Chapter Thirty-Six:
Whispering Winds of War – When Other Sects Take Notice
The World Origin Furnace's reawakening had not gone unnoticed.
The flames that had roared skyward six months ago had not just marked the rebirth of a forgotten sect—they had shattered the balance of the cultivation world.
All over the continent, from the hidden valleys of the Jade Phoenix Clan to the black towers of the Thousand Curses Hall, powers ancient and new stirred from their silence.
Whispers spread through realms like wildfire:
> "A new sect that teaches all arts?"
"A leader with no bloodline, no backing, but boundless strength?"
"Improvement without limit? Evolution without end?"
Many dismissed it as fantasy.
But those who watched the skies… saw the truth.
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The Eyes That Watch
From the Heaven's Veil Sect, a masked immortal summoned his mirror of thousand truths.
In the Golden Bone Tower, a skeletal sage rewrote the death prophecy scrolls.
And in the far-off Skyreign Empire, the Emperor halted his cultivation and said:
> "Find me this Undefeating Sect. Immediately."
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Inside the Undefeating Sect
The new disciples trained relentlessly, guided by elder students who had now risen into masters of their paths:
Some specialized in dual-discipline arts: forging formations, talisman-infused pills, or formation-based weapon styles.
Others unlocked unique energy veins across their bodies—new meridians formed by the Origin Furnace's influence.
But the Main Character knew what was coming.
Peace… never lasted in the cultivation world.
So, he began preparations.
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The Great Sect Barrier
He called forth the sect's strongest array masters and alchemic minds, using:
Skyfire Crystals
Wind-Iron Threads
Furnace Heart Ashes
Together, they created the Ten-Layered Heaven-Earth Inverse Dome, a defensive formation that:
Reflected spiritual probing.
Bent space around the sect.
Devoured enemy intent like mist into void.
He declared:
> "Our strength is our openness. But our door shall not be forced."
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The Visitors
Three weeks later, the visitors came.
First—an envoy from the Nine Realms Pavilion, bearing a gift and a warning:
> "Join our alliance. Or stand alone."
Second—a disguised elder from the Yinshade Cult, attempting to infiltrate the Boundless Arts Library. He failed. Spectacularly.
Third—a wandering cultivator known as the White Scribe, who came not for war, but for knowledge.
He said:
> "In every age, one sect shapes the future. Will yours be that flame?"
The Main Character answered with no arrogance.
Only clarity:
> "We do not seek to shape the world. Only to prepare it."
But the world was not ready to be reformed.
And so… the first challenge came.
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Sect Challenge Declaration
A public scroll appeared at the gates, glowing with divine fire:
> Challenge Issued by Cloudveil Sect
Trial Combat – Five Disciples vs Five Disciples
Test of Arts, Will, and Power
Witnessed by Heaven's Edict Circle
A challenge not for territory, but for reputation.
Acceptance was mandatory. Refusal meant disgrace.
The disciples gathered.
Excitement, anxiety, fury—all emotions surged.
The Main Character called for calm.
> "This is not war. This is proof."
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Choosing the Five
He personally selected:
1. The Mute Swordsman – who now wielded three spirit-linked blades.
2. The Beastkin Girl – who tamed storm eagles with harmonized formations.
3. The Talisman Artist – who carved spells mid-battle with inkless will.
4. The Forging Prodigy – who crafted spirit armor that flowed like water.
5. The "Rootless" Boy – who merged with furnace core fragments, weaponizing heat and purity.
Each embodied a path.
Each stood not as a fighter—but as a cultivator.
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What Comes Next…
The Trial Combat would take place in ten days—on neutral, immortal-sanctioned ground.
It would be witnessed by sects across the continent.
And it would mark the beginning of a new age:
An age where the forgotten sect rose not through conquest… but through demonstration.
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End of Chapter
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Next: Chapter Thirty-Seven – Trial Combat of the Five Paths: Sect Honor on the Line
Shall I begin the next chapter?