The First Sect Master

The Great Xia government named the ruins the Immortal Ruins.

"The Immortal Ruins are located in a small mountain near Dayan County. Locals call this mountain Waste Mountain. The mountain has few resources and the scenery is unremarkable, so locals don't come to Waste Mountain much."

"Preliminary exploration suggests it is a relic from the late High Antiquity period."

Before heading to the ruins, Yun Zhi briefly introduced the ruins to Lu Yang and the Immortal Fairy.

Our current understanding of High Antiquity times is 70% based on records from our ancestors and 30% on the excavation of relics from the Great Qian Dynasty.

Because of the nameless High Antiquity people refining the stars, there are very few relics from the High Antiquity period, and most of them are incomplete and offer almost no useful information.

Lu Yang, however, was different; his understanding of the High Antiquity times relied entirely on the Immortal Fairy.

After listening to his senior sister's introduction, Lu Yang opened his mouth, looking quite hesitant.

"What is it?"

"Is it necessary for us to introduce the ruins while eating hot pot?"

The hot pot in front of Lu Yang was bubbling away, and there were plates of beef on the table. According to the restaurant owner, these were cuts of beef such as brisket, chuck, three-flower shank, five-flower shank, and offal platter... Lu Yang had never imagined that the different parts of the cow could be divided into such detailed categories.

Across from Lu Yang eat with a blank expression, putting Lu Yang under considerable pressure.

It's like being executed now; we might as well just go to the Immortal Ruins.

Beef hot pot is world-famous, and diners here come specifically for the hot pot. However, the ethereal and otherworldly aura of the senior sister clashes with the atmosphere of this hot pot restaurant, causing many people to involuntarily turn their gazes toward Lu Yang and Yun Zhi, curious about their identities.

A careful observer would notice that although the man and woman were talking, not a single word they were saying could be heard clearly. This was not a simple soundproofing array, but a deeper spell, close to a Law Technique.

Yun Zhi picked up a piece of beef from the pot, dipped it in satay sauce, slightly opened her mouth, and put the beef into her mouth. Her movements were so elegant that they didn't seem like she was eating hot pot, but rather like heavenly materials and earthly treasures.

"Beef hot pot is a specialty of Dayan County. Since you've come all this way, you should try the local cuisine to enrich your experience. You have a free-spirited personality and are destined to walk the path of worldly cultivation; this is also part of your spiritual practice."

Yun Zhi paused for a moment, then continued, "And let's also celebrate your successful advancement to the Golden Core stage."

As she spoke, Yun Zhi raised her teacup and clinked it against Lu Yang's.

Lu Yang was flattered and carefully picked up the teacup.

After the meal, the two left the restaurant. Lu Yang savored the taste of the food and had to admit it was really delicious.

Just as Lu Yang was about to ask where they were going next, he felt his senior sister grab his collar.

The eldest sister took a step forward, the space distorted, the scene changed, and she went directly from the restaurant entrance to a desolate abandoned mountain.

"This is true shrinking the distance to an inch!" the Immortal Fairy exclaimed excitedly.

Spending so much time with Lu Yang, she almost forgot that true shrinking of the earth is a spatial Law Technique, not something that involves burrowing into the ground.

On the abandoned mountain, government troops set up camp, ready for battle. These were the elite troops of the Great Xia Dynasty, all of whom possessed cultivation and could form a military spirit array to fight the enemy.

The Immortal Ruins are the birthplace of the Immortal Cult, and the imperial court cannot afford to ignore them.

"Could it be Fellow Daoist Yun Zhi in person?" An old general, clad in heavy armor and exuding decisiveness, approached, each step accompanied by a heavy thud from his armor.

The old general had already received word that the Ask Dao Sect would send people here to explore the immortal ruins.

He commands this elite army, capable of fighting even cultivators at the Tribulation Transcendence stage, and holds a significant position in the court.

But he dared not rely on his power to be arrogant in front of Yun Zhi.

The reason is simple: he had the privilege of witnessing Yun Zhi's skills firsthand.

At the same time, he was also wondering whether the imperial court wanted to explore the immortal relics or demolish them after inviting Yun Zhi over.

Yun Zhi nodded, without saying anything more.

The old general fixed his gaze on Lu Yang, a young cultivator who had just formed his core. He didn't understand why Fellow Yun Zhi had brought him along.

The old general didn't ask any questions. Since it was Fellow Daoist Yun Zhi who brought them, there was no need to interfere.

Could he possibly stop Yun Zhi?

"This way, please." The old general gestured for Yun Zhi to enter the Immortal Ruins.

The soldiers who witnessed this scene were secretly wondering who the newcomer was that made the general treat them with such seriousness.

The eldest princess? The first princess? A certain great cultivator in the Tribulation Transcendence stage?

The soldiers were of extremely high quality. Even if they had doubts, they did not show them. Instead, they remained steadfast in their duties and practiced how to fight the enemy.

The old general led the two to a cave, deep and pitch black. "This is the place. According to the members of the Immortal Cult, more than ten thousand years ago, the first leader of the cult was inspired by an immortal immortal. Through a stroke of luck, he came to this place in his dream and saw two old men playing chess. One immortal was an immortal immortal, and the other immortal was High Antiquity nameless person."

"The first leader was captivated by the game of chess. When the game ended, the two old men and the chessboard disappeared together. The first leader awoke from his dream and found himself unknowingly walking into the mountains, arriving at the entrance to the Immortal Ruins."

"But according to our investigation, the above experiences were all fabricated to exaggerate the origins of the Immortal Cult. The only thing that they have in common with the actual situation is that the protagonist is the first leader of the cult."

"The actual situation is that the first leader of the sect illegally logged timber here to sell. He was discovered by the imperial court and imprisoned for fifty years. After his release, he reviewed his criminal experience, summarized his lessons, and actively improved. He then specifically studied the <Tree Planting Technique>, planting and uprooting trees simultaneously, and quickly mastered the <Tree Planting Technique>."

"When he pulled out one of the ancient trees, he discovered a deep, unfathomable cave beneath it. He was greatly surprised, so he bought a personal accident insurance policy and went to explore the cave."

"Then he discovered the Immortal Ruins, learned of the existence of Immortal Immortals, and obtained several Immortal Treasures. He was greatly inspired and felt that making Spirit Stone by forming a cult was faster than cutting down trees."

"This is also reflected in criminal law; the former is punishable by death, while the latter is punishable by imprisonment."

"Establishing the Immortal Cult was also fraught with difficulties, including insufficient funds and manpower."

"If you don't have enough funds, take out a loan; if you don't have enough manpower, find someone from the prison who is a fellow religious leader. The first leader overcame numerous difficulties and finally established the Immortal Cult."

"... How did you manage to investigate such a detailed account of his experiences?" Lu Yang thought the first leader's experiences were truly extensive, enough to fill a book.

The imperial court is impressive; they were able to conduct such a detailed investigation.

"Oh, investigating these things isn't difficult; after all, he wrote a memoir."

The old general pulled a book from his pocket. "This is it. I've been reading it like a novel lately, it's quite fun."

Lu Yang: "..."

You still think you've achieved great success, don't you?

The old general added, "Later, the second-generation leader usurped power, killed the first-generation leader, and fraudulently claimed the first-generation leader's insurance compensation."