusa entered from the side door, Hun Muxiao subconsciously straightened her back even more.

Medusa was wearing her usual pale purple dress, her long hair loosely pinned up with a jade hairpin. She took the first seat to the right of Hun Feng's main position.

Yao Yao sat next to her with her bone whip resting on her knees. Her peach-blossom eyes swept across the hall's arrangement, and she whispered something into Medusa's ear, to which Medusa nodded slightly.

Gu Xun'er, Xiao Yi Xian, Yun Yun, and Cao Ying entered one after another, taking their respective seats on the right side.

The seven daughters were arranged by Yan Ling at the end of the long table. Even the youngest, Hun Mulan, sat properly, not daring to swing her legs dangling under the chair.

Hun Tiandi was among the last to arrive. He sat casually in the first seat on the left and took a sip from the teacup Yan Ling had prepared in advance.

Gu Yuan sat beside him, his gray robe as plain as ever. Zi Yan sat next to Gu Yuan, her golden eyes darting around the crowd in the hall before she winked at Hun Muxiao opposite her.

The hall doors slowly closed. When Hun Feng walked out from the back of the hall, everyone sat up slightly straighter.

He had changed into a formal robe with black patterns on a dark background today, with blood-flame patterns embroidered in dark gold thread on the cuffs and collar. His long hair was tied up with a jade crown.

He stood at the main seat, his gaze sweeping slowly over everyone present before he sat down.

"I called everyone here today because there is something I would like to discuss with you all."

His voice was not loud, and his tone lacked any grand or passionate buildup, sounding as casual as when he chatted with his wives in the study. "Shitian Domain has been established for a few years now. We have twelve Heavenly Supremes, three hundred thousand clansmen, and the southern sea of the Chaotic Demon Sea now belongs to us. We have quite a large operation, but one problem has never been solved—we lack a banner."

He paused, tapping his fingers lightly on the table. "Shitian Domain is a territory, not a banner. When people outside mention us, they either say 'those people from the Burning Heaven Mountain Range' or 'that faction in the south.' The Three Saints Sect has a name, the Five Ancient Clans have clan names, and the Western Heaven Battle Hall has a hall name. With over three hundred thousand people, we must have a name that we can call our own."

"Therefore, I want to establish a sect. I have already thought of a name—Spirit Hall."

The hall went quiet for a moment. Hun Muxiao was the first to speak, her tone filled with curiosity. "Spirit Hall—it's only one character different from the Hall of Souls back in our Fighting Qi Continent. Father, is there any special meaning behind this name?"

"Good question." Hun Feng looked at his daughter, a flash of approval in his eyes. "The Hall of Souls is the Hun Clan's Hall of Souls, but the Spirit Hall is the Spirit Hall for everyone present. The Hun Clan, the Gu Clan, the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan—three clans joined forces, along with the Fire Swallowing Clan, the Lei Meng Tribe, and those brothers who defected from the Chaotic Demon Sea. This sect cannot just be called the Hall of Souls, because you, the Gu Clan and the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan, are also its masters. However, we cannot lose the 'Soul' character—we fought our way out of the Fighting Qi Continent, and the Hun Clan is our root. This brand must not be lost, and it should not be lost. Adding the 'Spirit' character in front—'Spirit' represents the martial path, the fist, and the foundation of our confidence as we fought our way from the Fighting Qi Continent to the Great Thousand World. Spirit Hall is both a continuation of the Hall of Souls and a transcendence of it."

He leaned back in his chair, his tone softening slightly. "Actually, when I was choosing this name, I was reminded of someone." Yao Yao tilted her head to look at him, asking who it was. Hun Feng shook his head, saying it was someone he had heard of a long time ago—a very powerful woman who was also the leader of a sect, though her ending was not very good. He did not elaborate. As the name Bi Bi Dong flashed through his mind, he suddenly felt that fate was quite wondrous. In his past life, when he read the novel, the Spirit Hall was the villain, and Bi Bi Dong was a tragedy. Now, he was going to build a Spirit Hall in the Great Thousand World, and he, Hun Feng, would be the one who laughed until the end. Of course, he could not say this out loud.

Hun Tiandi set down his teacup, his tone flat but he was the first to speak. "Feng'er, I approve. The three-clan alliance does indeed need a common name. The name Spirit Hall is not bad." He paused, a faint smile appearing at the corner of his mouth. "It sounds better than the Hall of Souls."

"I have no objections either." Gu Yuan turned to Hun Feng and nodded solemnly. "The Gu Clan shares honor and disgrace with the Hun Clan and the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan. We will raise this Spirit Hall banner together."

Zi Yan nodded vigorously, her golden eyes filled with seriousness. "The Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan is in too! Brother, when you saved me on Dragon Island back then, I said—the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan will always be your backing. Count me in for this Spirit Hall."

Hun Feng looked to his right. Medusa was still her usual cold and composed self, but her purple eyes held a touch of pride that only he could understand. She only said one word: "Good."

Yao Yao wrapped her bone whip around her wrist and said a few more words than Medusa. "When have I ever opposed a name you chose? Besides, this name really does sound better than Shitian Domain."

Gu Xun'er continued to hold her teacup, smiling gently and firmly, saying that as long as it was what her husband wanted to do, she would stand behind him.

Xiao Yi Xian softly said she approved, maintaining her quiet demeanor, but her usually indifferent eyes held a rare touch of gentleness.

Yun Yun nodded slightly, saying she was also willing to carry this new banner.

Cao Ying quipped, "The Mistress of the Spirit Hall—this title sounds much better than Mistress of the Shitian Domain. I approve."

Mu Chen and Luo Li exchanged glances, then stood up simultaneously and cupped their hands. "Disciples approve."

The seven daughters raised their hands in unison at the end of the table, and Hun Mulan stood on her tiptoes, raising her little hand high, fearing that her father wouldn't see her.

Looking at the hands raised throughout the hall, a faint smile appeared at the corner of Hun Feng's mouth. He rested his hands on the long table and leaned forward slightly. "Good. Unanimously passed. The name is set; next, let's discuss the organizational structure of the Spirit Hall. This is my idea—the Spirit Hall will have Shitian City as its headquarters and Shitian Domain as its foundational territory. We will not set up unnecessary branches, but instead establish four major halls: the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise Halls. The Azure Dragon Hall will manage internal affairs and resource allocation; the White Tiger Hall will manage external conquest and military affairs; the Vermilion Bird Hall will manage intelligence and the Assassination Department; and the Black Tortoise Hall will manage defense and formations. In addition, we will establish a separate Law Enforcement Hall to be responsible for the execution of sect rules and internal adjudication."

He paused and tapped his fingertip lightly on the table. "I plan to bring in people from the Fighting Qi Continent to be the masters of the four major halls. Soul Mie Sheng will be the Master of the Azure Dragon Hall, Hun Jing will be the Master of the Vermilion Bird Hall, Hun You will be the Master of the White Tiger Hall, and Hun Qian will be the Master of the Black Tortoise Hall. You are all familiar with these four—Soul Mie Sheng is experienced and ruthless, so it is most appropriate to entrust him with the internal affairs and resource allocation of the Azure Dragon Hall; Hun Jing is steady and meticulous, and the intelligence and Assassination Department of the Vermilion Bird Hall need such a person at the helm; Hun You has led the Assassination Department for many years, and the White Tiger Hall's conquest and military affairs are exactly where that ruthlessness is needed; Hun Qian has been the chief steward in the Soul Realm for most of his life, so no one needs to worry if he manages the defenses and formations of the Black Tortoise Hall. They have been guarding the Fighting Qi Continent for many years, and it is time for them to come to the Great Thousand World. Later, I will tear open the plane channel and bring the four of them up."

Everyone nodded in succession. Everyone was clear about the qualifications and abilities of these four, and no one had any objections to their placement in these positions.

"As for the Law Enforcement Hall, Hun Muxiao will serve as the Hall Master, and Outer Perimeter Commander Lei Meng will be the Deputy Hall Master, concurrently in charge of the defense of Shitian City." Hun Muxiao stood up and cupped her hands solemnly. "Xiao Xiao accepts the order." The playful smile on her face vanished in that instant, and her peach-blossom eyes were filled with seriousness and a sense of responsibility. Hun Feng nodded at her—this girl was usually lackadaisical, but she never faltered when it came to serious matters.

"Clan Leader, Father-in-law, Zi Yan—the three of you are already the heads of the three clans, and you will concurrently serve as the Supreme Elders of the Spirit Hall. The position of Supreme Elder is transcendent, with the power to appoint and dismiss Hall Masters." Zi Yan asked in a low voice if Supreme Elders didn't have to come to meetings every day, and Hun Feng smiled and said yes, they could even continue to sleep in. Zi Yan leaned back in her chair with satisfaction, while Gu Yuan shook his head helplessly beside her.

"Cai Lin, Yao Yao, Xun'er, Xiao Yi Xian, Yun Yun, Cao Ying—the six of you hold a status equivalent to Deputy Hall Masters, ranking above the four Hall Masters. You have both the right to speak and the power to make decisions regarding sect matters." His gaze swept across their faces one by one, his tone carrying a touch of intimacy that only existed between them.

"Mu Chen, Luo Li—the two of you are still my personal disciples, and you will concurrently serve as the Holy Son and Holy Daughter of the Spirit Hall. All previously enjoyed privileges remain unchanged. You two are still young, so focus on your cultivation first; there is no need to worry about sect affairs for the time being." Mu Chen and Luo Li stood up simultaneously, cupping their hands in acknowledgment.

"In addition, the attire of the Spirit Hall also needs to be standardized. It must balance comfort during battle with the dignity of the sect. I will leave this matter to Ying'er and Yun'er—you have both handled similar regulations in the Jia Ma Empire and in your sects before, so you have more experience than I do." Cao Ying immediately nodded in agreement, and Yun Yun also nodded slightly. Yao Yao was then tapped by Hun Feng to coordinate with the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan of Zi Yan to expand the intelligence network of the Vermilion Bird Hall—the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan excelled at space traversal, which was perfect for intelligence transmission. Yao Yao gladly accepted the order.

"Regarding the above, if anyone has any objections or additions, feel free to bring them up now." Hun Feng leaned back in his chair again, his gaze sweeping over everyone present.

Hun Tiandi set down his teacup, his tone flat but carrying a touch of solemnity, and suggested that the establishment of the sect today be recorded, as it would be the first piece of sect history for the Spirit Hall. Hun Feng nodded in agreement. Yao Yao raised her hand and said that the Vermilion Bird Hall's intelligence network could be prioritized in the Chaotic Demon Sea and the Northern Heavens Continent, as these two places had the most accessible news. Zi Yan then asked if she, as a Supreme Elder, could lead troops into battle besides sleeping in. Hun Feng smiled and said not only could she, but she must lead many. Zi Yan grinned with satisfaction.

"If there are no other objections, we will proceed with the matters as just discussed." Hun Feng looked around at everyone and slowly stood up, his gaze lingering on each person's face for a moment before finally landing on the night sky outside the hall, which was illuminated red by the volcano. "From today on, the Spirit Hall is officially established. With this as our banner, we will conquer the Great Thousand World. Oh, right, I almost forgot—the first rule of the Spirit Hall: those surnamed Tang are not allowed to join. As for why, uh... there is no reason."

Everyone looked at each other, and Yao Yao muttered about whether he was playing that "Hajime" meme again, while Hun Muxiao shook her head, saying her father might really be sick. The whole hall burst into laughter. Hun Feng did not explain why; he simply leaned back in his chair, watching the laughter filled hall, a curve only he understood appearing at the corner of his mouth. Xiao Ling, sorry about that. Anyway, you are not in this world, so let this rule serve as a commemoration of that manga from my past life that kept being jumped back and forth.

Night fell, and everyone dispersed one after another. Yan Ling and the maids cleaned up the teacups on the long table, Hun Muxiao dragged Mu Chen and Luo Li to the back mountain to spar with new sword moves, and a few little daughters chattered away, discussing what colors should be used for the Spirit Hall's attire. Hun Feng stood at the entrance of the main hall, looking at the layers of lights in Shitian City, and suddenly remembered the situation many years ago in the Demon Flame Space when he first said the words "Emperor's Path" to Xiao Yan. Back then, he was just making empty promises, and even he himself wasn't sure if he could make it to this day. Now, the promise had been fulfilled, and the banner had been raised. Standing beside him were a group of people willing to accompany him to carry this banner to the end. The Spirit Hall was officially established. From here on, the landscape of the Great Thousand World would be rewritten.