Chapter 890: Meeting the Younger Senior Brother
Chapter 890: Meeting the Younger Senior Brother
The merger of the three sects was now a fait accompli, but the specific measures, due to the enormous scale involved, still needed to be implemented step by step.
The fusion of the sects had to be gradual.
Initially, it started with the elders giving lectures to each other.
Then, the disciples began to visit each other, fostering greater interaction and exchange.
Disciples from Taiyi Sect and Chongxu Sect visited Taixu Sect to tour and exchange knowledge.
Meanwhile, disciples from Taixu Sect could freely visit Taiyi Sect and Chongxu Sect.
Mo Hua naturally joined in these visits.
Although Old Master Xun had advised him to avoid drawing too much attention and to stay within Taixu Sect, the merger of the three sects meant that Taiyi Sect and Chongxu Sect were now part of Taixu Sect. Therefore, visiting them didn't count as leaving Taixu Sect.
Moreover, Mo Hua had never been inside Taiyi Sect or Chongxu Sect before. He had only glimpsed them from a distance.
He was eager to see the inner workings of these two sects.
Thus, Mo Hua joined the Taixu Sect disciples on a tour of the Taiyi and Chongxu mountains.
He was surprised to find that both Taiyi Sect and Chongxu Sect seemed larger than Taixu Sect.
Especially Taiyi Sect, with its majestic and imposing presence, resembled a mighty dragon, exuding an extraordinary aura.
Chongxu Sect, while not as grand, was adorned with towering pagodas and cloud-like eaves, its green and blue glazed tiles gleaming under the sky, and its sword qi piercing the mist, creating a grand and majestic atmosphere.
Combined with the ancient and elegant Taixu Sect, the three sects shared a common heritage but each had its unique characteristics.
Mo Hua couldn't help but feel a sense of awe.
He couldn't help but wonder, if the three sects, even divided, could still maintain such a formidable foundation and rank among the Eight Great Sects, what must the ancient sect have been like before the split?
It must have been a colossal force, mighty enough to command respect and even fear from the Daoist Court...
Mo Hua felt a deep longing as he thought about it.
As he toured the mountains, his mind was filled with these thoughts.
During his visit, Mo Hua also ran into Linghu Xiao and Ouyang Mu.
The two were not opposed to the merger of the three sects.
Because of Mo Hua, Linghu Xiao and Ouyang Mu had become very familiar with the Taixu Sect disciples, even more so than with their own sect's disciples.
Moreover, Mo Hua, the "Younger Senior Brother" of Taixu Sect, had saved their lives in the Myriad Demon Valley, forming a bond that had been tested by life and death.
With the merger of the sects, they could now openly follow Mo Hua more frequently.
Mo Hua was naturally very happy.
The group greeted each other and chatted for a long time.
After the conversation, Mo Hua continued his tour. As he was about to leave Taiyi Sect and return to Taixu Mountain, he encountered Ouyang Feng.
They naturally chatted for a while.
After some discussion, learning about the current situation from Ouyang Feng, Mo Hua was surprised to ask, "Senior Brother Feng, are you about to leave the mountain for travels?"
Ouyang Feng nodded, looking somewhat ashamed, "In the Sword Duel Competition, I couldn't maintain Taiyi Sect's ranking among the Eight Great Sects, disappointing the expectations of my seniors."
Mo Hua shook his head, "Senior Brother Feng, how can this be your fault?"
A good fence needs three stakes, and a good man needs three helpers.
Sword duels are different from array competitions; they don't rely on a single person to turn the tide.
During the Lipstick Boat incident, Taiyi Sect lost most of its elite disciples and faced the encirclement of the Four Great Sects. In such dire circumstances, even if Senior Brother Feng had risked his life, it would have been futile.
Anyone in his position would have faced the same helpless situation.
Moreover, Senior Brother Feng didn't follow the path of extreme aggression.
He was deeply cultivated, steady and reliable, with a broad range of skills.
He could attack and defend, advance and retreat, support and cover, serving as both a vanguard and a rearguard.
While he wasn't the best in any single aspect, he was a "jack-of-all-trades" who could adapt to any situation and fill any gap.
Because of this, he relied more on having suitable teammates.
He needed a well-coordinated team and a tailored strategy to fully leverage his strengths.
Unfortunately, with the loss of Taiyi Sect's elite disciples, those conditions were no longer available.
The result was predictable. In the Sword Duel Competition, Senior Brother Feng had to handle both offense and defense, overextending himself and ultimately failing to excel in either.
Mo Hua felt a deep sense of regret.
If Senior Brother Feng had teamed up with him for the competition...
Using array formations, Mo Hua could have enhanced all of his abilities, and with the support of a few more teammates, he would have become a "six-sided" warrior, capable of competing with the top prodigies of the Four Great Sects.
But it was too late...
The merger of the three sects came too late.
And Senior Brother Feng was a year ahead of him, making it impossible to form a team.
Mo Hua felt a profound sense of disappointment.
"Senior Brother Feng, are you leaving the mountain now?"
Ouyang Feng shook his head, "Not yet, I still have some matters to attend to, but..."
He looked at Mo Hua, sincerely praising him, "I never imagined you could outperform the Four Great Sects and win the top spot in array formation."
I often feel that I already knew you, Mo, were outstanding, but I never expected you to be even more incredible than I imagined..."
Mo Hua blushed a bit under the praise, waving his hands in modesty. "Just luck, that's all. It's not a big deal."
Ouyang Feng chuckled.
After a moment of contemplation, he let out a long breath and sighed, "Indeed, there are always higher mountains and better people out there. Being confined to the studies of the Qian Academy has limited my horizons and knowledge."
"I should go out and experience the vast world."
"Uh-huh!" Mo Hua nodded in agreement.
When he traveled with his master, he learned a lot.
Cultivating for a hundred years, reading ten thousand books, and traveling a thousand miles.
Sometimes, if you don’t venture out, open your eyes, and see the vast world, your perspective can remain narrow, and you might not truly understand the way.
He wanted to travel more and see more when he had the chance.
But...
Mo Hua asked, "Senior Brother Feng, aren't you going to wait until you reach the Core Formation stage before you go out?"
"Waiting until Core Formation to travel would be a bit late," Ouyang Feng replied. "Whether in a noble family or a sect, once you reach Core Formation, you are considered a pillar of the community. You’ll have to take on responsibilities, manage affairs, or guard a region, leaving little free time."
"Moreover, traveling as a late Foundation Establishment cultivator is not much different from traveling as a Core Formation cultivator. Both can only move within the Second Rank State."
"Newly ascended Core Formation cultivators who venture into the Third Rank State, especially those with lax governance by the Dao court and rampant evil cultivators, face greater dangers."
"Furthermore, reaching Core Formation isn’t easy. Most cultivators fail many times before succeeding."
"And to form a high-quality Core, you can’t rush it. You need to prepare thoroughly and solidify your foundation."
"Isn't it like laying the foundation during the Qi Condensation stage?" Mo Hua asked.
Ouyang Feng shook his head. "It's more difficult than Qi Condensation. After all, this is Core Formation. Even in large noble families or major sects, Core Formation is a significant milestone, a major hurdle in cultivation."
"Advancing means a vast horizon, while falling back can confine you for life..."
"Ah..." Mo Hua nodded solemnly.
Ouyang Feng looked at Mo Hua, a bit worried, and said, "Junior Brother Mo, I have a few words that might sound abrupt..."
Mo Hua nodded. "Senior Brother, go ahead."
Ouyang Feng spoke sincerely, "Junior Brother Mo, you should pay more attention to your cultivation. Spiritual energy foundation is very important."
"Your various skills are impressive, even to me, but your spiritual energy is too weak, which is a drawback."
"The more advanced you become, the more this will be a problem."
"For instance, during the Sword Discussion Conference, you will face multiple intense battles, which consume a lot of spiritual energy. If your spiritual energy is weak, you’ll be at a disadvantage from the start, and you might deplete it after just one or two battles."
"In cultivator battles, sometimes the final push is not about the superiority of techniques but about who has a deeper spiritual energy foundation. If your spiritual energy is strong, you can last longer and win. Otherwise, even the strongest techniques will be useless if you can’t outlast your opponent."
Ouyang Feng had deep experience with this.
During this Sword Discussion Conference, the Taiya Sect had a numerical disadvantage, and he often lost due to being "drained" of spiritual energy.
"Also, have you thought about your life-bound magical treasure?" Ouyang Feng asked again.
Mo Hua shook his head, speaking honestly, "I haven’t figured it out yet."
Choosing a life-bound magical treasure was a tricky issue.
He had no lineage, no top-tier magical tools, and no time to nurture one from a young age.
Even his cultivation techniques were unique, with a distinct system that deviated from the norm. Some techniques were even learned through unconventional means, leaving no precedent to follow.
Thus, most of the life-bound magical treasure traditions in the Tai Xu Sect didn’t suit his cultivation and abilities.
Mo Hua had thought about this issue when he had the time, but he couldn’t come up with a good solution.
Moreover, he had many things to learn—sword techniques, array formations, body techniques—and his free time was limited, so he had to put the matter of the life-bound magical treasure on hold.
Ouyang Feng said seriously, "For Core Formation cultivators, a significant part of their abilities relies on their life-bound magical treasure. Crafting a high-quality, life-bound magical treasure that fuses with your spirit and body is almost as important as forming a high-quality Core."
"It’s best to start planning early..."
Ouyang Feng laughed, "I might be overstepping, but I hope you won’t take offense, Junior Brother."
Mo Hua shook his head, "Not at all, thank you, Senior Brother Feng."
These words indeed gave him a wake-up call.
Some things needed to be addressed sooner rather than later, and he should start preparing in advance.
Proper planning leads to success, while lack of planning leads to failure.
He didn’t want to reach the Core Formation stage without having a clear plan for his life-bound magical treasure.
They chatted for a while longer, and then Ouyang Feng bid farewell. Before leaving, he requested, "Xiao Muten is my only younger brother. He is quiet and resilient, but lacks flexibility. I hope Junior Brother Mo will take good care of him in the future."
Mo Hua confidently said, "Little Mu will be under my care, Senior Brother Feng, rest assured!"
Ouyang Feng couldn't help but smile, then his expression turned serious. He bowed to Mo Hua and said, "This journey will be long and arduous, lasting for many years. Junior Brother Mo, we shall meet again in the world of martial arts."
Mo Hua felt a pang of reluctance but also bowed, "Senior Brother Feng, we shall meet again in the world of martial arts!"
The two parted ways.
For several years after that, Mo Hua didn't see Ouyang Feng again within the Tai Xu Sect.
Senior Brother Feng must have embarked on his solitary journey, traveling far and wide.
Mo Hua felt a sense of loss but could only silently wish him a smooth journey...
...
After some time, after several exchanges among disciples, teachings from the elders, and the sharing of merits and orders, the plan for the unification of the three sects gradually took shape.
The process on the Dao Court's side had finally reached its final stage.
Once the Tian Quan Pavilion, the central hub of the Dao Court, stamped the final seal, the matter would be settled.
At that point, there would no longer be separate sects like Tai A, Chong Xu, and Tai Xu. Instead, there would only be the unified "Three Mountains, One Line" major sect—the Tai Xu Sect.
Inside the Tian Quan Pavilion.
Several main officials were chatting inside the pavilion.
Before them, piles of scrolls and jade slips filled the room, almost encompassing all the sects that had reached a certain scale and were officially recognized and ranked by the Dao Court.
All matters related to the ranking, demotion, promotion, naming, renaming, and removal of these sects were decided by the Tian quan officials.
Therefore, the officials of the Tian Quan Pavilion wielded great power, but also had an extremely busy workload.
At the moment, several main officials were discussing the unification of the Tai Xu Sect's "three sects merging into one."
In the center of the pavilion, an "elder" sat.
This elder had a wooden expression, a stiff demeanor, and skin like withered wood, resembling a living puppet, mechanically stamping the various scrolls.
The other main officials chatted among themselves, paying no attention to this "elder."
...
"Regarding the unification of the Tai A, Chong Xu, and Tai Xu Sects in the Qianxue territory, they will merge under the name of the Tai Xu Sect..."
"This matter has been delayed for a long time. The elder has spoken, and it must be completed today."
"But it's just some follow-up work. The higher-ups have already given their approval, so we don't need to make the final decision."
"We are just main officials; we don't have the authority to make such decisions..."
"At least we should aim to become a chief supervisor."
"What are you talking about, becoming a chief supervisor is not something you can just decide. To be honest, most cultivators are already exhausted by the time they become main officials. Don't even think about becoming a chief supervisor. Even if you manage to get there, without the necessary ability, you won't be able to maintain the position."
"Our chief supervisors in the Tian Quan Pavilion are still better. Unlike the Tian Shu Pavilion, which manages array formations and involves heavenly secrets. Without some endurance, even if given the position of chief supervisor, you wouldn't dare to take it, or you'd definitely suffer great misfortune."
"The Tian Quan Pavilion isn't easy either..."
"Alright, let's stop talking about this and focus on our work."
The pavilion fell silent for a while.
However, the work was tedious, and after a bit of time, someone spoke up again:
"The Tai Xu Sect... Speaking of which, in this era, are there really separate sects willing to break their own ranks and merge? What's their motive?"
"They probably can't sustain themselves anymore..."
"I heard that in the Qianxue territory, they are recently undergoing reforms, with frequent changes and intense competition among sects. They are likely to fall out of the top eight sects soon, which is why they are forced to merge and seek a way out."
"That makes sense..."
"Why change the system when everything was fine? It just adds so much unnecessary trouble."
"Men die for wealth, birds for food. Sects are the same; the power struggles within are beyond our comprehension as outsiders."
"That's true..."
"But since the three sects are merging, why use only 'Tai Xu Sect' as the name?"
"That's simple. The Tai Xu Sect is currently the largest and highest-ranked. Haven't you heard that the Tai Xu Sect has produced an array prodigy..."
"Prodigy?"
"Haven't you heard?"
One official shook his head, "I've been working overtime lately, busy with the war in the Southern wilderness, and haven't heard anything."
Someone else asked, "What prodigy?"
"You're really out of the loop," the previous official said, "In the Qianxue territory, during the array formation competition, a Tai Xu Sect disciple suddenly emerged. At the mid Foundation-building stage, he drew a peak nineteen-line array formation, winning the array formation championship."
"This matter even spread to our Dao territory..."
"Mid foundation building, a nineteen-line array formation? It must be fake."
"Impossible..."
"Spiritual senses can't be cultivated, so if it's natural, it's impossible to exceed that much. There must be something fishy. I don't believe it..."
"Even in our Dao territory, the central hub of the nine territories, with its talented individuals, it's unlikely to have such a prodigy..."
"You're exaggerating."
"Are the sects in the Qianxue territory so lacking in knowledge? Don't you know that exceeding the third stage in spiritual senses means a lot? How can you believe such absurd things?"
"Are the sects in the Qianxue territory trying to create a momentum for a prodigy, exaggerating too much?"
"Indeed, I don't believe it either."
Several main officials shook their heads.
"Some say, 'But the chief examiner of the Array Conference comes from the Tianzhu Pavilion in Daozhou. You can doubt the Qianxue Sect, but you can’t possibly question the Tianzhu Pavilion, right?'
"That’s true..."
"Did we misjudge?"
"Are you serious? Fourth-rank Array Masters? They can’t possibly misjudge. They know more about arrays than the number of documents we’ve reviewed..."
"Then could it be... a true genius?"
"Hard to say..."
"By the way," one of the officials asked, "What’s the name of this prodigy?"
An official pondered, "I think... his surname is Mo, and his name is... Mo Hua?"
As soon as he said this, the official shuddered and paled.
The others wanted to ask him more but were taken aback by his appearance. "What’s wrong?"
"Why are you so pale?"
The official, still shaken, pointed upwards, "I feel like... that puppet just looked at me."
Everyone turned to look and saw the expressionless "elder" in the center, still mechanically stamping documents one by one.
"What are you talking about? It’s a puppet, not a person..."
Another official said, "Be careful with your words. According to our Tianquan Pavilion’s rules, we should respectfully call it 'Lord Puppet'..."
"There’s no one else here, why be so formal?"
"Fine, fine, even if we call it Lord Puppet, it’s still just a puppet, right?"
"No, I really felt like... Lord Puppet just looked at me..."
"Don’t be ridiculous. Why would Lord Puppet look at you for no reason?"
"Well, I..."
"Alright, alright," an elderly official said, "Let’s stop the chatter and get back to work. We need to finish handling the merger of the three sects in Qianxue State."
"The Southern Wastelands are tense, and there are frequent disturbances in the sects. In a few days, we’ll have even more to deal with. There’s no time for leisure."
"Indeed..."
"Mr. Xia is right."
"Let’s finish these trivial matters quickly..."
The group fell silent and began to process the documents more efficiently. As the sky grew dark, they finally completed their tasks.
The elderly Mr. Xia respectfully handed the document detailing the merger of the three sects to the puppet elder in the main seat.
The elder treated everyone equally and stamped the document.
However, no one noticed that the elder’s lips moved slightly, producing a faint "creak," like the sound of cracking a pine nut.
...
After the Tianquan Pavilion’s approval, the merger of the three sects was finalized.
Tai Xu Sect was now teeming with people.
Disciples from Tai A Sect and Chong Xu Sect, now known as Tai A Mountain and Chong Xu Mountain, gathered in the grand courtyard of Tai Xu Mountain for the first joint assembly after the merger.
Since Tai Xu Sect was the leading sect after the merger, all such assemblies would be held at Tai Xu Mountain.
The assembly was grand and solemn.
Disciples from Tai A Mountain in golden-yellow robes, Chong Xu Mountain in azure-blue robes, and Tai Xu Mountain in black and white robes, gathered together in a dense crowd, creating a majestic scene befitting a major sect.
The three sect leaders also gave their routine speeches, urging their disciples to unite and diligently practice.
After the grand opening ceremony, the new and grand Tai Xu Sect, encompassing the three mountains and over ten thousand disciples, was officially born.
The next day was the array theory class.
Mr. Xun gathered all the mid-Foundational Stage disciples from the three mountains at the Daoist courtyard on Tai Xu Mountain.
"From now on, I will be teaching you arrays."
Mr. Xun’s voice was aged, "However, I have many responsibilities, so on regular days, Mo Hua will teach the array theory to the disciples of Tai A, Chong Xu, and Tai Xu mountains."
"Mo Hua, come here." Mr. Xun waved his hand.
Mo Hua nodded and walked to the center of the courtyard.
Mr. Xun addressed the disciples below:
"This is Mo Hua. From now on, he will be your ‘Little Senior Brother’ and will teach you array theory on my behalf."
"Come, greet your Little Senior Brother..."
All the disciples from Tai A Mountain and Chong Xu Mountain were stunned.
While they weren’t familiar with Mo Hua, they had heard of him. Many had even witnessed his brilliant performance at the Array Conference, where he dominated and won first place in array theory.
Though Mo Hua looked young and didn’t seem like a "senior brother," no one dared to question it, especially since it was Mr. Xun’s order.
Thus, in the vast courtyard, thousands of disciples from the three sects bowed in unison, saying:
"Greetings, Little Senior Brother!"
"Greetings, Little Senior Brother..."
The chorus of "Little Senior Brother" echoed like a mighty river, resonating through the ancient Tai Xu Mountain, lingering in the air for a long time.
Mo Hua thus became the common "Little Senior Brother" of the merged sect, a symbol of unity and respect among the disciples of the three mountains.
(End of Chapter)
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