Chapter 259: New Jiushan Sect

The disciples of Jiushan Sect in Lei Chi were in low spirits.

"Senior Brother Sun… can we still get out?"

Standing beside Sun Daoyu, Zhou Ganfar asked softly.

At these words, the hundred or so disciples around turned to look.

Now, Senior Brother Pang and Sister Zhang have returned to the sect.

Zheng Fa and Senior Brother Huang, among others, have entered the Heavenly Stele.

These Jiushan Sect disciples have been nearly left to fend for themselves.

Sun Daoyu looked around at his fellow disciples and sighed inwardly—

Lei Chi is relatively safe, but utterly uninhabitable.

Even within Lei Chi, they must tread carefully, avoiding areas thick with lightning, leaving them almost no time to cultivate.

Not to mention the mental pressure.

On the other hand, they must still block the secret realm's entrance of the Great Freedom Demon Cult…

These past days, all of you fellow disciples must be utterly exhausted.

"I don't know."

Looking at Zhou Ganfar's hopeful face, Sun Daoyu shook his head gently.

"Before our Master left… he told us those things," Zhou Ganfar said, lowering his head. "We can't go back, can we?"

Sun Daoyu opened his mouth, but fell silent, only raising a hand to pat Zhou Ganfar's shoulder.

This was why his fellow disciples were so despondent—even though Zheng Fa and the others hadn't told them everything.

But these people were all elite disciples of Jiushan Sect.

Who couldn't see it?

The Sect Master left, Senior Brother Pang left, and finally even Sister Zhang left…

Zheng Fa and Senior Brother Huang have been frowning daily, rushing about without a moment's rest.

They crouch in Lei Chi, daring not to show their heads.

Everyone knows Jiushan Sect may have reached its moment of life or death.

"Actually, Jiushan Sect wasn't that great either."

Sun Daoyu was startled and turned to the speaker—it was Senior Brother Yang, formerly under Sister Zhang.

They had some past disputes, but lately things had improved, though their interactions still felt slightly awkward.

"The Sect Master does nothing, and Senior Brother Pang is biased."

"Sister Zhang always has a stern face, and Senior Sister Yuan acts on whims."

Senior Brother Yang continued muttering.

"The marketplace is crowded and full of trouble, noisy every day, exhausting."

"Zheng Fa likes to tinker with new things, wasting energy, even more exhausting."

"At first I followed Sister Zhang, then Senior Sister Yuan, and finally had to follow Zheng Fa—I've spent half my life like a beast of burden."

As Senior Brother Yang spoke, the others' expressions varied.

"But… I want to go back…"

Sun Daoyu suddenly felt nothing was awkward anymore.

They were all the same.

He wanted to go back too.

…

Qian True Person from Qianhe Sect now lingered slightly apart, clearly distant from the original Jiushan Sect disciples.

He couldn't help feeling regret—

Who could have imagined that just as he boarded Jiushan Sect's ship, it was about to sink?

He glanced at the few disciples around him; they clearly shared the same thought, their eyes holding faint blame toward him.

Qian True Person took a deep breath and suppressed his inner unease.

He reflected inwardly—

In Qianhe Sect, Qianhe Sect collapsed.

Now he's come to Jiushan Sect, and Jiushan Sect is about to fall…

Is it not Jiushan Sect that's failing, but himself?

…

"Fellow disciples… our being here is due to our Master's and the Sect Master's favor," Sun Daoyu said softly. "Some disciples never had the chance to come here—what might have become of them?"

The other disciples nodded, clearly understanding his words were true.

"Even if the sect may now face annihilation, the Sect Master hasn't left, my Master returned, Sister Zhang returned…" Sun Daoyu said hoarsely, "Only we, unworthy disciples, have been left here…"

"…"

"I don't know what you think, but I can only speak for myself… I want to go back, I want to cultivate freely. But I… am willing to stay in Lei Chi for my whole life…"

As he spoke, he looked around at his fellow disciples.

Sun Daoyu's words gradually calmed the faces of the senior disciples.

"Before our Master left, he told me: they guard Jiushan Sect's land, we guard Jiushan Sect's people…" Zhou Ganfar added, "As long as even one of us lives, Jiushan Sect still exists."

"So, I'm afraid of death."

"…"

Zhou Ganfar looked at Sun Daoyu and felt this senior brother was growing more and more like their Master.

…

As their thoughts wandered, the air in Lei Chi suddenly trembled—and they all felt the Lei Chi slowly shrinking, drifting gently.

"Is Lei Chi changing?"

Zhou Ganfar snapped his head up, staring at Sun Daoyu—his own face was panicked.

Everyone understood: even if they didn't want to stay in Lei Chi, it was now their only means of survival. Not to mention, without Lei Chi, they could never hold back the Great Freedom Demon Cult.

Amid their panic, the air before them trembled gently, and a glowing portal appeared before them.

Sun Daoyu let out a low cry and told Zhou Ganfar and the others: "The Great Freedom Demon Cult is trying to break out again! Junior Brother Zhou, fall back!"

He clutched several spirit talismans, staring fixedly at the portal.

The other disciples' faces grew grim—they had barely held the enemy back before, relying on the fact that the Great Freedom Demon Cult could only send out two or three at a time.

Now, with another exit, their defensive pressure would double…

More importantly, did the Great Freedom Demon Cult have only one new exit?

Thinking of this, Sun Daoyu's face darkened. He turned to Zhou Ganfar: "Junior Brother Zhou, our Master's legacy is in your hands—remember to protect yourself."

Zhou Ganfar's face grew even darker, but he said nothing, only nodded.

As everyone grew uneasy—

From within the portal, a voice, impatient yet melodious, rang out.

"Come in! What are you standing there for, idiots?"

It was Senior Sister Yuan's voice!

Sun Daoyu froze, then saw Senior Sister Yuan lean out from the portal, waving at them:

"Hurry up! We're going back to Jiushan Sect to pick up Sister Zhang!"

Hearing this, Sun Daoyu, as if unable to believe it, murmured:

"Back to Jiushan Sect?"

"Yes! Junior Brother Zheng now controls the Sun-Moon Bell—this Heavenly Stele Realm is perfectly safe!" Senior Sister Yuan explained. "We're leaving this dump! We're going back to Jiushan Sect!"

"Hey? Why are you crying?"

Sun Daoyu wiped his eyes, said nothing, and led Zhou Ganfar and the others toward the portal.

Behind them, Qian True Person from Qianhe Sect hesitated, uneasy, approaching the portal as if unsure whether he could enter.

"Hurry up!" Senior Sister Yuan waved. "Junior Brother Zheng said you're to help with farming!"

Qian True Person's face lit up. He turned and gave a proud look at his disciples, then strode confidently into the portal.

…

Entering the Heavenly Stele Realm, Sun Daoyu and the others saw Zheng Fa waiting for them in the main hall.

Senior Brother Huang and Senior Sister Yuan stood nearby, yet both subtly gave the impression of centering around Zheng Fa.

They exchanged glances, sensing something, but said nothing.

"Fellow senior disciples, you've worked hard in Lei Chi," Zheng Fa bowed to them. "I'll arrange accommodations for you shortly."

Though Tiangong is now shattered into fragments, there is still space for these disciples to live.

For example, the old residences once occupied by immortals and gods.

"But there are some things I wish to remind everyone of."

"This Heavenly Stele Realm—ah, Senior Sister Yuan suggested calling this small world Jiushan Realm from now on. I think it's good," Zheng Fa explained. "The rules here are still incomplete, so only thunder arts and thunder talismans work. Senior disciples will need to focus on cultivating these techniques."

He had previously been puzzled why only thunder arts worked—

Now he understood: the Sun-Moon Bell's own spiritual energy circuits contained only these techniques.

That is, no other talisman patterns existed in the void, rendering all other arts ineffective.

"Those skilled in thunder talismans should help the other senior disciples. Those unskilled needn't rush—I'll reopen the Talisman Discussion Pavilion soon so all of you can learn."

"To put it plainly, the Discourse Talisman Pavilion will undergo reform—I will introduce a series of courses, which you may treat as secret techniques for your senior brothers to study."

Only then did they remember that Zheng Fa was still the prospective future Pavilion Master of the Discourse Talisman Pavilion.

Sun Daoyu and Zhou Qianyuan exchanged a glance; they had long suspected Zheng Fa would reshape the Nine Mountains Sect, but they hadn't expected it to begin so soon.

"From now on, the Discourse Talisman Pavilion will be dedicated to study, research, and discussion—therefore, I hereby declare: private combat is forbidden in the Discourse Talisman Pavilion."

Sun Daoyu's heart tightened as he glanced at Yuan Shijie beside him.

Yuan Shijie leaned against Zheng Fa, nuzzling him happily, completely ignoring what he was saying.

Huang Shu's expression remained calm.

"The Administration Pavilion will also be reformed—I will discuss this with Zhang Shijie..."

Zheng Fa intended to link the Administration Pavilion with the cultivation of the mortal world within the Nine Mountains Realm—

By fostering mortal incense offerings, he would cultivate various spiritual plants, and in turn reward each of you senior brothers.

This would establish a relatively healthy internal cycle...

Hearing this, Sun Daoyu turned and glanced at Zhou Qianyuan—they had long sensed that Brother Zheng had his own ideas.

But due to various constraints, those ideas had never been implemented.

Now that he had the Nine Mountains Realm, Brother Zheng no longer hid them away.

But... not everyone could accept this.

Sun Daoyu looked around; some senior brothers wore expressions of confusion—or perhaps bewilderment.

Yet no one spoke.

Everyone understood: when Zheng Fa took control of the Nine Mountains Realm,

the Nine Mountains Sect had already become the Zheng Sect.

And at this moment, Huang Shu was the only Nascent Soul cultivator left in the Nine Mountains Sect.

Who didn't know that Huang Shu's beloved disciple, Zhang Shijie, was as close to Zheng Shidi as two people sharing a single quilt...

After stating these two points, Zheng Fa looked at the weary faces of his senior brothers and said, "I will lead you all to rest."

With a touch to the Jade Seal, a rainbow bridge suddenly arched from the Tiangong, stretching toward an island in the void.

As Sun Daoyu and the others stepped onto the rainbow bridge, the Tiangong shuddered violently—they were all startled.

"Brother Zheng?"

Sun Daoyu asked.

"Don't be alarmed, senior brothers," Zheng Fa reassured them. "We... are going home!"

(End of Chapter)