The Powers Gather, Qian Daoliu and Tang Chen

The next day, in Sunset Forest.

Black Dragon Mountain.

"Hurry up, hurry up! Get a move on!"

"That's premium Heart-Calming Tea. Easy with it, kid."

"I'm warning you one last time: the people coming today include experts from Spirit Hall and the two great empires, Heaven Dou and Star Luo. If you mess this up, all the resources you receive will be cut in half from now on!"

Black Dragon Mountain was a hive of activity. Today was the Black Dragon Sect's Sect Founding Ceremony.

Everyone in the sect was busy as could be.

Besides the descendants of the original Holy Dragon Sect members, the smaller sects that had joined only recently were busy as well.

Even as they worked, confidence flickered in their eyes.

The mountain had been sealed for two hundred years. As disciples of the sect, they had long wanted to show the continent Black Dragon Mountain's present splendor.

After all, with more than ten Titled Douluo, it was hard to resist showing off!

Just as the people out front were bustling about, a group of ice-blue figures suddenly appeared.

All the arrivals were under twenty, with youthful, adorable faces. They wore ice-blue dresses that half concealed their fair, slender jade legs, and their delicate pink feet were nestled in crystal shoes.

They were members of the Tianshui Family, who had joined the sect not long ago.

The male Soul Masters present were entranced, the work in their hands forgotten.

They stared fixedly at the beauties of the Tianshui Family...

Under their gazes, the woman at the center of the Tianshui Family group slowly stepped forward.

At the entrance to Black Dragon Mountain, she spoke to a middle-aged man.

"Uncle Hu, the sect master ordered us to serve as hostesses and welcome the other sects. You can go back to your work."

"Huh?"

The man called Uncle Hu froze for a moment, then immediately bowed. "Understood, Miss Shui."

He waved a hand and led the previous hostesses away.

As he left, he marveled inwardly that the sect master really was impressive!

Meanwhile, outside Sunset Forest.

The first group to arrive consisted of members of the Star Luo Imperial Family.

"Weiheng, what was Black Dragon Mountain thinking? Who chooses to build a sect in a forest? And it's crawling with Soul Beasts. They've been making noise all along the way. It's so annoying, I'm speechless."

A young woman clad in black leather pants muttered nonstop.

The woman complaining was named Zhu Zhuyu, the current crown princess of the Star Luo Empire.

Hearing his wife's complaints, Dai Weiheng could only shake his head helplessly. He couldn't make sense of Black Dragon Mountain's decision either.

He then turned in puzzlement to a Titled Douluo wrapped in black.

"Uncle Li, what do you make of this?"

From beneath his black robes, Uncle Li said in a hoarse voice, "Crown Prince, to tell the truth, this old man can't make sense of Black Dragon Mountain's actions either. But one thing I can say for certain is that this is the only sect on the continent built in a Soul Beast forest!"

With that, the members of the Star Luo Empire stopped chatting and continued on their way.

Following the coordinates in the letter, they arrived at the entrance to Black Dragon Mountain in the central region of Sunset Forest.

Black Dragon Mountain's signboard was simple and unadorned, made of nothing more than Ten-Thousand-Year Blazing Fire Vine.

Even the Star Luo Empire's offering narrowed his eyes at that.

Tuo Ba Yun had made a high-profile announcement that day, accompanied by more than ten Titled Douluo. Who would have thought his everyday style was so understated?

Beneath the signboard, ice-blue figures appeared and said in sweet voices, "Welcome, guests from the Star Luo Empire, to witness our sect's ceremony."

At the sound of their lovely voices, all the male disciples from the Star Luo Empire looked over. In an instant, they were captivated, their faces flushing slightly, for the members of the Tianshui Family were simply too beautiful.

Dai Weiheng, however, frowned.

He blinked and took a few more looks, confirming that his eyes weren't deceiving him.

Members of the Tianshui Family?

It seemed the rumors were true. The Tianshui Family really had joined the Black Dragon Sect.

He wondered what expressions the Heaven Dou Imperial Family would wear when they arrived. He could hardly wait to see!

His lips twitched. He offered a token greeting to a few of the Tianshui beauties, briefly held their hands, and bowed in a show of gentlemanliness before entering Black Dragon Mountain.

Time passed, and another group arrived, dressed in splendid clothes.

The man leading them had long golden hair cascading over his shoulders and wore golden ceremonial robes. His eyes held a presence that looked down upon all beneath heaven.

It was Qian Daoliu, the current master of Spirit Hall.

This was still five hundred years before the events of the original story. Qian Daoliu had yet to become a Limit Douluo, but he was already a terrifying Level 98 Super Douluo.

More than a dozen figures stood behind Qian Daoliu.

There were six Titled Douluo and eight Soul Douluo. Only Spirit Hall could field a lineup like this.

Seeing the people from the Spirit Hall Empire arrive, the members of the Tianshui Family immediately bowed.

"Welcome, guests from Spirit Hall, to witness our sect's ceremony."

"You're too courteous," Qian Daoliu said mildly. His golden eyes, each marked by a tear mole, glanced at the entrance to Black Dragon Mountain. Without another word, he entered the sect.

Meanwhile, the various sects arrived soon afterward.

All of the Lower Four Sects came.

Then the Upper Three Sects arrived together: the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, and the Clear Sky Sect.

Their sect masters came in person, except for the Clear Sky Sect. Its current sect master had not come; instead, the previous sect master, Tang Chen, had arrived.

The moment he arrived, he shouted, "Where did that old thing Qian Daoliu go?"

"Reporting to Clear Sky Douluo, Sect Master Qian has already entered the sect."

"All right, I understand."

The last group consisted of the Heaven Dou Imperial Family and the various Elemental Sects.

The Elemental Sects had not joined the Heaven Dou Imperial Family, but they had always been on good terms with it.

They had come together this time.

Before leading the princes into the sect, the Heaven Dou Imperial Family's offering cast a long look at the members of Skywater Academy, his eyes full of complicated emotions.

All the members of the imperial family entered the sect and took their seats, while the sisters from the other Elemental Academies stayed behind.

"Shui Ling'er, how did you—how did your family suddenly join the Black Dragon Sect? Isn't that going against the Heaven Dou Imperial Family?

"Yeah, exactly! The Heaven Dou Imperial Family has been furious lately, saying that our Elemental Academies broke faith and abandoned our loyalty."

"That's right, Ling'er. What's so good about this place? Soul Beasts are everywhere. One careless moment and you could lose your life..."

Listening to the familiar chatter of her companions, Shui Ling'er gave a bitter laugh. "This was all the family head's decision. There was nothing we could do.

"Besides, I've recently discovered that the Black Dragon Sect is quite nice. There's plenty of heaven and earth origin power here, and life energy is abundant. Cultivating Soul Power takes half the effort for twice the result. It's not as bad as you say..."

"Hey, Ling'er, don't you know Spirit Hall has gained more than ten new Titled Douluo recently? And I heard the Heaven Dou Imperial Family has also added quite a few offerings.

"At a time like this, as neutral sects, we should sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight. How could you make such a decision so easily?"

"All right, Sister Lie Wu, I'm only a sect disciple.

"Those decisions were ultimately the sect master's to make. You should hurry and take your seats."

As Shui Ling'er sighed helplessly, the people from the Elemental Academies shook their heads.

They entered the sect.

And with that, Black Dragon Mountain's Sect Founding Ceremony officially began.

Clad in golden robes, Tuo Ba Yun slowly stepped out, his gaze looking down upon all beneath heaven, his strides like a dragon's and a tiger's.

Accompanying him were Long Aoyang, Lin Wanqing, and many others who had obtained Ferocious Beast Martial Souls.

"Silence!" a master of ceremonies shouted, and the gathering fell quiet.

Tuo Ba Yun said in a deep voice:

"Black Dragon Mountain has been sealed for a hundred years. Today, we establish our sect. Thank you all for coming to offer your congratulations...

"From this day forth, the Black Dragon Sect stands! May our sect's flame be passed down forever, and may Martial Souls endure for all time!"