"Dazhi?"
"Oh! Sect Leader, what brings you here?"
Li Dazhi sprang to his feet, then bowed alongside the nearby elders and Deacons.
The Sect Leader of the Myriad Cloud Sect maintained the appearance of a middle-aged man. His voice was gentle when he spoke, his gaze mild when he looked upon others, and he rarely lost his temper within the sect. He was deeply beloved by the sect's disciples.
Rumor within the sect said that the Sect Leader was not far from Golden Immortal longevity and would very likely become the sect's fourth Golden Immortal.
—People had said the same thing about the previous Sect Leaders while they held office.
The Sect Leader's given name was Lu Mo. His Daoist name simply had a "Yun" added to it, and he called himself Daoist Yun Mo.
"Junior Brother Dazhi, come this way."
"Yes."
Li Dazhi cupped his hands toward the surrounding elders and Deacons, then instructed them:
"Please see to the transfer arrangements. Make sure nothing goes wrong over at Colorful Cloud Peak."
The immortals cupped their hands and accepted the order.
Li Dazhi hurried after the Sect Leader and boarded the same cloud as him. They circled through the high skies.
Under the guidance of more than a hundred Outer Sect Deacons, the sect's disciples and guests from friendly sects moved in an orderly fashion toward Colorful Cloud Peak, forming three long rivers across the sky.
"Junior Brother Dazhi," the Sect Leader said with feeling, "you did truly well with this grand competition. You have rendered great service to the sect."
The Sect Leader cast a faint veil of Dao resonance around them, making it impossible for others to overhear their conversation.
Li Dazhi tucked both hands into his sleeves and smiled. "It was the result of everyone working together. I merely nagged in their ears a little more than usual. It hardly counts as any merit."
"I have watched every word and deed of yours."
The Sect Leader's expression became rather complicated, and he clicked his tongue softly.
"Leaving everything else aside, the way you sat there and spoke to the elders and Deacons made you look more like a Sect Leader than I did."
Li Dazhi's heart skipped a beat.
Oh no, oh no!
The Sect Leader was warning him!
Li Dazhi hurriedly said, "This... Sect Leader, please do not misunderstand. I was simply flustered and did not know how to handle things, so in my haste, I put on a bit of airs. Actually..."
"Why are you panicking?" The Sect Leader nearly laughed aloud. "I truly am praising you. There is no deeper meaning. You should stop being so restrained all the time and show some of the bearing of an Ancestor's disciple."
Li Dazhi let out a breath of relief.
"Look."
The Sect Leader watched the white clouds drifting past in the distance and smiled.
"Five Sect Leaders came today, from the Kuiyuan Sect, Phantom Spirit Sect, Crimson Flame Gate, Hundred Fruit Mountain, and Sky Abyss Gate. They are all upright Immortal Sects with which our Myriad Cloud Sect shares deep ties. If any one of us suffers a calamity, the others will lead their people to lend aid.
"There are also Vice Sect Masters and elders from quite a few other sects. They have given our Myriad Cloud Sect considerable face.
"In the past, our inner sect competition was held roughly once every twenty years, without any fixed date.
"You were right. We should establish a fixed date from now on, so it will be easier to invite these guests in advance.
"Junior Brother Dazhi."
"I'm here," Li Dazhi promptly replied. "Please speak, Sect Leader."
The Sect Leader sighed. "Most of these sects have been friends with us for twenty or thirty thousand years. Do you know how many sects have vanished without a trace since then, and how many have now reached the brink of disappearing?"
Li Dazhi smiled. "I truly have not looked into that."
"Sixty percent. Sixty percent have disappeared."
The Sect Leader's eyes were filled with reflection.
"The three sects closest to our Myriad Cloud Sect—the Kuiyuan Sect, Sky Abyss Gate, and Wild Goose Valley—have all fallen into decline. Yet their decline occurred only over the span of a few thousand years."
Li Dazhi asked softly, "Was it because of some upheaval?"
"Upheavals are one aspect. The main cause is that the sects themselves could no longer sustain themselves."
The Sect Leader smiled.
"The cultivation world is simply like this. When new Heavenly Immortals arise, new powers begin to grow. Though the Eastern Continent is vast, the finest immortal blessed lands are limited in number.
"Especially over the past two or three thousand years, fewer and fewer Ancient Ruins from antiquity remain. The Hundred Races were taken in by the Two Sect Masters of the Western Teachings and retreated to the Western Continent, coming into conflict with our human race less and less.
"Then came the changing of powers within the human race, mutual conquest, the deaths of old experts, and the rise of new ones...
"Ah, though it is our human race slaughtering itself, is that not also the great Dao of heaven and earth?"
The Sect Leader's eyes were full of melancholy.
Li Dazhi sighed. "Ping'an has mentioned this before. If a sect wishes to endure for a long time, it must use all kinds of methods to preserve its cohesion. Once people's hearts scatter, the sect will soon decline as well."
"That is true," the Sect Leader said, then asked, "then do you know how our Myriad Cloud Sect has stood firm for more than sixty thousand years?"
Li Dazhi pondered for a moment before giving his answer. "We have the Outer Sect."
"Oh?" A little more light entered the Sect Leader's eyes. "Why do you think so?"
Li Dazhi: Because the Myriad Cloud Sect's Outer Sect was established by you back then.
Naturally, he could not say that.
"That is rather easy to explain."
Li Dazhi smiled.
"A sect can be regarded as a business—cough, as a dye workshop. Cultivation methods and Dao lineages are the dyes, while the disciples' cultivation realms are the cloth. When dyeing cloth, it cannot be stretched too tightly. The most important thing is controlling the water temperature.
"Once the disciples put on their colorful clothes, they become immortals and members of the sect.
"At that point, a problem arises. How should these increasingly numerous sect members be placed, and how should they be supported?"
The Sect Leader's smile grew more obvious. "Go on."
"Placement is more important than support. Supporting them is actually quite simple—one need only find more ways to earn money."
Li Dazhi cupped his hands, his voice becoming increasingly animated.
"If there are too many sect members, while the workshop remains only so large and there are only so many places that need workers, things will gradually become crowded. Then they may easily gather and cause trouble.
"The people doing the work will look at those idle people and become dissatisfied. Even those who could work will gradually become lazy.
"But if there are too few sect members, when other workshops deliberately come to cause trouble, you will not have enough hands to fight them. If you get bullied and cannot strike back, many people will consider finding another workshop.
"That is an upheaval.
"There is another point. The workshop's wages are the foundation maintaining all of this. Even if these sect members do not directly help with the work, they must still have a regular supply of wages."
The Sect Leader slowly nodded, carefully considering his words.
After making a few preparations in his mind, Li Dazhi continued to speak eloquently.
"When Ping'an and I discussed the sect's structure, I realized that the senior who established the Myriad Cloud Sect's Outer Sect was simply a genius.
"After our Myriad Cloud Sect's Outer Sect was established, it directly set the hierarchy within the sect, allowing disciples and sect members to calmly accept the resource divisions brought by their aptitudes.
"The Outer Sect runs shops in Market Towns, manages mortal dynasties, and handles miscellaneous tasks at the mountain gate. This both accommodates a great many sect members and disciples and greatly increases our sect's wealth.
"Using wealth to support people is an eternal principle."
"Hahahaha!"
The Sect Leader could not help throwing back his head in laughter. He waved his hand repeatedly.
"It is not quite as impressive as you describe, Junior Brother. The method of establishing the Outer Sect was something I learned elsewhere."
Li Dazhi blinked. "Ah? You established the Myriad Cloud Sect's Outer Sect?"
"Ah."
The Sect Leader sighed and spoke slowly.
"Our Myriad Cloud Sect encountered a great upheaval ten thousand years ago. Before it happened, there were fifty-four peaks in the sect.
"Just as you described.
"At the time, the Myriad Cloud Sect appeared to be flourishing, but in truth, as the immortals of each peak grew increasingly numerous, the sect's financial resources, which relied only on Spirit Mines near the mountain gate and shops in Market Towns, could no longer sustain the welfare of its members. In the end, it gave rise to the great disaster of internal conflict.
"Fortunately, three Golden Immortal Ancestors traveling beyond the heavens returned in time. Only then were they able to suppress the chaos, set things right, and return to the root of the problem.
"The three Ancestors tearfully executed several old Heavenly Immortals. Our Myriad Cloud Sect fell from fifty-four peaks to Thirty-six peaks, and our ranking among the sects of the Eastern Continent dropped to beyond the top ten. Before that, our Myriad Cloud Sect had been one of the eight great sects of the Eastern Continent.
"I was entrusted with this responsibility in a time of crisis. For these ten thousand years... I have walked on thin ice. At last, the Myriad Cloud Sect before us has recovered its Primordial Qi."
Ten thousand years?
Li Dazhi raised a thumb.
He truly admired this Sect Leader.
He had nearly fallen into depression after managing a factory for just over twenty years. Senior Brother Yun Mo had led the Myriad Cloud Sect for ten thousand years, bringing a sect ravaged by internal strife to its current prosperity. It had truly not been easy.
The Sect Leader changed the subject. "Junior Brother Dazhi, if our Myriad Cloud Sect wishes to continue developing, what path do you think we should take?"
Li Dazhi thought for a moment and smiled. "Expansion is difficult. It would be better to preserve what we have."
The Sect Leader asked again, "Then do you think the Outer Sect needs any changes going forward?"
"Some, at least."
Li Dazhi said gravely.
"The Outer Sect's main problem right now is that its accounts are not particularly clear. Many immortals within the sect have grown too fat. Quite a few shops in the Market Towns have chaotic accounts and a tendency toward reckless purchases, causing the loss of many spirit stones.
"Of course, these are all minor problems for us."
The Sect Leader asked curiously, "When did you notice these things, Junior Brother?"
Li Dazhi grinned. "Ping'an told me."
"Oh?"
The Sect Leader looked down at the river of disciples traveling through the sky below and found the young Daoist walking alongside Mu Ningning.
Li Dazhi hurriedly said, "Sect Leader, you know the rumors within the sect. They all say that I intend to do this and that, so Ping'an has always worried that I might be plotted against. He has been gathering all kinds of information about the sect... Please take a look at this. Ping'an wrote it."
Li Dazhi handed a Jade Talisman to the Sect Leader.
The Sect Leader took the Jade Talisman and swept his gaze over it. His eyes filled with light.
It was the planning document Li Ping'an had prepared for the sect's grand competition.
"Junior Brother Dazhi," the Sect Leader said in a low voice, "you mean..."
"Sect Leader, after seeking me out today and telling me all this, I more or less understand your intentions."
Li Dazhi smiled.
"It is not that I am praising my own son, but he truly is far more capable than I am in this regard. I merely have some fortune and some aptitude.
"It is as if he has a few more wits than I do."
"In that case, you father and son are both indispensable to our Myriad Cloud Sect."
The Sect Leader smiled as he returned the Jade Talisman to Li Dazhi, patting Li Dazhi on the arm.
"Cultivate and work with peace of mind. There is no need to concern yourself too much with the noise within the sect. Once your treasured son becomes an immortal, he will naturally be entrusted with important responsibilities.
"However, Junior Brother Dazhi.
"For now, it would be best for Ping'an to remain behind you, lest he invite criticism. Do not mention this Jade Talisman to others either."
"Yes, of course. I merely wanted to give you the full picture."
Li Dazhi quickly cupped his hands.
"Ping'an is a Daoist Obsessive. All he thinks about is cultivation.
"We father and son have no other ambitions. We are already content merely to establish ourselves in the sect. Even if someone intends to target us, we will do our utmost to consider the greater good."
"What do you mean, establish yourselves? The Myriad Cloud Sect's future will most likely depend on the fortune you bear."
The Sect Leader smiled.
"Come, I will introduce you to these Sect Leaders.
"The phenomenon from your aptitude test in Wan'an City has already spread throughout the cultivation world. We no longer need to hide the news that our Myriad Cloud Sect has gained a Bearer of Great Fortune.
"Entering the Dao in middle age, becoming an immortal in three years!
"I cannot wait to see their astonished expressions! Hahahaha!"
Li Ping'an watched from afar as Old Li was led by the Sect Leader to the center of Colorful Cloud Peak's viewing platform, where he exchanged greetings with the various outside guests.
Clearly, because this sect competition had been organized so vividly, his father's position within the Myriad Cloud Sect had become a little more secure.
"Senior Brother," Mu Ningning said beside him, "let's go greet the senior sisters from Colorful Cloud Peak!"
"You go," Li Ping'an instructed. "Stay over there afterward. If you remain here with me, you may be targeted."
Mu Ningning blinked. "Senior Brother, aren't you coming over?"
Li Ping'an: ...
They were all female disciples over there. If he went, he would indeed stand out too much.
"You are also a disciple of Colorful Cloud Peak."
Suppressing her laughter, Mu Ningning leaned close to Li Ping'an's ear and spoke mysteriously.
"Several senior sisters said yesterday that they wanted you to come meet them today. They even prepared a welcome gift for Colorful Cloud Peak's new disciple!"
A welcome gift? What kind of welcome gift?
A little pink dress?
Seeing Mu Ningning's expression, Li Ping'an somehow felt it was unlikely to be anything good.
Li Ping'an glanced at the formation of Colorful Cloud Peak disciples.
The disciples and sect members of Colorful Cloud Peak occupied nearly half the eastern cloud wall. At a glance, they gathered like flocks of orioles and swallows, plump and slender alike, like a hundred flowers blooming in rivalry.
—These days, there were no ugly female cultivators, only female cultivators too lazy to make minor adjustments to their appearance.
"It is not very convenient for me to go over. Forget it."
Li Ping'an said softly.
"Junior sister, help me deal with them. Tell them that after the competition, I will definitely visit Colorful Cloud Peak.
"I will wait here for the matches to begin."
"All right, then." Mu Ningning puffed out her cheeks. "I'll say Senior Brother is too shy and thin-skinned, so they can just give the welcome gift to me!"
Li Ping'an said, "Listen carefully for the Deacons calling out. Since we came up from the Human Ranking, we should be the first to take the stage."
"Mm, then I'll go over first. See you later, Senior Brother~"
Li Ping'an waved with a smile as Mu Ningning drifted away.
The handover between the arenas of Xuyun Peak and Colorful Cloud Peak was completed smoothly.
Calling it a handover was really just the spectators changing venues. The old Deacons carried their tables and chairs to the Colorful Cloud Peak grounds, after which the Peak Master of Colorful Cloud Peak appeared to offer encouragement to the disciples.
That was the overall process.
The rules for the Earth Ranking battles were far more detailed than those for the Human Ranking, and those rules... had been written by Li Ping'an.
Colorful Cloud Peak wanted the Earth Ranking to have a few more matches, so the sect's disciples could enjoy a little more excitement there.
To satisfy the organizers' small request and make the Earth Ranking battles last longer, Li Ping'an brought out the esports tournament rules he often studied.
Next, the sixty-odd disciples would first compete in six rounds of "points matches." The top thirty-two would emerge from the points matches and enter group round robins divided by region, where the top sixteen would be decided before advancing to the final elimination rounds and championship match.
For this grand competition, Li Ping'an's personal goal was to break into the Heaven Ranking and enter its top fifty.
The main thing was making his master happy.
Master didn't come?
Li Ping'an looked around and quickly found the elegant figure meditating in a corner of the viewing platform.
The area within half a zhang of Qing Su seemed to have become forbidden ground. No one stepped forward to exchange pleasantries with her, and amid the quiet, there was a faint loneliness.
She did not seem very good at chatting with people.
As Li Ping'an pondered this, Wei Yanzi wandered over, squatted beside him, grabbed his arm, and sent him a voice transmission.
"Ping'an, do you want to open the matches? Go for the first prize or something.
"All the elders of the sect are watching. If you, at the Light Condensation Realm, can keep defeating stronger opponents, you'll definitely leave a deeper impression on the immortals of the sect.
"All the disciples of Colorful Cloud Peak are over there—so many beautiful female cultivators... And you look damn handsome when you wield a spear."
"Deacon, let's draw lots according to the rules."
Li Ping'an truly did not know whether to laugh or cry.
He was not some lust-crazed lecher, and he had long passed the age of wanting to show off in front of the opposite sex.
"I understand. Ah, what a wonderful opportunity!"
Wei Yanzi looked regretful as he strolled away.
As soon as the Origin Immortal steward left, Li Ping'an was about to continue quietly regulating his breath when a voice transmission suddenly slipped into his ear.
He did not recognize the unfamiliar voice.
It said:
"Little Ping'an, work harder in the Earth Ranking battles. If you can enter the top ten of the Earth Ranking, this poor Daoist will give you a few treasures afterward."
Who was this?
Calling him Little Ping'an right off the bat—was that polite?
Suddenly, gongs and drums thundered through heaven and earth, while melodious strings drifted among the clouds.
The Earth Ranking battles had officially begun!
Before you continue