The Sect's Guiding Principle Was One Word: Lie Low

Just as everyone in the Eastern Domain was still reeling from the shocking news of the Mysterious Yellow Emperor's Mausoleum appearing,

another equally explosive piece of news spread from the Eastern Domain's two Supreme Dao Holy Lands!

The Immortal Ranking!

The contest for Immortal Positions would begin once more!

The titles of the Nine Great Immortal Sects of the Eastern Domain would be revoked!

The Nine Great Immortal Sects of the Eastern Domain would be selected anew. This time, Yaoguang Holy Land and the Sun Moon Divine Cult had invited the Ancient Families and hidden sects that had only just emerged from seclusion to take part.

The Immortal Ranking contest—and the title of one of the Nine Great Immortal Sects—determined who had a voice across the Eastern Domain.

Now that the ancient clans and hidden sects had decided to emerge, they certainly wouldn't miss an event this important.

What's more, they would do everything they could to claim one of the Nine Great Immortal Sects' places!

Of course, the two Holy Lands couldn't simply revoke the current Nine Great Immortal Sects' titles on a whim.

Yaoguang Holy Land and the Sun Moon Divine Cult each sent influential figures to the various immortal sects to explain the situation.

The Eastern Domain was now in turmoil. Primordial Races, Ancient Families, and hidden sects had emerged one after another, each with deep foundations and formidable strength.

Some even had what it took to be called a Holy Land; all they might lack was an imperial weapon.

So the influential Holy Land figures tasked with persuading them had laid out a very practical problem for the current Nine Great Immortal Sects' leaders.

Their foundations and sect strength were no longer enough to secure their foothold. At the very least, some of them no longer deserved a place among the Nine Great Immortal Sects.

If they insisted on clinging to their positions, they would surely become thorns in the eyes of ancient clans and hidden sects. Those powers wouldn't let them off.

If your strength didn't match your status, it was best not to stand in the spotlight.

Otherwise, you'd be the first to die!

Naturally, the current Nine Great Immortal Sects were unwilling to accept this. Their ancestors had fought tooth and nail to earn those titles when the last Immortal Ranking opened thousands of years ago.

And now they were supposed to hand them over just like that?

It was hard to swallow.

But...

Reason told them that the two Holy Lands were asking them to relinquish their titles for their own good.

Otherwise, they might face the destruction of their sects someday!

Of course, those among the current Nine Great Immortal Sects who believed their strength was sufficient could still enter this Immortal Ranking contest.

If they were strong enough, they could still become one of the Nine Great Immortal Sects.

But aside from Yaoguang Holy Land and the Sun Moon Divine Cult, who would dare claim they could take on ancient clans and hidden sects with lineages stretching back at least hundreds of thousands of years?

News that the Immortal Ranking would open again naturally reached Kaoshan Sect as well.

Daoist Xuanhe personally emerged from the Ancestral Land and descended upon Kaoshan Sect, summoning the elders and Peak Masters of the Seven Peaks for a meeting!

The main hall of Kaoshan Peak was packed. Nearly every elder still at Kaoshan Sect had come. Most of those absent had urgent business and had left long ago.

At a glance, Kaoshan Sect's Seven Peaks had more than a hundred and thirty elders, all with cultivation at or above the early stage of the Divine Infant Realm.

There were many more than a few months earlier, when Ghost Nether Mansion had attacked Kaoshan Sect.

Sect Master Yuntian and Daoist Xuanhe sat at the front. The Peak Masters of the other six peaks sat on either side, while the elders of the Seven Peaks filled the seats below.

They watched Sect Master Yuntian and Daoist Xuanhe in silence.

The revocation of the Nine Great Immortal Sects' titles was a major matter. The influential figure from Yaoguang Holy Land, sent to persuade them, had only just left.

Daoist Xuanhe had then emerged from the Ancestral Land and called this meeting!

Sect Master Yuntian glanced over the crowd, his expression calm. "The title of one of the Nine Great Immortal Sects has been taken from us, undoing the efforts of Kaoshan Sect's ancestors from thousands of years ago. What do you all think?"

At this, several elders bristled with indignation, unhappy with the two Holy Lands' actions.

With just a few words, they had stripped away the fruits of their ancestors' labor. Their forebears had shed plenty of blood just to earn a place among the Nine Great Immortal Sects!

"Master, I believe the Nine Great Immortal Sects' titles have become empty names. Having ours taken away is a good thing."

True Lord Gouyuan wasn't worried in the least. He shook his head with a faint smile, speaking with a knowing air.

"Oh?"

Sect Master Yuntian smiled and looked at True Lord Gouyuan. "Peak Master Gouyuan, what do you mean?"

True Lord Gouyuan said, "Though Kaoshan Sect has deep foundations and fears no trouble, the Kaoshan Ancestor's guiding principle is summed up in one word: lie low. We may not fear trouble, but we should avoid it."

"If we insist on keeping the title of one of the Nine Great Immortal Sects, then once the Immortal Ranking opens, our sect will become a thorn in the eyes of all the newly emerged ancient clans and great sects."

"To protect ourselves, we'd have no choice but to reveal our strength, display our foundations, and intimidate them."

"Wouldn't that go against our sect's guiding principle? We'd be laying our foundations out in the open for the whole world to see. How could we keep lying low after that?"

"Even if we didn't need to use our full strength."

True Lord Xiaxuan picked up the thread and nodded. "That's right. Senior Brother Gouyuan makes a good point. The title of one of the Nine Great Immortal Sects is certainly important."

"For thousands of years, that title has made things easier for us. When other sects heard we were Kaoshan Sect, one of the Nine Great Immortal Sects, they would cooperate at once and do as they were told."

"But if we have to keep exposing our foundations and fight the Ancient Families and hidden sects to the bitter end for a mere title, I don't think it's worth it."

"With the Kaoshan Ancestor watching over us, he would surely find this unwise too. It goes against our sect's guiding principle!"

Sect Master Yuntian nodded with a smile. True Lord Gouyuan and True Lord Xiaxuan had said exactly what he wanted to hear.

Indeed, the title of one of the Nine Great Immortal Sects was important.

But the sect's guiding principle was more important!

On the surface, Kaoshan Sect had existed for tens of thousands of years and had only reached sixth place among the Nine Great Immortal Sects.

But that was only on the surface.

Now the Eastern Domain was about to change, with many Ancient Families and hidden sects appearing.

If they wanted the title of one of the Nine Great Immortal Sects, then let them have it.

There was no need to reveal their strength and fight them to the death.

From now on, Kaoshan Sect might no longer be one of the Nine Great Immortal Sects, but its strength and foundations would remain.

Whoever the newly selected Nine Great Immortal Sects might be, if anyone dared to use that title to bully Kaoshan Sect,

they would be asking for trouble!

An elder from Limitless Peak rose to his feet. His face was tight with frustration and anger as he spoke:

"Master, Martial Uncle Xuanhe, Peak Masters, that isn't what we're angry about."

"It's that the two Holy Lands don't take us seriously at all. The elder from Yaoguang Holy Land who came to persuade us had his nose so high in the air, acting as if we were beneath him."

True Lord Wuji shot a glance at an elder from his own peak. He hadn't expected such a childish notion, and reprimanded him. "Wuya, did you forget the sect's guiding principle that Peak Master Gouyuan and Peak Master Xiaxuan just explained?"

"Even I, with my foul temper, haven't gotten angry, yet you're the one leading the protest."

"Lie low—that comes first. Isn't it perfect if our enemies look down on us?"

"The more they look down on us, the harder we'll strike back."

"Our Kaoshan Sect wants those newly emerged powerful clans and great sects to look down on us. If they've got the guts, let them come take us on. We'll dig up their ancestors' graves!"

At that last line, Elder Wuya smiled too. "I was being foolish. You're right. If I got angry over this, it would mean I lacked confidence in our sect and looked down on myself."

Sect Master Yuntian nodded with a smile. "All right. You've all heard what the Peak Masters and elders just said."

"They're right. The title is important, but the sect's guiding principle is more important."

"Others may look down on us, but we have to believe in ourselves."

"Kaoshan Sect doesn't go looking for trouble, but we don't fear it either."

"We haven't forgotten that the Sun Moon Divine Cult invaded our sect. We just haven't settled the score yet."

Sect Master Yuntian's words stirred even these several-hundred-year-old men, filling them with fervor and restoring their faith in the sect.

His words made it clear that the sect's foundations ran deep.

They feared no one!