25: The foundation of Da Chu, the establishment of Taixuan Outer Sect

Meanwhile, deep within the Imperial Palace of the Great Chu Dynasty.

Emperor Chu Huaizhen, his body beneath the dragon robe, was no longer trembling with anger, but with a chill and fear that originated from the depths of his Soul.

Tai Xuan Immortal Sect! Immortal!

These few words alone were like a colossal boulder, pressing down on him, making it hard to breathe.

The King of Zhenguo, Xiao Wuji, was gone!

Shaolin, one Grandmaster and one Heavenly Human, were also gone!

Such Immortal methods had exceeded his lifelong understanding.

He dismissed all palace attendants and eunuchs, and alone, with a pale face, walked towards the deepest part of the Imperial Palace, a Forbidden Ground.

Here was a deep, winding tunnel, descending downwards, leading to an unknown destination.

The wall lamps on both sides of the tunnel emitted a dim yellow light, making his shadow stretch and shrink, adding to the eeriness.

The air was filled with a long-sealed scent of decay.

After an unknown period of walking, at the end of the tunnel, a massive bronze stone door appeared.

The stone door was tightly shut, inscribed with ancient and complex patterns, exuding a heart-pounding pressure.

Chu Huaizhen straightened his slightly disheveled dragon robe, a deep sense of sorrow and despair appearing on his face.

He faced the stone door, his voice hoarse, with a choked sob:

"Old Ancestor... Great Chu... Great Chu is in imminent danger!"

"Immortal descends, Heavenly Human bows... What wrong has my Great Chu committed to suffer such a calamity?"

"If you do not awaken, the Great Chu's centuries-old foundation... I fear it will be lost in my hands!"

"Old Ancestor... Do you hear me?"

His only response was the coldness of the stone door and the deathly silence in the tunnel.

Chu Huaizhen collapsed to his knees, a dignified ruler of a nation, yet at this moment, he was like a helpless child, tears silently falling.

He knew that behind the stone door slept the Great Chu Dynasty's last hope—an Old Ancestor said to have reached the Void Realm.

However, this Old Ancestor had been asleep for centuries, and no matter how he called, there had never been any response.

Could it be that Heaven intends to destroy my Great Chu?

A deep sense of powerlessness completely engulfed him.

...

At the same time.

Cloudbreak Mountain Range, Tianzhu Peak.

Lu Yuchen stood on the newly built Sect square, looking at the completely new scene before him, and nodded with satisfaction.

Now that he was a Golden Core Stage mighty figure, with a slight use of his magical power, he had re-arranged Tianzhu Peak.

The former simple mountain gate, main hall, and courtyards had all been completely transformed.

The mountain gate was even grander and more magnificent, with white jade steps leading upwards, dotted with exotic flowers and plants on both sides, and Spiritual Qi permeating the air.

The square was more than ten times larger than before, paved with bluestone, smooth as a mirror.

The main hall was even more magnificent, with carved beams and painted rafters, not luxurious, but possessing an inherent Immortal Aura.

"Tai Xuan Immortal Sect!"

With a wave of Lu Yuchen's hand, a huge plaque appeared out of thin air, with four golden characters, written in a vigorous, flowing style, precisely "Tai Xuan Immortal Sect"!

This was what a proper Sect should look like.

"Hmm, not bad, much better than that thatched hut," Lu Yuchen muttered to himself, a smile appearing on his face.

With the Sect built, he couldn't always rely on tricking those two Children of Luck for Disciples.

It was time to expand the Sect's scale, recruit some Outer Sect Disciples, manage the Sect's miscellaneous affairs, and by the way... see if he could pick up a few more fish that slipped through the net.

Anyway, Outer Sect Disciples didn't take up his Personal Disciple slots, so as for System rewards and such, there was no need to think about them; they were purely for free labor.

Thinking of this, Lu Yuchen's mind stirred, and an invisible ripple spread out from Tianzhu Peak.

"Tai Xuan Immortal Sect, today opens its mountain gate wide to recruit Outer Sect Disciples! All those with predestined connections may come and try!"

The voice was not loud, but it clearly entered the ears of every living being within a radius of several hundred miles.

By now, the name "Tai Xuan Immortal Sect" had already spread throughout the Nine Great Dynasties with the events of Xianyang City.

An Immortal Sect recruiting Disciples!

This news was no less than a magnitude 12 earthquake!

In an instant, countless Martial Artists, aristocratic scions, and even members of the royal families of some small countries, all moved at the news, flocking towards the Cloudbreak Mountain Range.

Within a few days, thousands of people had gathered at the foot of Tianzhu Peak.

Lu Yuchen didn't bother with any complicated entrance tests; with a sweep of his Divine Sense, he picked out a dozen or so young boys and girls with decent bone structures and acceptable Heart-Natures, admitting them into the Outer Sect.

Among them, there were also a few spies secretly sent by other Dynasties to gather information; Lu Yuchen couldn't be bothered with them and accepted them all.

"Lin Fan!" Lu Yuchen called out.

"Master, Disciple is here!" Lin Fan opened his eyes from his quiet cultivation nearby and quickly stepped forward. He had previously returned to the Sect on his Master's orders to consolidate his cultivation and, incidentally, guide Nanny in her cultivation.

"These Outer Sect Disciples will temporarily be under your tutelage," Lu Yuchen said, pointing to the dozen or so new Outer Sect Disciples who looked excited and nervous. "Pass on the 'Tai Xuan Gathering Qi Technique' that I first taught you to them. As for the 'Six Paths Reincarnation Fist'... they are not yet qualified for that."

"Yes, Master!" Lin Fan respectfully agreed.

He also understood that Outer Sect Disciples were, after all, merely Sect Disciples, and their status could not be compared to that of him and Nanny, who were Personal Disciples.

Lu Yuchen glanced at the Outer Sect Disciples again, his gaze lingering on a young boy of about fifteen or sixteen, with handsome features but a hint of melancholy in his brows.

Observation Technique quietly activated.

【Name: Ying Ziliang (Alias Qin Jiu)】

【Luck Rank: Azure (Dynasty's fading Luck, with minor setbacks)】

"Oh? The Ninth Prince of the Great Qin Dynasty?" Lu Yuchen was slightly surprised in his heart, but his face remained impassive.

It seemed that old fellow Ying Zheng had also been up to some tricks.

However, he didn't care.

He said to Ying Ziliang indifferently, "Once you enter the Tai Xuan Immortal Sect, all past matters are like fleeting clouds. Do you understand?"

Ying Ziliang's body trembled upon hearing this, a complex expression flashing in his eyes, then he nodded heavily: "Disciple understands! From now on, there will be no Ying Ziliang in the world, only Qin Jiu, an Outer Sect Disciple of the Tai Xuan Immortal Sect!"

Lu Yuchen said no more.

The next day.

The Great Qin Dynasty announced to the world: The Ninth Prince, Ying Ziliang, admired the Dao and left home to cultivate, but unfortunately encountered an accident on the way and died suddenly. The entire nation mourned for three days.

When the news spread, the high-ranking officials of various countries all knew the truth, but no one exposed it.

How could an Immortal Sect be interfered with by a mortal Dynasty?

...

Northern Yuan Dynasty, Ice and Snow Divine Palace.

Ling Ke'er sat on the throne, playing with a crystal-clear jade pendant.

"Tai Xuan Immortal Sect... Outer Sect..."

She narrowed her Phoenix eyes slightly, a peculiar gleam appearing on her beautiful face.

"I didn't expect them to establish an Outer Sect so quickly."

"This seems to be somewhat different from the trajectory in my memory."

In her memory, the Tai Xuan Immortal Sect truly began to be widely known and recruit Disciples several years later.

Now, this Outer Sect, which shouldn't exist, had appeared prematurely.

"A butterfly effect, perhaps..." Ling Ke'er's lips curved into a meaningful smile.

She suddenly stood up, her cold voice echoing through the Divine Palace:

"Someone! Prepare the carriage!"

"This Princess is going to the Cloudbreak Mountain Range."

She had waited for this day for far too long.

She, Ling Ke'er, would never miss it!

A butterfly effect triggered by the establishment of the Tai Xuan Immortal Sect's Outer Sect had already quietly flapped its wings.

The future would change in unknown ways because of this.

And Lu Yuchen, the instigator of all this, was currently leisurely lying in a rocking chair in the Sect Master's main hall, contemplating how to "extract" more cultivation from his two precious Disciples, Lin Fan and Nanny.

"Hmm, that kid Lin Fan still has a few 'Six Paths Reincarnation Fist' moves he hasn't comprehended; I need to urge him."

"Nanny's Chaos Body has just formed; I should arrange some 'Immortal methods' for her to practice..."

Deep within the tunnel of the Great Chu Dynasty's Imperial Palace.

"Tai Xuan... Immortal Sect."