CHAPTER 60: CHAPTER 59: SECT MASTER【TWO-IN-ONE UPDATE!】

A moment earlier, within the stone house.

Wu Wang took out a scroll he had prepared and introduced, "Here are eight strategies that I, as a junior, have devised based on my understanding of your Sect’s current situation. I hope they can help your Sect reach new heights."

"You understand Sect operations too?"

The Grand Elder nodded with a smile, but in his heart, he didn’t take it too seriously.

How easy could it be to develop a Sect? Ancient cultivators thousands of years old wouldn’t dare claim they were suited for managing a Sect. Such a thing relies on talent.

Hmm?

What’s the meaning behind the first and second strategies? Emphasize foundational education, establish Sect goals?

Upon closer inspection, they were indeed intriguing.

"Explain in detail, what does it mean to emphasize foundational education?"

Wu Wang, fully aware that his ability to leave smoothly hinged on these eight strategies convincing the Grand Elder, immediately became extremely focused and said warmly, "What the Elder has been doing, educating the young children and teenagers in the valley, is foundational education. Foundational education is like general knowledge education, the foundation of a house. Through foundational education, young people can universally grasp the basics of cultivation, understand the Great Wilderness’s environment and the history of the Human race, broaden their horizons, and nurture their sentiments and perseverance. In this way, not only will they be much more efficient when they actually begin cultivation, but they’ll also be able to avoid some basic and fatal mistakes. This is just the first strategy. Foundational education requires long-term persistence; it’s a heavy responsibility with a long road ahead, and we must be committed and dedicated."

The Grand Elder’s face showed contemplation. Soon, he slowly nodded, his expression indescribably serious as he stared at the cloth in front of him.

Wu Wang waited for a while, and once the Grand Elder turned his gaze toward him, he continued to elaborate.

"The second strategy establishes Sect goals..."

"The third strategy is to update the Sect’s rules, perfect the reward and punishment system, and the internal evaluation system within the Sect to establish an effective reward and punishment mechanism..."

"The fourth strategy, actually, I have distilled from the scriptures written by the Grand Elder. We should try to break down the barriers between classes in some way, allowing the Destroying Heaven, Dark Desire, and Lin Feng branches to truly merge..."

By the time Wu Wang had finished outlining the first four strategies, his mouth was already dry.

The Grand Elder was frowning deeply, the light in his eyes flickering incessantly, and he subconsciously kept nodding his head.

As Wu Wang articulated the fifth and sixth strategies, the Grand Elder felt a profound sense of the old adage: Waves push forward the waves before them, the former waves crash on the sandbank.

[The fifth strategy is to improve the image of the Demonic Sect, expand Sect influence, and create iconic figures that are conducive to word-of-mouth spread.

The sixth strategy dilutes the conflict between Immortals and Demons, elevates the Sect’s educational philosophy, and establishes the concept of cultivation on the rise of the Human race. When making a big statement, invite venerable Human race elders to stand and promote it.

The seventh strategy stresses the importance of Sect industry management to ensure a supply of cultivation resources.

The eighth strategy is the elevation of core ideology.

When the internal reformation and overhaul of the Sect reach a certain level, it’s necessary to upgrade the concept of Demonic Cultivation. It’s essential to shake off the stereotype that practicing Demonic Cultivation leads to a drastic change in temperament and a natural proclivity to killing and to promote that Demonic Cultivation cultivates one’s true nature and is not about indulging desires or committing evil acts.]

...

Point by point, sentence by sentence, Wu Wang, who had clearly made thorough preparations beforehand, spoke convincingly and clearly.

The Grand Elder’s expression went from ’somewhat interesting’ at first, to ’indeed so,’ then to ’it can also be like this,’ and finally, ’he fell into deep thought.’

The few loud laughs that came out during this exchange were startling. They left the scar-faced man, who had rushed over from Elder Miao’s place, hovering in mid-air, unable to regain his senses for a long time.

After finishing, Wu Wang sat down to the side, waiting for the Grand Elder to speak. The hints he had dropped before were sufficient; saying more would instead hurt the goodwill between them.

The Grand Elder gazed at Wu Wang and said slowly, "My young friend, I appreciate your kind intentions. Our Demonic Sect also has its pride. Since you are determined to leave, I certainly won’t force you to stay. I’ll even foster a good relationship with you by bequeathing you numerous benefits. However, I still have some doubts. Did the Sect Master say something to you? Why did he suddenly enter a closed-door death meditation?"

The previous investigation was indeed correct. This Grand Elder valued the honor of the sect. Even though this Demonic Sect was full of demonic cultivators, they had always acted according to the rules of the Human Domain. Their sect rules even forbade the needless killing of the innocent and the humiliation of mortals. Of course, there was a crooked additional clause in their rules—bully those stronger than yourself!

Wu Wang pondered for a moment, hesitant, but still told the truth, "Perhaps it was some careless words spoken without thinking on this junior’s part that the Sect Master overheard."

The Grand Elder’s eyes held a trace of curiosity. "What kind of words?"

Wu Wang sighed. "This junior is not quite sure. Perhaps it was the phrase—cultivate for the rise of the Great Wilderness Human race. Or maybe it was that phrase—not only seeking personal transcendence in cultivation. It could also have been that phrase: ’The so-called extreme will lead to the opposite.’ The Destroying Heaven Technique pursues the annihilation of sentiment and desire. But why can’t it be about abandoning personal love to seek selfless greater love and absolute justice? This would truly earn the right to the name of the Destroying Heaven Palace and the Heaven Replacement Palace."

"Grand Elder, Grand Elder?"

The Grand Elder appeared thoughtful, muttering to himself, "Abandon personal love, pursue selfless greater love, abandon personal love..."

Enlightened again? But could he please send me out before having his realization? Wu Wang’s brow furrowed slightly.

"Grand Elder!"

"Marvelous!"

The Grand Elder stood up tall, his eyebrows as if sprouting wings, and declared loudly, "The Destroying Heaven Technique was created by a great general under the command of the saintly Fire Emperor Suiren. How could it truly make cultivators annihilate all sentiment and desire, and only know slaughter! That’s right, it’s about abandoning selfish desires to pursue justice and selflessness! This path can succeed! This path can succeed! It’s a pity that what I practice is Wind Blood Killing, not of the Destroying Heaven lineage... Young friend?"

The Grand Elder, with hands clasped behind his back and a squinting smile, looked a lot more kind and benevolent.

"Would you truly not consider staying here to cultivate? I have not yet taken a disciple, and I am barely in the top hundred of Demon Path experts, ranking in the thirties or forties."

Wu Wang appeared thoughtful, sitting silently for a while before shaking his head with a clasped-fist salute.

"Many thanks for your kind offer, Senior, but this junior would still like to follow the cultivation path and quickly develop divine skills, to contribute to the Great Wilderness Human race."

The Grand Elder nodded with a smile. "That is also good. Thank you for enlightening our Sect Master. Please! I will take you to the nearest mortal city now. If we meet in the future, let’s share a drink and talk!"

This elder was very elegant and had the demeanor of a noble senior. In contrast to a certain senior standing at the pinnacle of the Human Domain—it’s better left unsaid, better left unsaid indeed.

Wu Wang stood up, performed a Taoist bow, feeling as if half a weight had been lifted from his heart...

"Hold on!"

A cry suddenly came from outside the stone house. Wu Wang’s mouth twitched slightly, while the Grand Elder frowned deeply and turned to look outside.

There, a streak of immaculate fairy-like ribbon flashed by, sending a bewildered, scar-faced man flying through the air.

A fragrant breeze approached, and a fairy shadow arched across like a white rainbow.

That graceful figure dashed into the stone house with remarkable speed. Her white dress fluttered ethereally, a veil covered her red lips. Her usually bare feet were now adorned with delicate white boots, and the jade bracelet on her ankle was nowhere to be seen. She landed right next to the low table, her beautiful figure threatening the integrity of the dress; fortunately, it was a crafted magic treasure.

It was none other than Elder Miao.

Elder Miao’s brow held a hint of urgency as she glared at Wu Wang. "We have not yet decided a victor, how can you leave!"

Wu Wang clasped his hands towards Elder Miao and looked straight into her expressive, autumnal eyes, speaking few words and cutting straight to the crux of the issue. "What is this talk of victory or defeat between a senior and a junior?"

Elder Miao’s lips twitched slightly as she calmly said, "The night you blocked my charm technique was indeed my first defeat."

Next to them, the Grand Elder raised his eyebrows but then pondered for a moment, frowning as he said, "Little Miao, why are you wearing so many clothes today?"

"Hmm?"

Wu Wang couldn’t help but show a few question marks on his forehead.

This was the style of the Demonic Sect...

The Blood Demon coughed and, feeling that his words carried a double meaning, calmly changed the subject. "Little Miao, don’t be unreasonable. I have already promised to escort this young friend out of the valley."

Yet, Elder Miao suddenly glared at the Grand Elder, revealing a bit of a young girl’s demeanor, and said with a mix of indignation and coyness, "Dad! If I say no, then it’s a no! He actually underestimated the charm technique I’ve cultivated for so many years. I truly cannot swallow this indignity. If I cannot overcome him, I might as well abandon this method of charm technique!"

So they were father and daughter... Wait, something didn’t quite feel right.

The Grand Elder looked at Wu Wang, his eyes inquiring, as he spoke warmly, "Young friend, what do you say? Have another contest with my daughter? She’s a bit willful and even at her age doesn’t know the meaning of steadiness, but this indeed could affect her Dao heart. This time we’ll stop at the slightest contact. I’ll be listening out here, and if you just shout ’Grand Elder,’ I will come in. What do you think?"

Wu Wang responded solemnly, "Actually, Elder Miao won that night. I merely sat there forcefully maintaining composure, already with my blood boiling."

"Oh?"

Elder Miao took a half step forward, her stature only a finger shorter than Wu Wang’s, now exuding a bit of an imposing presence. "That night, your gaze remained clear and proper, showing no sign of confusion. The boiling of your blood and the turbid yang energy were merely due to your low cultivation level; you were unable to withstand the spell’s invasion. However, your spiritual mind never wavered. Doesn’t this mean that this Elder’s charm technique has been cultivated in vain? If you had been defeated, at least you would have looked like this."

Without looking back, Elder Miao beckoned outside the door.

Suddenly, enchanting music sounded out of nowhere. With a couple of grunts, the man with the scar on his face blushed a deep pink and ran over, breathing heavily as he leaned against the door and let out silly giggles.

The Grand Elder’s face turned cold as he brushed off his sleeves, and a blood-red hand smashed out from the stone hut, sending the man with the scar flying once again.

"What a disgrace!"

Having said this, the Grand Elder shook his head and calmly picked up the scroll Wu Wang had spread out earlier, heading towards the door.

After the Grand Elder thoughtfully closed the wooden door.

"Heh, Wu Wangzi."

Elder Miao’s brows softened, seemingly regaining some confidence. Her speech suddenly turned tender, those communicative eyes smiled, and behind the veil, her red lips whispered softly, "How about we have another match, best two out of three. If you develop feelings for this Elder and become disoriented, then from now on, you will stay and cultivate in our sect. I have taken some interest in you already, and it may not be impossible to take you into my warm chamber in the future. If you truly can resist this Elder’s charm technique again, then I will personally escort you out of the valley. What do you say?"

Wu Wang gave a wry smile. "Senior’s words are indeed full of too much cunning."

"So, will you accept, or will you not? Hmm?"

Elder Miao’s figure swayed gently. Dressed in an immortal’s skirt, she seemed like a warm breeze, her ethereal silhouette appearing around Wu Wang, as mists of pink fog spread out.

Soft sounds, like butter, slipped into the ears.

"Wu Wangzi, in our Demonic Sect, we don’t have so many worldly rules and restrictions. If you stay, I can give you pleasures beyond your imagination."

The seduction had begun.

Wu Wang bowed slightly and smoothly sat down cross-legged. He shook the hem of his robe to cover the areas prone to embarrassment.

He exhaled gently, closed his eyes and stilled his mind, sitting motionless.

Elder Miao’s figure circled around Wu Wang, a wisp of pink breath sneaking into his nostrils. Fantasies burgeoned in the depths of Wu Wang’s heart; the sensation seemed as if...

It was as if his ’little brother’ had started projecting some low-budget films, complete with surround sound.

Within the Spirit Platform, the Yan Emperor Order, now a ball of white flame, trembled gently, warm currents flowing into every limb and bone of Wu Wang.

The various fantasies in Wu Wang’s heart quietly receded. The luxuriant scenes that had just emerged were separated by a thick layer of frosted glass, greatly reducing their power.

Having resisted such charm once before, Wu Wang was now adept at it.

Taking advantage of the Yan Emperor Order’s tacit protection, he imagined picture after picture in his mind, and then stared at them in silent reverie.

There was a beach under the starry sky, and on the nearby cliff that shone with light, a divine wood; on the branches of the divine wood sat a girl, humming a tune and swinging her crystal-clear feet...

Wu Wang just watched, slightly lost in a trance.

’Are you doing well?’

He asked softly in his heart.

Outside, a hint of a smile bloomed on Wu Wang’s lips, filled with warmth.

Elder Miao, floating around him, suddenly stopped, lips pursed, eyes wide, her fragrant shoulders trembling with anger.

Is this the expression of someone under a charm spell? Is this guy really a Condensation Establishment Realm cultivator? How on earth could he resist her spell!

She had cultivated charm arts painstakingly for thousands of years. Ever since reaching minor mastery, she had been invincible. If she were to fail against this man today, she feared being backlashed by her technique—a fate too grim to imagine!

It had come to this! It had come to this!

Elder Miao’s beautiful form soared into the air, her coiled hair cascading like a waterfall, her white skirt unfolding like a blooming flower and drifting away. Her enchanting form shifted from illusory to solid, and the surrounding mist turned into pink veils that wrapped around the stone house, layer by layer.

The scene became hazy, with flower shadows and a faint fragrance emerging from the mist.

In the next instant, Wu Wang’s body tensed up, but he promptly activated the ultimate form of the ice crystal film, and his body’s surface was even layered with mana, making his whole being resemble a statute.

This Elder Miao was somewhat lacking in martial virtue... Was it really okay to make a move directly?

And then:

"Wu Wangzi, why don’t you dare to look at me with your eyes open?"

"I’ve dispelled the spell, how about we have a good talk? You are the first man to withstand my charm, and I have already developed feelings for you in my heart."

"You heartless nemesis, when have I, Miaocuijiao, ever been neglected like this..."

Hmm?

Wu Wang frowned slightly. What had he just heard? Miaocui...

"TCH."

Wu Wang genuinely couldn’t hold back; he laughed quietly.

Laughed, he laughed?!

The pair of jade arms encircling his neck stiffened their motion. Feeling the icy sensation, their owner paused, and those phoenix eyes seemed to flare with an intense red light!

Wu Wang instinctively leaped forward, pressing his entire body against the wall, and looked at the continuously shaking Miaocuijiao.

She almost crushed her silver teeth, squeezing out these words from between them, "Wu Wangzi, don’t push me too far! Do you find my charm technique amusing?"

Wu Wang felt he had indeed been somewhat impolite; after all, they were in the midst of a contest, and he should show some respect to his opponent.

"I just thought of something happy..."

"Stop talking!"

She lifted her head, her expression pitiful, with a slight redness around her eyes. "Yes, I am that useless. In everyday life, they all coddle me, all with feigned affection, all flattering me for my father’s sake. My charm technique is just a joke, right?"

Wu Wang immediately became alert, suspecting this might be the second wave of her offense.

At that moment!

"Hahaha! Hahahaha!"

Laughter erupted from outside the house, causing black lines to form on Miaocuijiao’s forehead. She seemed engulfed by shadows. Turning around angrily, she pushed the window open, pulled back the curtains she had released, and shouted, "Who’s laughing! Believe it or not, I’ll use you for practice!"

The words cut off abruptly because the laughter was followed by a voice, deep and robust, "The Sect Master’s cultivation is accomplished! Hahaha! Now I’m close to transcendence, with only this last great hurdle left! Hahaha!"

Miaocuijiao pursed her lips and took a half step back, looking toward the figure standing on the cliff. Already many figures from all over the sect had been startled by this laughter.

At that moment, thunder roared, beasts howled, and chanting resounded in the heavens and earth. A pitch-black cloud shaped like a treasure pagoda appeared out of nowhere; its insides writhed with lightning, and multiple swirling vortexes frantically absorbed the spiritual energy from the heavens and earth.

An overwhelming majesty filled the air, creating fierce winds within a thousand miles.

Looking at the towering black cloud in the sky, it appeared as though projections of the Heaven Palace were within it. A silhouette holding a longsword stood inside, akin to a natural-born body of the Human race, surrounded by countless animals kneeling in worship, with a backdrop of serpents coiling around.

The shadow of Emperor Shun, the punishment of the Heavenly Emperor!

...

It was a long-known fact to Wu Wang that the path of cultivation in the Human Domain was far from unobstructed.

Before setting foot on this path of cultivation, one’s aptitude, comprehension, and even the region of birth were all obstacles to be overcome.

After stepping onto this path, one would continuously encounter numerous bottlenecks and hardships. If one’s Dao heart wavered, it was easy to produce inner demons. Sometimes, even a couple of minor obsessions could sever one’s cultivation journey.

Personal cultivation and progress were never easy.

In comparison, the Human race living in the other eight wildernesses were relatively more fortunate. By sacrificing some freedom and their beliefs to pray, they could obtain power that rivaled that of cultivators.

Beyond one’s personal hurdles, cultivators must also face two major checkpoints.

They stand before the gates of becoming an immortal and transcending and have reaped the lives of countless talented individuals.

Just like at this moment, the Sect Master of this Demonic Sect was half a step into the transcendental realm. He was pushing open the gates at the pinnacle of the Heavenly Immortal Realm, glimpsing the profound and brilliant level beyond.

And so, this checkpoint was drawn to him.

The attention from all around the Human Domain was fixed on this event, and most of these observers were rather calm.

"This is..."

Miaocuijiao narrowed her phoenix eyes, about to speak, but Wu Wang had already uttered three words, "Human Immortal Tribulation."

"You know of the Human Immortal Tribulation?"

Miaocuijiao sized up Wu Wang thoroughly, her mind now far from continuing the contest of charm techniques and concentration. Anxiously, she looked toward the threatening clouds beyond the formation, as if they were about to crash down. "Why did the Sect Master break through so quickly? Wasn’t he stuck at a bottleneck for thousands of years before this? It’s hard to tell whether he’ll make it through this tough challenge."

Wu Wang couldn’t help but raise his hand to rub his brow.

It should, probably, likely have nothing to do with those few words of his that were ’seemingly right but actually wrong’...right?

BOOM—

The tribulation clouds trembled. A heavy oppressive force emerged between heaven and earth. The sunlight grew dim, the clouds lost their color. All the creatures of these barren mountains and dangerous waters lay prostrate on the ground, quivering.

Look!

Atop the high mountain, the figure stood laughing three times, surrounded by a halo of treasures, then leaped up, heading straight for the tribulation clouds!

This Sect Master truly has a great spirit. Wu Wang inwardly praised.

Near the stone house, the Grand Elder rose to his full height and called out loudly, "Elders, reinforce the protective array! Guard the Sect’s residence! Those in seclusion, come forth immediately. I need two with me to go out and protect the Sect Master! And everyone, keep your distance; getting too close could affect the Sect Master. The power of the tribulation clouds is reckoned by the overall strength of the one facing the tribulation!"

Miaocuijiao glanced at Wu Wang and snorted, "Our battle has not yet determined the victor, just you wait!"

With that, she turned and left, leaping into the air and soaring out of the formation on a magnified handkerchief.

Wu Wang immediately rushed to the window and took out a Jade Talisman, pressing it into his palm. Gazing through the blood-red light of the formation barrier into the sky, he began to make records.

It’s rare but not unheard of to witness ordinary Human Immortals attaining immortality throughout the extensive Human Domain; over time, one could see it a few times.

But witnessing a Human Immortal Tribulation of such a transcendent half-step nature was an opportunity.

This was the chain the Heavenly Emperor imposed on the Human Domain, the best proof that Heaven Palace was incapable of directly obliterating it!

If he overcomes it, he will be transcendent, his lifespan indefinitely approaching the chains of lifespan set by the Heavenly Emperor.

If he fails, his soul will scatter, and millennia of hard cultivation will be ruined in an instant.

Come on, you pretend-foolish Sect Master!

Wu Wang raised his hand to make a fist-pumping gesture as lightning illuminated the protective formation, brightening the entire world.

Heavenly phenomena continued for a while, the heavenly might grew stronger, and the thunder louder!

This was a struggle between a man and heaven and earth, a standoff between one person and Heaven Palace, and furthermore, the fear and timidity of the gods.

The sound of drums rolled, heaven and earth seemed to pour down, fierce beasts howled, and Divine Spirits flickered!

The perimeter of the Crossing Tribulation site had already gathered more than a dozen figures. They were men and women, all elderly, gazing at the site with anxious hearts.

There, the Sect Master of the Great Demon Sect already bore countless wounds, his enormous hand covering the sky, the Destroying Heaven Technique unleashing infinite majesty!

But soon, those dozen figures each sighed and disappeared one after another...

Suddenly, a voice cried out, "The Sect Master has fallen!"

A wail echoed through the valley.

Wu Wang frowned, peering intently at the scene in the sky. He saw the figure that fell from the high altitude like a fallen leaf; he saw the tribulation clouds rapidly dissipate into Spiritual Energy.

This?

Could he not get through it?

Wu Wang flipped out of the window of the stone house, immediately searching for the life-saving Elixir from Elder Shen Nong.

But he had only taken a few steps when figures rose into the sky from the valley, countless people reaching almost simultaneously to catch the Sect Master’s body, now ragged like a torn piece of cloth.

Wu Wang had not anticipated that the first tribulation he witnessed would end in such defeat...

In an instant, hundreds to thousands of figures, whether suspended in the air or finding places to stand, gathered around the rooftop of a building.

On top of the building, the middle-aged Daoist, his body charred to the point of hardly resembling a human, now lay in the Grand Elder’s arms, his breath nearly extinguished.

At this moment, Wu Wang could not afford to care too much, as the loss of such a master was undoubtedly a loss for the Human race.

He took out a bottle of elixirs and tried to squeeze through to the front. However, he was blocked by the silently standing members of the Demonic Sect, and he could not touch those women either.

"I have Spirit Pills! Life-saving Spirit Pills!" Wu Wang shouted loudly.

Behind the Grand Elder, Mao Aowu quickly asked, "Young brother, what kind of elixir is that?"

"It’s useless... The Divine Soul is destroyed... Only the Spirit Light remains..."

The Sect Master spoke as if using all his strength. He opened his eyes to look at the people around him, his gaze landing on Wu Wang as he murmured, "I have failed the young friend’s advice; it is ultimately my lack of strength... cannot withstand this tribulation..."

"How do you know if you don’t try?"

Wu Wang forcefully threw the elixir over. "This was sought from the Human Emperor by a senior before me! He took a liking to me and gave me a few! They are elixirs personally refined by the Human Emperor!"

Mao Aowu held the elixir with both hands, tremblingly pulled the stopper, and poured out three pills imbued with Spirit Light, overwhelmed with joy.

He brought one pill to the Sect Master’s lips, and the Sect Master pulled a pained smile, swallowing it.

As Mao Aowu was about to send the second pill, the Sect Master shook his head slightly, signaling him to look closely.

The power of the medicine spread, but the Sect Master’s breath showed no sign of recovery; the Spirit Light in his eyes still faded slowly but irreversibly.

From the side, the sound of weeping could be heard.

Wu Wang closed his eyes and sighed lightly, all the while searching for the life-saving Praying Star Technique...

Then the Sect Master spoke in a trembling voice, "Grand Elder... the next Sect Master, you... you choose. My fellow Elders, our sect must continue... to defend the edges of the Human Domain... to protect, to maintain the Human Dao... Mao... Mao..."

"I am here! Sect Master, I am here!"

Mao Aowu raised his hand to grasp the Sect Master’s raised left hand. "I know what you want to say, I’ll surely seek revenge for the female cultivator who let you down!"

"Revenge, for what!"

The Sect Master glared, as if experiencing a flash of vitality, his face shedding bits of charred skin as he scolded, "That is the regret of my life. You take the Jade hairpin from the second drawer on the left side of my desk over to her, and also the few poems I wrote! You have to tell her for me that I! I don’t blame her!"

Mao Aowu hurriedly promised.

The Sect Master let out a light chuckle, slowly closed his eyes, and murmured, "In this lifetime, I fought enemies at the border for hundreds of years, my comrades dying in battle while I survived... After succeeding as Sect Master for three thousand years, in the end, I had but a brief glimpse of that realm. How profound, yet... death has come."

At the bottom of his eyes, that bit of Spirit Light completely dissipated.

The hand Mao Aowu was holding slipped away lifelessly.

"Sect Master!"

"Sect Master!"

An elderly woman cried out in sorrow, and those around her joined in with their own shouts and sobs.

Wu Wang stood behind the crowd, took two slow steps back, hands clasped behind his back, staring at the figure of the Sect Master with whom he had spoken late into the night.

Was this the dilemma facing the Human Domain?

The Yan Emperor Order at his Spirit Platform gave a slight jump. Wu Wang suddenly felt something, turning his gaze to the Sect Master’s brow.

There, it seemed a flame was also jumping, but this flame was faint, now condensing into a spark that drifted toward him in a pale vision unseen by others, toward his own Spirit Platform.

This is...

Wu Wang suddenly heard a sigh, and a somewhat blurred image emerged in his mind.

An old man dressed in a straw coat lay in the arms of an elderly woman, his body covered in cracks, worry in his eyes, as he slowly closed them.

The Fire Emperor Suiren?

The image shifted, and there was a tall, strong figure sitting on the Eight Trigrams Disk, with a flame floating before him and the shadows of the River Diagram and the Luo Book floating around him, frowning as he calculated the divinations.

Fu Xi, the Heavenly Emperor.

Then, in the firelight, there appeared an old figure he knew all too well, barefoot, walking on a scorched and blackened mountain range, gazing at a bustling town in the distance, with endless scorched earth behind him.

’Alas, who comes and where do they go.’

Had the Yan Emperor Order undergone many changes compared to before?

As these images flowed past, that spark of Spirit Light had already flown into Wu Wang’s Spirit Platform, not causing any sensation in Wu Wang, and flew straight into the Yan Emperor Order.

The flame of the Yan Emperor Order seemed to grow stronger by a thread.

[Passing on the torch, the will of the Human race.]

’It’s your turn.’

Someone seemed to sigh.

This is...

"This is?!"

The already breathless Sect Master suddenly murmured, his eyes snapping open, his gaze piercing through the crowd, staring fixedly in Wu Wang’s direction. He suddenly raised his hand, shouting, "Pass the position of Sect Master to him!"

The few who were pointed out were immediately flustered, not knowing what to do.

The Grand Elder hastily asked, "Pass to whom? Who?"

"To Wu Wangzi, pass the position of Sect Master! To Wu Wangzi! You must protect him fully! You must... protect him fully!"

THUD!

The Sect Master’s arm once again slipped and fell to the ground. His entire body suddenly disintegrated, turning to ash in the arms of the Grand Elder.

All eyes turned towards Wu Wang, and the entire valley fell eerily silent.

Wu Wang, though, looked down at his chest. He suddenly remembered the conversation he had with Senior Shen Nong in the wooden hut before they left the great formation. Senior Shen Nong had tapped his chest, and the firelight from the Yan Emperor Order had turned transparent, completely concealing his aura.

He had previously thought that Senior Shen Nong’s intervention was merely to conceal his aura, allowing him to cultivate safely in the Human Domain.

But at this moment, he suddenly understood...

His Yan Emperor Order, at that time, had already undergone a transformation.

However, what mattered now was the current situation that needed an immediate response; he couldn’t simply take on such a heavy responsibility without understanding.

Wu Wang sighed, his voice low and sad, softly saying, "My fellow cultivators, please restrain your grief. I have already caused enough disturbance here."

With those words, he bowed to where the Sect Master’s body had scattered, wiped the corner of his eye, then turned and steadily walked away.