The old man's expression was melancholic. One couldn't deny the strong impact of his words. Coupled with the influence of his cultivation realm, many disciples seemed to envision the chaotic times of the past.

However.

More than half of the disciples present gasped in shock.

Their eyes filled with astonishment; their master's cultivation wasn't bad, but hadn't inherited the sect?

Could he be referring to the current Sect Master? Meaning, the master mentioned by this old man...

Is the previous Old Sect Master? The master of the current Sect Master? Doesn't that make him the same generation as the Sect Master?

Before everyone could finish their speculations, the latter part of his words made the disciples present shiver slightly.

"Alas, later on, Master passed away due to injuries, and it was Senior Brother who took over. Though Senior Brother's cultivation wasn't as exceptional, he was extremely good at management. I have to say, Yuan Shan learned quite a few of his strengths in managing the sect. With the gradual pacification of the wars in the Cultivation World."

"Eventually, the formation of the Eight Sects was established."

"From then on, we siblings would collect magic treasures and search for secret techniques whenever possible, trying to reclaim the lost sect inheritance. Among the Grotto Heaven realms, my siblings and I have explored quite a few, scavenging many good things for the sect."

"Little Gu, the Earth-shaking Spear in your hand was brought to the sect after we encountered and killed a demon in the Earth Demon Cave Heaven."

The expression he directed at Gu Miyun bore a smile, as Zhang Shanyuan exuded complete geniality and wisdom when facing grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Yet this statement also made many disciples, including Gu Miyun, stand at attention on the spot.

"Hiss~ Master Gu's master was just his senior brother, and the Sect Master has lived for seven hundred years, so he must be..."

Everyone present couldn't help but have such a thought flash through their minds.

Some well-read disciples almost bit off their tongues. In the history books they had perused, detailed records of the Twelve Sects of the Central Plains were seldom seen, as these events occurred a thousand years ago!

The books mostly mentioned the three-hundred-year chaos the Cultivation World underwent, where four of the Twelve Central Plains Sects were destroyed, eventually forming the current Eight Sects structure.

Three hundred years.

The Cultivation World fought for a full three hundred years. What sort of concept is this?

Most frighteningly, the old man standing before them was a personal experiencer of those times, someone who climbed out from the mountains of corpses and seas of blood and survived to this day.

Just the thought of this was somewhat suffocating, yet the old man simply smiled indifferently.

"Let's not talk about these matters."

"Compared to the past, the sect is much more prosperous now. The reason our Purple Cloud Palace stands to this day is that we continually rely on sect disciples to roam and collect various treasures, slay demons, and establish ties with the Immortal Pavilion, assisting one another."

"Disciples who are capable will bring back what they've gained to nourish the seedlings not yet grown. When, in a hundred years, these seedlings grow into towering trees, it will be you who shelter the juniors from the storm, guiding their cultivation techniques and heritage."

"For eight thousand years, the sect has been this way. Among the more than a hundred standing here today, a significant number are eligible to join the Phoenix Heavenly Cave expedition in two years."

"Should you have fortuitous encounters, make good use of them yourself. Should there be no fortune..."

"Please bring the opportunity back to the sect. There will always be someone fated to encounter it in the future."

Everyone listened intently.

Even though Jiang Feng's whole body ached, he made sure to sit up straight. Once, he had viewed joining the sect as akin to an employee joining a company, with both parties bringing what was needed, mutually beneficial, and creating value.

But with the passing of time, through trials of life and death, his mindset changed.

Which company would see their employee get into a car accident outside and then fly in continuously for four days and nights, swapping shifts to desperately bring them back, and use the world's best medical equipment?

No one would do it, only a sect.

A sect is like a true big family, though there may be conflicts and comparisons, no matter what, they always stand united against external threats, always treating disciples as the juniors and descendants to nurture. Even for outer disciples, most have a suitable divine skill they can cultivate.

Even if you are a useless person, as long as you can chop wood and start fires on this mountain, handle errands and convey messages, the sect would still ensure you have a meal to eat.

From the first generation of disciples, they passed down their true teachings to the next generation, waiting for the juniors to grow, and then recruited disciples as those once-protected disciples became teachers themselves. They ventured out to seek treasures to nurture new saplings.

Generation by generation, the cycle continued. He finally understood why Senior Sister never cared much for material possessions; as long as he asked, she wouldn't hesitate to toss him the Tangxi Sword.

It was her way of reciprocating the "family", of valuing heritage, repaying the kindness of being nurtured, and holding herself accountable.

The expression was somewhat dazed.

He had always thought that people of this era were feudal, superstitious, and rigidly fixated on a system of grand clan inheritances and so-called sacrificing individual interests, merely brainwashing and exploiting others.

But now he finally saw clearly that these sect disciples weren't forced into risking their lives to bring treasures back to the sect; they did so willingly. If one didn't want to hand over their finds, pretending nothing happened, no one would check your Qiankun Bag.

There were no moral constraints. What brought everyone together was a unified moral standard, including the items in their possession, all once retrieved through painstaking effort by predecessors.

Only thus is true cultivation, the co-cultivation of the Great Path.

"Enough."

"In the two pavilions of scriptures and treasures, there will not be any treasures above Earth Rank; all treasures above Earth Rank are among these."

"Not only magic treasures and weapons, but also inheritances, and even many predecessors' relics, the spoils of past battles, all of which you will find in the Yuan Gathering Building. Apart from the rewards promised by the sect, you all will have the chance to touch these treasures, to see if any of the past predecessors favor you."

This statement made everyone's eyes light up.

Zhang Shanyuan was adept at stirring the hearts of these young ones, and he laughed as he added, "But don't be too pleased; according to sect rules, even if some treasures fancy you, you cannot take them away, only temporarily record your name."

"After all, with your current cultivation realm, even if inheritance treasures were handed to you, it would be difficult to utilize them effectively. If you ventured outside, it may even bring misfortune upon you."

"When you reach the point of transcending the Nascent Soul to enter the Divinity Transformation, I myself can safely allow you to take treasures from the Yuan Gathering Building."

Clearing his throat, he continued.

"That's all I have to say; I hope you all will diligently cultivate."

"The top ten, follow me into the Yuan Gathering Building. You ten will take turns choosing in order, no fighting or quarreling. If two desire the same item, ownership will be decided by rank."

"You all have no objections, I assume."

The old man's deep voice sounded once more.

The many disciples shook their heads, finally snapping out of their shock. The old man turned around with a smile, pushing open the doors of the Yuan Gathering Building. The pagoda itself wasn't large, perhaps even a bit petite.

Three stories, wooden structure, appearing very old and never repaired; even upon opening the doors the interior was dim and empty, making one doubt whether this so-called Yuan Gathering Building was truly as legendary.

It wasn't mandatory,

not

But

likely a certain elder within the sect who had been secluded and unseen for many years.

Curious eyes were cast from the standing old man in front of the Yuan Gathering Building. People of their generation had never seen Zhang Shanyuan, nor knew of his identity,

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