The Rise of the Sect: I am the most persistent person in the world of immortal cultivation

Zhao Qinghe squatted in the corner of the newly built "Water Gate Station", with a dozen crumpled talisman papers on a coarse cloth in front of him.

This once somewhat famous talisman cultivator is now as destitute as a stray dog.

"Water-repelling talisman requires three spirit stones, and a speed-traveling talisman requires five spirit stones."

He shouted hoarsely, but his eyes were fixed on the sand table in the center of the post station.

That was the newly drawn "Complete Map of the Tongtian River Water Vein" by the Flying Heaven Sect. If you infused it with magic power, you could spread it out completely. It was ten zhang in diameter, and even a small hill could be found on it.

"Old man, is this talisman genuine?"

A young man in brocade robes used the tip of his sword to pick up a talisman and bent down to ask him a question.

Just as Zhao Qinghe was about to answer, the post station suddenly became agitated.

A group of Flying Heaven Sect cultivators passed by, escorting a cage containing a strange man with fish gills, ferocious horns, and black scales all over his body.

"Is it the River Patrol Yaksha of the Jianghai Alliance?"

The tea stall owner lowered his voice.

"I heard that this Yaksha caused trouble in the water vein tunnel, but was captured by the disciples of the Flying Heaven Sect."

Zhao Qinghe's pupils suddenly contracted.

Thinking back to the scene when he was making a living on the Tongtian River and was attacked by the Jianghai Alliance's patrolling yakshas, ​​he couldn't help but frown.

Just then, a voice came from afar.

"Get out of the way! Get out of the way!"

The shouts and curses interrupted his recollection.

He looked up again and saw a huge crimson ship moored at the ferry crossing outside the post station, with a monk wearing a bronze mask standing at the bow.

Zhao Qinghe's breath hitched. The cultivator wore a bronze mask, but the powerful aura emanating from him far exceeded the imagination of ordinary people. His water magic was both explosive and fierce, clearly indicating that he was practicing the Tiger-Dragon Water Splitting Technique of the Flying Heaven Sect.

This technique is one of the famous spiritual arts among the martial artists of the Flying Heaven Sect, so this person is clearly a high-ranking member of the Flying Heaven Sect.

"Urgently need cultivators skilled in water-based talismans?"

A moment later, the bronze-masked cultivator tossed out a scroll of bamboo slips.

"Everyone, the Flying Heaven Gate has just opened up the water veins and needs to gather cultivators familiar with the Tongtian River to complete this set of 'Water Vein Surveying Talismans'. If you are confident, feel free to come. The monthly salary starts at one hundred spirit stones."

The crowd was in an uproar.

Zhao Qinghe, as if possessed, squeezed to the front, the incomplete runes on the bamboo slips making him tremble all over.

"Reporting to senior, I have made a living on the Tongtian River since I was a child. I am very familiar with every spirit fish here, and I can replenish my strength."

Upon hearing this, the monk wearing the bronze mask raised his head and sized up the ragged old man.

"Interesting. I'm a steward from the Water Affairs Hall of the Flying Heaven Sect. I'll give you three days. If you can really complete a few points..."

He tossed over a token.

"Then you have performed a great service."

That night, Zhao Qinghe lay in the inn, frantically calculating.

The beads of blood seeping from his fingertips spread across the talisman paper, but he was completely unaware. In a daze, he was transported back to when he was twenty years old, to the scene when his master held his hand and drew the first water-repelling talisman on the banks of the Tongtian River.

"Qinghe, we cultivators in the water have no human rights, let alone the ability to cultivate. All we ever ask for in our lives is to live a good life."

An aged voice suddenly sounded from behind.

Zhao Qinghe turned around abruptly, only to find a cultivator standing behind him. The cultivator tore off his black robe, revealing a Daoist robe embroidered with wave patterns, which seemed to be the standard attire of the Jianghai Alliance.

"How many spirit stones will the Flying Heaven Sect give you? I'll pay double."

The old man slid a water-splitting dagger from his sleeve, placed it on Zhao Qinghe's shoulder, and slowly moved it, ready to pierce him in the next moment.

"But you need to make three mistakes in the key parts of this set of runes."

Zhao Qinghe was shocked when he saw the newly completed talisman on the table. According to the instructions of the man in black, he only needed to make a few changes, and one day the water vein would collapse at a critical point.
Zhou Niangzi's merchant fleet was among the first to take the plunge after the Feitianmen waterway was connected.

Her "Yuanbao Boat" was fully loaded with fire jade from the Western Regions, and the Flying Heaven Gate command flag was planted at the bow. No one dared to stop her at the checkpoints along the way.

“In the past, traveling by land required paying thirty-eight taxes.”

Madam Zhou distributed spirit wine to the crew, her gold bracelet jingling.

"Now we only need to pay 10% of the waterline maintenance fee to Feitianmen." The young sailors cheered and threw their wine bowls into the river.

At midnight, Chen San, who was on night duty, suddenly woke up.

This time, he loaded all his pickled spirit fish onto the giant ship, intending to take advantage of Zhou Niangzi's caravan and head to the East Sea to sell the spirit fish.

I was supposed to sprinkle another layer of salt on the fish when I got up at night to prevent it from getting damp.

Unexpectedly, just as he got up, he suddenly noticed an irregular shadow under the boat.

He recalled the monk's warning during training and, trembling, rang the alarm.

"Splash?"

The alarm sounded, and the next moment, more than a dozen sword lights shot out from the cabin. Madam Zhou held a crimson longsword, the moonlight flowing from her fingertips, and the entire river surface instantly froze.

The dark figure let out a scream like a baby crying, and then transformed into a human shape beneath the ice!
"They are spies raised by the demon race."

With a flick of her sword, Madam Zhou sent the dark figure exploding into a foul-smelling mist of blood.

"We can't go any further. Let's take advantage of the moonlight and head to the nearest dock. The Flying Heaven Gate has been providing subsidies lately. All cargo ships traveling through the Tongtian River to the East China Sea will have the Small Seven Star Demon Extermination Array installed for free!"

Chen San squatted at the stern of the boat, watching the ice crystals on the river gradually dissipate.

His rough fingers stroked the salted fish, which were now hard and brittle.

Suddenly I realized that the world has really changed. In the past, the Jianghai Alliance would take money but not do anything, but now the Feitian Sect is even paying spirit stones to provide security for caravans.
Inside the quiet room of the Flying Heaven Gate.

Ye Yang sat cross-legged, reached out and summoned a jade slip in his palm.

A moment later, Ye Yang opened the jade slip, revealing specks of starlight inside. After a short while, the starlight transformed into golden runes that floated in the air.

His brows were furrowed, and his fingertips traced the flickering words, as if every line of text exuded urgency.

"Fellow Daoist Ye, after investigation, the Dao Alliance has discovered that the Demonic Clan's cultivation techniques have spread to seventy-two prefectures, affecting over a thousand people."

"According to the observations of the Nine Heavens Sect, a stellar tide will appear in the East Sea Ruins in three days. At that time, the Dao Alliance will organize all cultivators to go to the outer starry sky enclave again to cut off the demon race's troop transport route. We hope that you will come."

"That arrives so fast?"

Ye Yang frowned, seemingly surprised, but he knew that once the Dao Alliance had made its decision, it would be difficult to change it.

"I wonder how Junior Sister Yan is doing."

Not long ago, Yan Qingying received support from the Flying Heaven Sect and focused all her efforts on breaking through to the Dao Realm. She then went into seclusion to undergo a life-and-death retreat, but it is unknown how she fared.

Ye Yang looked up and saw twelve blood-red pillars of light rising from the direction of the East China Sea, intertwining into a massive demonic aura in the night sky.

Even more terrifying.

He could clearly sense the thirty-six bronze pillars in the Tongtian River, hundreds of miles away, resonating with a tremor.

"I originally thought that the Jianghai Alliance would behave themselves after the death of Tianhe Daozu, but I never expected that they would also be restless."

"Send the order to convene a council of elders."

Inside the Flying Gate, in the council hall.

Besides Ye Yang and Gu Xuan, there were more than a dozen other people sitting in the main hall, all of whom were elders of the Flying Heaven Sect.

These people all exuded a powerful aura. Although they did not make any moves, each of them was extraordinary.

"The situation in the East China Sea is complex now, and the decline of the Jianghai Alliance is a foregone conclusion. I wonder what everyone thinks about this."

Ye Yang's voice was calm and unhurried, yet it stirred a slight commotion in the hall.

"The Jianghai Alliance is located near the gateway to the East China Sea, and its geographical location is of paramount importance. We still need to be careful in dealing with it."

"Now that the Ancestor of the Heavenly River is dead, we might as well wipe them out and take his place."

"This is inappropriate. After all, they are also one of the forces of the Dao Alliance. Doing this will inevitably arouse public anger."

The elders of the Flying Heaven Sect exchanged glances.

Huo Bing Shuang sat upright at the head of the left side, her moon-white Taoist robe faintly shimmering with ice crystals. She gently stroked the Heavenly River Pearl on her wrist, her expression calm as still water, and spoke after a short while.

“Master, I also think we should send troops to the Jianghai Alliance and bring them into our sphere of influence.”

"good."

Ye Yang's fingertips traced across the table, and a sword aura automatically drew a topographical map of the Jianghai Alliance. (End of Chapter)