101: Close the door and release the disciple!

Central Continent, Tianyan Holy Land.

Atop the mist-shrouded main peak, within a simple and ancient Dao palace.

"Revered Master, your Disciple has returned."

Wen Chici bowed respectfully toward the blurry figure sitting high upon a prayer mat.

His expression remained as calm and indifferent as ever, as if the matter of crushing the Myriad Dao Divine Sect in the Secret Realm was nothing more than brushing a speck of dust from his sleeve.

"Mm."

The figure addressed as "Revered Master" slowly opened his eyes, and within his pupils, it seemed as if stars were being born and extinguished.

"I heard that you had some conflict with that Sect from the Eastern Wasteland?"

Wen Chici smiled and said, "A group of barbarians who don't know the height of the heavens or the depth of the earth. I merely administered a small punishment to teach them the rules."

The Holy Lord fell silent for a moment.

"Fine. Let this be the last time."

"A Sect established by an ant from a barren land having some Luck is already the limit. In the end, they are not worthy of the stage; there is no need to waste too much mental energy on them. Your goal is the Struggle for the Mandate of Heaven in a hundred years. Do not lose the big picture for small gains."

"Your Disciple understands." Wen Chici bowed again.

In his heart, however, he did not fully take his Revered Master's words to heart.

The Myriad Dao Divine Sect?

Just a group of interesting pawns... Meanwhile, in the Central Continent and the Eastern Wasteland.

Every shop bearing the signboards of "Myriad Dao Merchant Guild" and "Myriad Dao Express Delivery" closed their doors simultaneously.

All Myriad Dao Divine Sect Disciples who were out adventuring, performing heroic deeds, or guarding territories—no matter where they were or what they were doing—received the highest divine decree from the Sect Master Hall at the same instant.

[All Disciples of the Myriad Dao Divine Sect, hear my command!]

[Immediately drop all matters at hand!]

[Close all mountain gates and halt all industries!]

[Return to the Divine Mountain!]

The divine decree was cold and overbearing, brooking no question.

At the Qingyun Branch, Yun Tianqing was discussing the mining of a vein with the Elders when the edict arrived; he immediately abandoned everything and took out his token.

At the Tianlang Branch, Lin Canghai was instructing Disciples in their cultivation; without a word, he directly activated a teleportation.

In Tianxu City, Qian Duoduo was counting Spirit Stones; hearing the edict, his hand shook and Spirit Stones scattered all over the floor, but he didn't even look at them as he immediately returned.

In the Zhao Kingdom palace, Su Linger was discussing national affairs with the Retired Emperor Zhao Zheng; her figure flashed and she vanished from beside the dragon throne, leaving only a bewildered Zhao Zheng.

"This... what is going on?"

...At the Myriad Dao Divine Mountain, the Sect square.

“Buzz— Buzz— Buzz—”

Space was like a lake surface into which countless stones had been thrown, erupting in violent ripples.

One spatial portal after another opened frantically in every direction of the square!

Tens of thousands of Disciples filed out from those portals!

Miscellaneous Disciples in gray robes, outer Disciples in green, inner Disciples in white, and a scattered few Personal Disciples.

In just a few short breaths of time.

The entire square was packed so tightly with the dark mass of people that not a drop of water could trickle through!

Everyone looked at each other, not knowing what had happened.

Until that figure appeared upon the steps of the Sect Master Hall.

"Greetings, Sect Master!"

A voice like a mountain tsunami echoed through the clouds.

Chu Xuanjin stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze calmly sweeping over every face below—some confused, some terrified, some dazed.

He did not speak.

To the side of the hall, a water screen appeared out of thin air.

On the water screen, images began to play of Ye Chenfeng and the others being suppressed by a single word from Wen Chici in the Secret Realm, their hundred-man sword formation collapsing without a fight, and all the Disciples being humiliated to the core.

The scenes played silently, over and over again.

On the square, there was a deathly silence.

Every Disciple of the Myriad Dao Divine Sect stared fixedly at that water screen.

Their expressions were gradually replaced by an emotion called "humiliation."

Their fists clenched tighter and tighter.

Their breathing became heavier and heavier.

Since its founding, when had the Myriad Dao Divine Sect ever suffered such a great disgrace!

They were the overlords of the Eastern Wasteland, the crossing-river raptors of the Central Continent, the "Ten Thousand Dao Gang" that everyone feared!

But now, they were like a group of clowns being stepped on in public!

"Have you all seen it?"

Chu Xuanjin's voice finally rang out.

"We have!"

The roars of twenty thousand people merged into a wave of sound, as if to overturn the very vault of heaven!

"How does it feel?" Chu Xuanjin asked again.

"Humiliating!"

"Enraging!"

"Unreconciled!"

"Very good." Chu Xuanjin nodded.

"The Disciples of my Myriad Dao Divine Sect can die in battle, can bleed, but above all, cannot be insulted!"

"Today, someone rubbed our faces into the dirt. Tomorrow, we will twist his head off and kick it like a ball!"

"The Tianyan Holy Land considers itself the chess player and views us as pawns."

"Then today, I shall set down an iron rule for the Sect!"

He raised his voice, sounding like thunder from the Nine Heavens exploding in everyone's ears.

"From this day forth, the Myriad Dao Divine Sect seals its mountains! No Disciple is allowed to go out!"

"All Sect resources—the Cultivation Technique Pavilion, the Treasure Artifact Pavilion, the Medicinal Pill Room, and the dao conveying jade wall—are all open to you without limit!"

"You have only one thing to do!"

"Cultivate! Cultivate like mad! Cultivate at any cost!"

"Until you have enough strength to flatten that Tianyan Holy Land with me and tear down their signboard to burn as firewood!"

"Do you have the confidence!"

"Yes! Yes! Yes!"

The sky-shaking roars transformed into a soaring Battle Intent!

In the eyes of all the Disciples, a raging fire was ignited!

That fire was named Revenge!

"Very good."

Chu Xuanjin waved his large sleeve.

"All of you, disperse. Go find your Elders, go to the Hall of Inheriting Skills, go to any place you need!"

"Yes! Sect Master!"

The crowd dispersed with a bang.

Every single person was like they had been injected with chicken blood, rushing toward various parts of the Sect.

The entire Myriad Dao Divine Mountain was boiling!

After all the Disciples had departed.

Chu Xuanjin took a deep breath and slowly rose into the sky.

He stretched out his hands, and his terrifying cultivation of the Late Stage Earth Immortal was released without reservation!

"In my name, I command the heavens and earth!"

"Gather!"

The entire Myriad Dao Divine Mountain began to tremble violently.

The top-grade immortal vein beneath the mountain emitted a joyful Dragon roar, and infinite Spiritual Qi erupted like a geyser, soaring into the sky!

"Array, rise!"

Chu Xuanjin's hands formed seals as he chanted under his breath.

Countless golden runes flew from his palms, merging into that majestic Spiritual Qi.

An unprecedented super Spirit Gathering Array, covering the entire Divine Mountain, crashed into existence!

In the sky, the Spiritual Qi that was originally just white mist began to condense at this moment, turning into drops of crystalline spiritual liquid that fell like rain.

The concentration of Spiritual Qi across the entire Divine Mountain exploded by more than ten times in an instant!

Having done all this, Chu Xuanjin clapped his hands in satisfaction.

"Alright, time to go give those few fellows some special tutoring."

...Inside the Sect Master Hall.

Ye Chenfeng, Su Linger, Wang Duojin, Zhao Wuyou, Gongsun Yan, Ye Wushang, and Bai Jinnian—the seven Personal Disciples.

As well as the only Core Disciple, Zhao Wuji.

The eight of them stood in two rows, their expressions solemn.

Chu Xuanjin's figure appeared silently upon the throne.

"You few are my Personal Disciples, the future face of my Myriad Dao Divine Sect."

"If someone slaps your face, you must slap them back twofold."

His gaze swept over Ye Chenfeng.

"...(omitted)... Go to the Sword Tomb to Cultivate. Do not come out until you can sever the flowing clouds atop the mountain with a single sword strike."

He then looked at Su Linger.

"...(omitted)... Go and meditate under the Enlightenment Tree. It will be enough if you can make a flower of undying vitality bloom in the extreme cold."

"Wang Duojin."

"Your Disciple is here!"

"...(omitted)... Go to the Star Gazing Platform and use your abacus to deduce the trajectories of the stars in the firmament. When you can calculate where the next falling star will land, you may descend the mountain."

"Zhao Wuyou."

"...(omitted)... I grant you the authority to mobilize the Divine Mountain. Go and be one with these mountains and rivers, be companions with the wind, rain, thunder, and lightning. When you can make this Myriad Dao Divine Mountain bow its head to you, you will have truly mastered 'Momentum'."

"Gongsun Yan."

"...(omitted)..."

"Ye Wushang."

"Your Demonic Path is pure enough and greedy enough, but it is not yet 'overbearing' enough. A demon is a breaker of rules, an overturner of order. Go to the dao conveying jade wall; I have set up ten thousand layers of demonic arrays for you. If you can use demon to break demon and devour the ten thousand arrays, you shall become the Lord of Myriad Demons."

"Bai Jinnian."

"Your Disciple is here."

"Your character for 'Human' is written well. However, humans have seven emotions and six desires, joys and sorrows, partings and reunions. You have only written the 'bone' but not the 'soul'. Go to the Scripture Repository; there are a hundred thousand Mortal biographies I have prepared for you. When you can write a biography and preface for these hundred thousand Mortals, capturing their joys, angers, sorrows, and happiness, your Sacred Word Dao Body will reach Major Achievement."

Finally, his gaze fell upon Zhao Wuji.

"...(omitted)..."

This series of words left the eight of them feeling as if they had been struck by lightning, yet also as if they had been enlightened.

Each person had found the direction for their progress.

"We shall respectfully follow Revered Master's teachings!" The eight of them knelt in unison.

"Go."

Chu Xuanjin waved his hand.

After everyone had left, he leaned lazily against the throne.

[Ding! The Host has diligently instructed seven Personal Disciples, triggering a ten-million-fold critical hit return!]

[Congratulations to the Host for obtaining: Sword Dao Origin insights! Life and Death Great Dao insights! Heavenly Secret Star insights! ...]

[Congratulations to the Host for obtaining: A massive amount of cultivation empowerment!]

[Congratulations to the Host, cultivation has broken through to—Earth Immortal Great Perfection!]

Feeling the power surging within him once again, a cold smile curled on Chu Xuanjin's lips.

"Tianyan Holy Land?"

"Just you wait for me."

"When this group of Disciples of mine finishes their seclusion, that will be the day your Holy Land is erased from this Central Continent!"

---

Wang Duojin: *Sob sob*, with everything closed, I'm going to lose so many Spirit Stones. Seeking small gifts to comfort my fragile heart.

Click the reminder for updates, watch the short videos. It would be even better to post some book reviews.

(A couple of days ago there were over 10,000 readers, now it's getting fewer and fewer, with only 2,000 left.)