Gathered in the meeting hall of the Infinite Dao Sect, a heavy and serious atmosphere filled the room.
Present were all the elders of the sect, including Sect Leader Tian Zhu, the ancestor Bao Wuji, and the only one who wasn't an avatar — Jian Huiyin.
Several hours had passed since the disciples' arrival. The new members of the sect had already been assigned their respective caves and given instructions, and a meeting with the elders had then been scheduled.
Introductions and formal greetings had already been made, and at that moment, all eyes were silently fixed on Tian Zhu, who stood at the head of the meeting table.
"With the recruitment concluded, I believe it's clear to everyone what the sect's next step must be. The Bamboo Sword Sect is no longer a place that can host us if another recruitment takes place. Even now, with the current one, we're already occupying a large portion of the mountain — which isn't ideal, considering the Bamboo Sword Sect is an ally, not a subordinate."
He spoke clearly, immediately drawing everyone's attention, especially Jian Huiyin, who sighed internally in relief.
The Bamboo Sword Sect had about 15,000 disciples, nearly half of whom were menial disciples.
Effectively, within the sect itself, around 8,000 were outer disciples, and only 300 were inner disciples.
Among the inner ones, most had single-element roots of low quality.
Such roots took about 24 years to reach the perfection of Qi Refinement. Considering that disciples began cultivation around the age of 6, by the time they reached this level, they were about 30 years old. From then on, they needed to refine their foundations, find treasures, and carefully prepare for the process of advancing to Foundation Establishment, and only then could they seek out breakthrough pills.
Even so, there was still a risk of failure in advancing, and even regression in cultivation.
That's why the stronger a sect and the better its cultivation techniques, the easier advancement became, with greater chances of success when breaking through to higher realms.
In that regard, the Infinite Dao Sect had become truly fearsome. Such speed and consistency in advancement were unprecedented.
Normally, when disciples lost hope of progressing in a sect, it was common for them to leave and venture out into the world, forming cultivator families. Later, they would send their talented descendants back to the original sect, remaining as an affiliated force.
And when the sect needed soldiers or reinforcements, it could summon those cultivators. For that reason, the actual number of Bamboo Sword Sect disciples was higher than the 15,000 present on the mountain.
So, considering that among the 15,000 hosted on the mountain, about 7,000 were menial disciples living at the foot, without occupying the better parts of the mountain, and only 8,000 were actual disciples, the arrival of the 10,000 disciples from the Infinite Dao Sect made space management difficult for the Bamboo Sword Sect.
After all, even though there were many caves in the best part of the mountain, and the number of 18,000 cultivators was still manageable, any further expansion by the Infinite Dao Sect would make the space insufficient for both, limiting their growth.
Thus, the sect leader's decision was no surprise to anyone in the room — except for Jian Huiyin. But thinking that way was a bit unfair, considering everyone else there was the same person.
"In the past few months, we've been surveying the best place to provisionally establish our sect for the near future."
Tian Zhu spoke while placing his hand on the table, which began to glow at his touch.
Some formations had been embedded into it to facilitate meetings.
As the table lit up, a blue light hologram appeared a few centimeters above the surface.
Jian Huiyin observed the hologram and saw it was a map of the entire continent, divided into 27 areas. The division wasn't entirely accurate in relation to reality, as it was based more on verbal references than on real demarcations, but still, the map closely matched the actual situation.
This knowledge had come mainly from the Bamboo Sword Sect, which, as one of the 27 apex sects of the Beixu Continent, possessed a great deal of information.
With his hand still on the table, Tian Zhu channeled his energy and manipulated the hologram.
A region more to the edge lit up in green, with a sword symbol at its center.
"Currently, we are here, in the region under the Bamboo Sword Sect's domain."
He spoke while glancing at each of those present, who studied the map attentively.
"From our research, and the information provided by Elder Jian, we managed to get a general view of the neighboring regions."
Once again, the blue hologram shifted, and the areas surrounding the green region began to glow in yellow.
"From what we know, the surrounding Golden Core sects aren't as sensible and fair as the Bamboo Sword Sect. However, there is one that particularly stands out."
This time, among the yellow areas, one turned bright red, and a skull symbol appeared at its center.
"Our target this time is the Eternal Sovereign Sect."
Tian Zhu revealed, and Jian Huiyin's eyes gleamed with a cold light.
To her, the Eternal Sovereign Sect was not a welcome presence. Seeing the Infinite Dao Sect take it as their target couldn't have been more appropriate.
"The Eternal Sovereign Sect has been rooted in the region for many years, and it's well known that various Demonic Dao sects live without worry on the lands under their rule. Though they position themselves as a Righteous sect, the Eternal Sovereign Sect is full of questionable methods, and the people living under their governance do not have good lives there."
Narrowing his eyes, he revealed the grim reality of that place.
"We will take the necessary precautions to avoid harming innocents. But all signs point to that place being ripe for cleansing. And with the fall of the Eternal Sovereign Sect, their mountain — with a mid-quality third-level environment — will be available for our occupation. Any questions?"
As he finished his explanation, he swept his gaze across the room and paused on Jian Huiyin, who suddenly stood up and respectfully cupped her fists to Tian Zhu.
"Elder Jian, any questions?" he asked, meeting her with his usual indifferent gaze.
"Leader, if I may ask — who will be among the ones sent on this mission?" she inquired, her face equally indifferent.
"I intend for a full mobilization of the sect, including the disciples. If that's what concerns you, you don't need to go. You may stay behind and oversee the Bamboo Sword Sect."
He nodded slightly, understanding what he believed to be her concerns and attempting to reassure her.
But this time, he was mistaken.
Jian Huiyin shook her head and met his gaze with seriousness.
"Leader, I would like to request that an inner elder remain to protect the Bamboo Sword Sect, and that you allow me to participate directly in the mission."
She spoke with a firm gaze.
That surprised Aotian a bit. But on further thought, he realized it wasn't a problem — in fact, it would be beneficial. Allowing her to fight for the sect could deepen her loyalty and sense of belonging.
And leaving one elder behind wasn't a big deal — after all, he was already crushing an ant with a sledgehammer by mobilizing the entire sect. Besides, he trusted her. After these months of interaction, he knew she was a fair and independent woman, so he wasn't concerned.
"Approved." Tian Zhu granted the request simply, without further questions, which caught her a little off guard.
She had been prepared to explain her reasons, but the immediate response left her unprepared. Still, she couldn't help but feel good seeing that the sect leader trusted her that much.
Her reasons were simple.
First, she wanted to contribute more to the sect and gain access to more resources — especially since she felt she hadn't done much until now.
Second, she wished to go out and take part in battles.
And lastly, though not least important, she held a grudge against the Eternal Sovereign Sect.
If it weren't for the high risk that declaring war on them would bring — namely, the possibility of neighboring sects attacking hers in her absence — she would have declared war a long time ago.
But now, with the support of the Infinite Dao Sect, a single inner elder left behind would be enough to ensure the Bamboo Sword Sect's safety during her absence.
Cupping her fists once again and bowing in thanks, Jian Huiyin sat back down, a bright light in her otherwise indifferent eyes.
Anyone who knew her would recognize she was excited.
"Any other questions?" Tian Zhu looked around at everyone, and seeing no objections, he nodded, his expression growing solemn.
"From this moment onward, the Infinite Dao Sect enters a state of war. Within one month, we march. Now, the responsibilities of each pavilion."
The sect leader exuded an imposing aura, and all the elders rose to receive their orders.
"Punishment Pavilion, spread the word among the disciples. Prepare them for what is to come."
"Beasts Pavilion, the Cranes will be our means of transport and also part of the battles. Train and prepare them for long-distance transport and war."
"Missions Pavilion. Only inner disciples and above will participate in city battles to hone themselves. The others must receive missions of exploration and resource gathering for the sect. Prepare their routes and destinations."
"Treasure Pavilion, prepare a large number of miners to accompany the disciples on exploration missions."
"Sword Pavilion and Heritage Pavilion, remain available to strengthen and train any disciples who seek you out once the news is announced."
"Alchemy Pavilion, Refinement Pavilion, Formation Pavilion, and Talisman Pavilion — the war resources and supplies for the disciples must be ready. Spare no materials. I want full preparations for a prolonged war, because the Eternal Sovereign Sect..."
"... Will be only the beginning."