Yi Qingshan and his four companions acted swiftly. First, they selected a mountain range and built a few buildings to serve as their base. Then, they began searching for children with spiritual roots to recruit.
In just a year, they had taken in over three hundred young boys and girls, and from that point, they devoted themselves entirely to teaching and guiding their disciples in cultivation.
A hundred years later, when their first generation of disciples had fully matured, they officially established a sect—Qiankun Sect.
There were already many sects in the world that bore the name Qiankun Sect, but Yi Qingshan was determined to make his the only one that mattered. His ambitious declaration at the sect's founding ceremony did not go unnoticed—Gu An, back at his Dao field, heard it.
But Gu An only smiled lightly and didn't pay much attention to it.
He didn't even bother to calculate Qiankun Sect's destiny. Leaving it as a mystery was like adding a bit of excitement to life.
The seasons in Heavenly Spirit Grand Heaven followed a predictable cycle, and this particular year, at the beginning of autumn, Gu An lay beneath a tree with his hands behind his head, his eyes closed.
He seemed to be resting, but in reality, he was observing Tai Xuan Sect.
After all, he had spent the first half of his life there. Even after a thousand years, Tai Xuan Sect still held a special place in his heart.
Right now, he was watching Long Qing.
Before leaving the Third Medicine Valley, Gu An had begun unlocking the Guiyuan Divine Dao within Long Qing, allowing his Qi Refining aptitude to gradually recover.
Long Qing, who had been born at the Nirvana Realm, had spent a thousand years cultivating and had now fully regained his true strength. Under his leadership, Third Medicine Valley had become a dominant force within Tai Xuan Sect.
Everyone knew that Long Qing had been raised by Gu An, and as long as he remained in Tai Xuan Sect, the sect's bond with Sword Master of the Dao would never be severed. Because of this, even those who had far surpassed Long Qing in cultivation treated him with deference.
However, unlike Gu An, who preferred a quiet and balanced approach, Long Qing transformed Third Medicine Valley into a place that pursued power above all else, completely abandoning its former peaceful atmosphere.
At this moment, someone was trying to persuade Long Qing.
This individual was a Profound Origin Free Immortal, who had arrived through the Realm Gate. At first, Gu An had assumed that he was looking for trouble, considering the overwhelming War Court Qi he carried.
But surprisingly, instead of stirring up conflict, this person had spent decades lingering outside Heavenly Spirit Grand Heaven before sneaking into Tai Xuan Sect. After another few decades, he finally made contact with Long Qing.
Right now, he was explaining the might of the Dragon Clan and its deep connection to War Court.
Previously, Ye Tianji had shown Long Qing fragmented images of his past lives, but those were mere glimpses. Now, learning about his full lineage, Long Qing found himself overwhelmed with complex emotions.
Inside his pavilion, Long Qing sat in silence for a long time.
The Profound Origin Free Immortal simply waited, giving him time to process the truth about his origins.
After half an hour of silence, Long Qing finally raised his gaze to the black-robed man and asked, "You've told me so much, but who exactly are you?"
The man smiled and replied, "My name is Zhu Xing. I come from War Court. I am the direct disciple of its master. The years I have lived far exceed your imagination, and much of the history I have told you—I witnessed it with my own eyes."
Hearing this, Long Qing furrowed his brows. He didn't react with fear, nor did he stand up in shock. Instead, he kept his sharp gaze locked onto Zhu Xing and asked, "If you are from War Court, why are you trying to awaken my hatred toward them?"
Zhu Xing chuckled, "Because War Court has strayed from its true path. They care only about pleasing Immortals and Gods. I disapprove. The War Court that once belonged to Dragon Heart Emperor—that was the real War Court, the one that truly embodied the way of war."
As he spoke, his eyes gleamed with excitement and longing.
Long Qing's brows furrowed even deeper. He couldn't quite understand Zhu Xing's thoughts, nor could he determine whether his words were true or false.
Zhu Xing looked at Long Qing, raised both hands, and suddenly declared in an exhilarated tone, "Do you know why War Court has always targeted the Dragon Clan? It's not because your lineage is legitimate—it's because they fear your bloodline! No, it's because they covet your bloodline!"
Long Qing's expression changed.
Before he could respond, Zhu Xing continued speaking.
Zhu Xing's voice became more intense as he spoke, his eyes gleaming with a fanatical light.
"The true founder of War Court was Long Zhan, the father of Dragon Heart Emperor. He was also known as the Heavenly Dragon Emperor. Without even experiencing the great tribulations of the Myriad Worlds Era, he grew at an astonishing speed. Each battle he fought made him immensely stronger. The more creatures he slaughtered, the faster he advanced. Once, after annihilating an entire Grand Heaven World, he leaped across the Nine Heavens of the Immortal Dao in an incredibly short time!"
"Dragon Heart Emperor was equally gifted, but he eventually turned against the Heavenly Dragon Emperor. After that, he no longer indulged in mass killings."
The more Zhu Xing spoke, the more excited he became. His eyes even shone with an eerie brilliance.
"He not only grew stronger through slaughter, but he could also resist the divine tribulations of the heavens. Even when crossing the Nine Heavens of the Immortal Dao, he could undergo tribulation within a single day. Such talent, such fate, is enough to drive the entire Three Thousand Grand Worlds into madness."
Zhu Xing's intense gaze made Long Qing feel deeply uncomfortable.
Unable to suppress his thoughts, Long Qing asked, "Are you saying the Dragon Clan inherited this kind of talent and fate?"
Zhu Xing grinned and nodded. "Exactly. The grandson of Dragon Heart Emperor once inherited this supreme talent. That is also the reason why the Dragon Clan fell into decline."
Zhu Xing's eyes glowed with an almost predatory hunger as he observed Long Qing.
Long Qing let out a cold snort. "So, you're planning to seize my body?"
Zhu Xing quickly waved his hands. "No, no, no! The Dragon Clan's talent, along with the fact that you cannot be easily killed, clearly means that your lineage carries an immense karmic burden. Those fools in War Court have failed to realize this! More importantly, I trust in my own talent. I want you to reclaim War Court, and together, we shall establish an eternal legacy of boundless merit!"
Long Qing furrowed his brows even deeper, falling into silence for a moment before speaking in a heavy tone. "With my current cultivation, how long would it take to overthrow War Court?"
Zhu Xing replied, "At the fastest, a few million years. At the slowest, hundreds of millions of years. Of course, that's only if you manage to stay alive and never slack off."
"Millions of years?"
Long Qing's eyes widened in disbelief. His voice wavered slightly. "Are you joking? Even if it really takes that long, can you even afford to wait?"
Zhu Xing scoffed. "Why not? I need time to cultivate as well. Don't think of it as a long wait. At my level of cultivation, closing my eyes for a moment feels like a million years passing in an instant. Besides, for those who meditate and seek enlightenment, even tens of millions of years mean nothing. The only reason you haven't felt time slipping away quickly is that this Grand Heaven World is undergoing an era shift. The Heavenly Dao is accelerating the flow of fate, inciting endless conflicts among living beings. You've experienced far too many disturbances to notice how time truly flows."
Long Qing remained silent, contemplating.
Meanwhile, Zhu Xing casually glanced around, taking in the details of the pavilion.
After a long breath, Long Qing finally spoke. "If that's the case, how do you plan to help me?"
Zhu Xing turned his head back to Long Qing and smirked. "First, you must become the Sect Master of Tai Xuan Sect. Then, you must lead Tai Xuan Sect to unify the world. Once the Era Tribulation ends, the merit of the Heavenly Dao will descend upon Tai Xuan Sect. As the sect master, you, and as the deputy sect master, I, will receive an immense amount of Heavenly Dao merit, which will help us gain insight into the Dao."
"The Desolate Domain has a Realm Gate that limits War Court's ability to launch a large-scale invasion. Furthermore, your master killed Ye Tianji, plunging War Court into a dilemma. Internal divisions have already surfaced. Now is the perfect time for us to strengthen our faction."
Hearing this, Long Qing's brows gradually eased, and his eyes flickered with thought.
Meanwhile, far away in Wushi Dao Field, Gu An had been listening to their conversation. He wasn't particularly surprised, as he had long suspected why War Court had been relentlessly hunting down the Dragon Clan.
The fact that Annihilation God Emperor cultivated the Heavenly Dragon Reincarnation Dharma using the bloodline of the Dragon Clan was proof enough.
What truly piqued his interest was Zhu Xing's mention of Heavenly Dao merit.
If Long Qing and Zhu Xing could truly lead Tai Xuan Sect to become the ruler of the world, it would indeed be a beneficial development. From Gu An's perspective, it would simply be another connection to his legacy.
Of course, if Long Qing strayed from the right path, Gu An wouldn't sit idly by.
He had protected Long Qing for so long, so it was only natural that he kept an eye on him, ensuring he didn't follow in the footsteps of his ancestors down the path of slaughter and destruction.
With these thoughts in mind, Gu An rose to his feet and headed toward the forest.
With the rapid expansion of Qiankun Sect, its recruitment of disciples had surged past ten thousand. But with more people came more trouble.
Right now, someone was venturing toward the forbidden zone of Qiankun Sect, dangerously close to Wushi Dao Field.
Gu An figured it was time to appoint a guardian—someone who would act as a reclusive cultivator deep in the mountains. An Xin was too occupied with her own cultivation to monitor things constantly.
Just as Gu An entered the dense forest, a streak of white light zoomed toward him and landed on his shoulder—it was White Spirit Mouse.
"Master, where are you going?" White Spirit Mouse asked curiously.
Gu An chuckled. "You run around all day, always full of energy, never bothering to cultivate. How about becoming the king of demons?"
Hearing this, White Spirit Mouse's eyes lit up with excitement. "Really? Can I?"
"Come along. I'll enlighten some demon beasts, and you can choose among them. From now on, you will guard the surroundings of this Dao field. No one is allowed to trespass."
"That's amazing! Master, I won't let you down!"
White Spirit Mouse squeaked excitedly. Even though it had shrunk to the size of a normal mouse, its chubby form still made it look like a fluffy white ball as it trembled with joy.
Gu An began explaining the rules to White Spirit Mouse—what it could and couldn't do.
This little creature was too mischievous. He needed to establish some strict guidelines so it wouldn't cause chaos.