Chapter 89: The Strongest Sect in History

Five floating mountains of varying sizes drifted in the sky, each as large as Water Mirror Peak.

Amid the dense vegetation stood several ancient Eastern-style buildings.

On the ground beside him lay several people scattered about: Ye Fan, Xiao Yan, Kleine, Lu Mingfei, Emiya Shirou, Luffy, Han Li.

Zhongli sat at the only intact stone table, clutching his head, back turned to the others, lost in thought; a cup of tea sat before him, steaming with rising vapor.

The grassy area around the lake where they lay—more like wasteland—had been plowed over; not a single spirit herb or wildflower remained, only dark yellow soil.

The Straw Hat kid held a wine goblet in his hand, his belly swollen like a bloated sack, strands of straw stuck to his lips.

Su Lin refused to dwell on what had happened to the grassland last night, shifting his gaze to the others.

Ye Fan, Xiao Yan, and Han Li each clutched a jade bottle—the wine flask of Drunken Immortal Brew—lying drunk on the ground, still fast asleep, clearly having consumed far too much.

‘Three bottles?’

‘Three?!’

Su Lin quickly checked his system points: [Manifestation Points:]

Where are my points?!

I only exchanged for one bottle—why do they each have three?!

Even with three bottles of Drunken Immortal Brew plus cake, it’s still under ten thousand points—why did I lose over twenty thousand?!

What the hell did I do last night?

Su Lin crouched down in panic, trying to recall the events of last night.

‘Can Immortal Wine make you blackout?’

He remembered only fragmented images: dragging others around, pointing at mountains and rivers, standing before a painting—what painting was it again?

The qi surging within him, the enhanced physique, brought no warmth—he only felt icy cold limbs. What exactly happened last night?

He turned to the only one awake and walked toward Zhongli.

‘Zhongli.’ Su Lin greeted him. ‘Good morning, last night—’

‘Good morning, but it’s already noon, Sect Master.’ Zhongli flipped through an ancient text, lifting his teacup with one hand.

‘So it’s already twelve?’ Su Lin sighed. He’d drunk far too much last night—he rarely drank at all, but the Immortal Wine had made him greedy for more.

‘Wait!’ Su Lin pinched his forehead, pausing for two seconds: ‘What did you just call me?’

‘Sect Master.’ Zhongli regarded him solemnly. ‘If you’re uncomfortable, I can continue calling you Su Lin.’

‘It’s not that—’

Su Lin shook his head, asking softly: ‘Why are you calling me Sect Master?’

‘Ah.’

Seeing Su Lin’s state, Zhongli sighed—he’d expected this. Su Lin clearly remembered nothing.

Su Lin had somehow acquired Drunken Immortal Brew, a wine rich with concentrated qi easy for others to assimilate; after years of aging, it not only tasted exquisite but also aided cultivation—its only flaw being its overwhelming potency.

As the qi was absorbed, the alcohol’s strength seeped into the body.

‘Last night, you founded the Heaven’s Will Sect, and I took charge of its management and operations,’ Zhongli closed the book and explained. ‘Including disciple selection, assessments, and martial arts instruction.’

‘Ahahaha, really?’ Su Lin’s face twitched.

‘Yes.’ Zhongli affirmed.

‘Just drunken nonsense!’ Su Lin hastily denied it. He’d never considered forming a sect—he felt guilty dragging Zhongli into this. ‘My apologies, Zhongli.’

But Zhongli shook his head and pointed to a golden scroll nearby.

‘Take a look at that first.’

‘...’

A bad premonition struck Su Lin—he rushed to a shattered stone table, digging the golden scroll out from the rubble.

It radiated various energies, mixed with his own.

With trembling hands, Su Lin unrolled the scroll and read its contents.

【January 1, 2023】

【I, Su Lin, founded the Heaven’s Will Sect and became its Sect Master, taking residence at Water Mirror Peak to oversee the sect’s scriptures.】

【Ye Fan is the Enforcement Elder and Master of North Star Peak, responsible for monitoring disciples’ conduct and instruction.】

【Han Li is the Inner Sect Elder and Master of Tian Nan Peak, teaching disciples talisman crafting, artifact forging, puppet creation… and alternating with Xiao Yan in teaching pill-making knowledge.】

【Xiao Yan is the Outer Sect Elder and Master of Heavenly Fire Peak, teaching disciples combat techniques, and alternating with Han Li in teaching pill-making knowledge.】

【Emiya Shirou is the Artificer Elder and Master of Sword Peak, providing the sect’s weapon inventory and will later teach weapon forging.】

【Zhongli is the Internal Affairs Elder and Master of Gold Jade Peak, managing internal sect affairs, disciple selection and assessment, and may hold classes during free time.】

【Clyne Moretti is the Survival Instructor, teaching wilderness survival skills and enhancing disciples’ resistance to anomalies, affiliated with Water Mirror Peak, whose training ground is under Clyne’s control.】

【Monkey D. Luffy is a mysterious NPC, appearing randomly to impart Haki skills to those destined to receive them.】

【Lu Mingfei is… Senior Disciple (struck out) Dragon-Slaying Elder (struck out) Dragon-Type Elder (struck out) Flamebearer (struck out) Interstellar Strife (struck out) Magical Girl (struck out) Gunplay (struck out)—currently registered as a visitor, to be promoted to Elder later.】

【All Elders and the Sect Master hold equal status, jointly building the Heaven’s Will Sect; the Sect Master bears the duty to contribute more to the sect’s development.】

【Grow big, grow strong, create glory.】

【This contract is overseen by the Contract God Morax.】

Su Lin collapsed onto the ground, staring at the contract’s handprint and his own trace of true spirit—his mind went numb.

So that’s how the five floating mountains appeared?!

Noticing more text on the scroll, Su Lin continued unrolling it—the back held a design blueprint.

Five peaks encircled Water Mirror Peak, annotated everywhere: where to carve array patterns, where to place ancient killing arrays, where to open celestial caverns…

The handwriting varied.

‘Did I propose forming a sect?’ Su Lin turned to Zhongli.

‘Actually, yes.’ Zhongli began to reply, but was interrupted by a cough.

‘Cough! Cough!’ Yao Lao’s spirit form appeared beside Xiao Yan. ‘You all made quite a ruckus last night—I nearly had to drag you all back.’

‘...’

‘Why drag?’ Su Lin asked, baffled—he only wanted to know what else had happened last night.

Zhongli pulled out his phone, playing a video: ‘You several went to Rongcheng and recruited people on the street.’

‘Hey, kid, don’t go! I’m Ye Fan—I see your potential! Want to learn the Conceal Heaven Technique?’ Ye Fan, face flushed, shouted at a young man passing by with a briefcase.

‘You’re Ye Fan? I’m Shi Hao!’ the young man shook his head. ‘Reading web novels at your age is one thing—but drunk like this?’

Xiao Yan, carrying Xuan Chong Chi and holding a banner reading 【Infinite Fire Realm Recruiting—If you’re a brother, join me in Shattering the Heavens!】—staggered aimlessly, unsure what he was doing.

‘Hey, young man, hey.’

The camera angle shifted to several young women.

‘It’s really Zhongli!’

‘So handsome! So accurate!’

‘Is Liyue recruiting? Hehe.’

‘No—if you want to cultivate, sign up with our Sect Master.’

A hand appeared in the frame, pointing at a young man curled up beside the road, head buried in his knees, fast asleep.

‘Haha, you guys are funny.’

‘Goodbye, Zhongli.’

After the video ended, Su Lin fell silent again.

After a long while.

‘Damn!’

He covered his head and crouched down, suddenly wanting to exchange for another bottle of Drunken Immortal Brew and just escape reality.

(End of Chapter)