Qin Renhuang just became an immortal, and you told me this is the prehistoric time

His icy gaze swept over the silent crowd below once more, his voice echoing throughout the hall.

"Have you seen everything clearly?"

"In the Tianxing Sect, no one has special privileges except for me."

"The old ways of doing things, the petty calculations of small households, won't work here."

"Contribution and reward have their own rules. Those who overstep them will face the consequences."

Everyone fell silent, barely breathing, their eyes lowered, not daring to make any contact with Ying Xuan's gaze.

The scene of those three Golden Core elders instantly turning to ashes was deeply imprinted in their souls. Their former pride and petty thoughts had long been replaced by boundless fear.

Seeing that the deterrent effect had been achieved, Ying Xuan softened his tone slightly, but still maintained an unquestionable air of authority.

"The sect is newly established, and everything needs to be rebuilt. Rules need to be established, and responsibilities need to be clarified. Issue the order."

From this day forward, the Tianxing Sect will establish the following halls: Weapon Forging Hall, Alchemy Hall, Talisman Crafting Hall, Array Formation Hall, and Spiritual Plant Hall. Each hall will have one hall master and several deputy hall masters, selected from those proficient in the relevant skills and loyal to the sect.

He hesitated for a moment, then called out the names.

"Zhao Xuan."

"Your subordinate is here!"

Zhao Xuan immediately bowed, his attitude becoming even more respectful than before.

"You will remain in charge of the library. From this day forward, all books and jade slips related to weapon crafting, alchemy, talisman making, formations, and spiritual plants must first be appraised and approved by the corresponding hall master or deputy hall master to confirm their unique value or supplementary significance before they can be added to the library and exchanged for corresponding points. If anyone tries to pass off inferior or substandard items, the hall master who appraised them will also be held accountable!"

"Your subordinate obeys! We will strictly control the quality and never allow any inferior items to enter the library!"

Zhao Xuan responded loudly, his heart filled with awe, knowing that this was not only power, but also a heavy responsibility.

Ying Xuan looked down again.

"As for the selection of leaders for each hall, you shall recommend those who are good at it and submit them to Elder Zhao for preliminary review. The list shall be submitted to me in three days and I will make the final decision myself."

Upon hearing this, the Golden Core cultivators felt somewhat relieved. At least the sect leader wasn't entirely harsh; he had still given them a way out and a path to advancement. However, remembering those three bolts of lightning, none of them dared to harbor any wicked thoughts. They only thought about how to truly make contributions and gain recognition.

"There is one more thing."

Ying Xuan changed the subject.

“Our Tianxing Sect has already completed the deployment of 108 main spiritual vein nodes and the Star Array is complete, but the construction of spiritual fields is progressing slowly. Spiritual plants are the foundation for the sect’s long-term development and cannot be delayed any longer.”

His gaze swept over all the Golden Core cultivators and the Foundation Establishment disciples standing outside the hall, and he gave the order.

"From this day forward, all Foundation Establishment and Golden Core stage disciples must refine a sufficient amount of 'Five-Colored Spirit Soil' for the sect every day. The standard will be determined by Elder Sun Miao based on their respective cultivation levels. This will continue until all the spirit fields at the 108 spirit vein nodes are fully prepared!"

Upon hearing this, many Golden Core and Foundation Establishment disciples showed bitter expressions. Refining spirit soil is extremely taxing on spiritual energy and mental focus. In the past, it was only a task for Qi Refining disciples, but now they also have to participate, and there is a daily quota, which will undoubtedly take up a lot of their cultivation time.

But seeing the sect leader's uncompromising gaze, and recalling the three who had just been annihilated, no one dared to voice their opposition.

Ying Xuan naturally knew what they were thinking, and said calmly.

"This move serves two purposes: first, to solidify the sect's foundation as quickly as possible; and second, to allow you to personally experience the entire process of refining spiritual soil, nurturing spiritual veins, and cultivating spiritual plants, and to familiarize yourselves with the key techniques. In the future, these experiences and skills will be brought back to my clan and widely promoted. Doing them diligently will also be a form of cultivation and accumulation for you yourselves."

"Bring him back to the clan?" Upon hearing this, the elders' hearts stirred once more. The sect leader's origins were indeed mysterious, backed by a vast "clan." It seemed the skills learned at the Tianxing Sect might have even greater applications in the future.

Thinking about it this way, their reluctance dissipated considerably, and some even began to think about how to refine spirit soil more efficiently.

"Did you all understand?"

Ying Xuan asked the final question.

"I will obey the sect leader's decree!"

More than a hundred Golden Core cultivators, along with Foundation Establishment disciples outside the hall, responded in unison, their voices perfectly synchronized and without the slightest discordant sound.

"Let's disperse. Go your own way."

As if granted a pardon, the crowd bowed and left the hall in turn. Some had arrived with high spirits, while others harbored ulterior motives, but as they left, they all appeared respectful and walked with steady steps, showing no trace of arrogance.

After leaving the main hall, without being urged, they flew to the valley where the spirit soil was being refined. They rolled up their sleeves and threw themselves into the work with all their might. Their serious and humble attitude left the Qi Refining disciples who were already working in the valley dumbfounded.

Ying Xuan stood with his hands behind his back in front of the hall, watching everyone transform into streaks of light and leave. Only when the last ray of light disappeared into the horizon did he turn around, take a step, and his figure rippled like water before disappearing from the spot.

The next moment, he found himself in the deepest part of the main peak of the Tianxing Mountains, in a strange space shrouded in dense starlight and earth vein spiritual energy.

This place is the core hub of the Heavenly Dipper and Earthly Fiend Star Array, and also his place of secluded cultivation. From the outside, it appears to be just a magnificent hall, but inside it is a self-contained world, only a few miles in circumference.

The spiritual energy was so dense that it was impossible to disperse. The 108 stars in the sky moved slowly along mysterious trajectories, echoing the 108 surging spiritual veins and dragon energy underground, forming a perfect cycle.

However, at this moment, an "uninvited guest" has appeared in this space that should have been peaceful.

It was an ordinary-looking old man in a gray robe, who was frowning and walking slowly through this starlight space with his hands behind his back.

With each step he took, faint ripples of spiritual light spread out from beneath his feet, attempting to find a weak point in the space, but the surrounding starlight flowed seamlessly, making it indestructible.

He would occasionally raise his hand, and a terrifying spiritual power would gather at his fingertips. He would gently tap the void, and the void would emit a hissing sound as if it were about to shatter under the strain. But in the end, it would always fall just short, and the spiritual power would be silently extinguished and devoured by the flowing starlight.

The wrinkles on the old man's face seemed to deepen, and a hint of surprise and solemnity flashed in his eyes.

Ying Xuan appeared silently beneath a slowly rotating illusory star, watching with interest as the old man probed aimlessly like a headless fly. The gray-robed old man immediately sensed Ying Xuan's presence, abruptly turning around. A sharp, sword-like glint flashed in his cloudy old eyes, and a vast aura far surpassing that of a Nascent Soul cultivator involuntarily spread out, only to be quickly withdrawn by him.

He looked Ying Xuan up and down, his brows furrowing even more deeply.

The person before him possessed an extremely strange aura. Although he was standing there, he could not sense any of the spiritual energy fluctuations unique to Nascent Soul cultivators, nor the Daoist charm of a Deity Transformation cultivator who was subtly in harmony with heaven and earth. Yet, he gave the man an unfathomable and subtly dangerous feeling.

In particular, the strange array surrounding him that trapped him was far more ingenious and powerful than any mountain-protecting array he had ever seen in his life.

"Are you Ying Xuan, the leader of the Heavenly Star Sect?"

The old man in the gray robe spoke, his voice hoarse, carrying a kind of indifference that comes with long-standing power, but if you listened carefully, you could also hear a trace of suppressed anger and fear.

"I, Xiang Zhili, have inadvertently entered your formation. I beg you to open the passage so I can leave immediately. I also wish to offer you a small gift to express my apology."

He spoke politely, but the pride of a Nascent Soul cultivator remained. Accidentally stumbled in? At his level, a single thought could cover tens of thousands of miles; how could he easily "accidentally" enter the core of someone else's protective array? Clearly, he harbored ambitions to investigate, but he hadn't expected the array to be so strange—easy to enter, difficult to leave.

Upon hearing this, Ying Xuan revealed a half-smile on his face.

"Xiang Zhili? A Nascent Soul cultivator? Since I set up this 'Zhou Tian Xing Chen Locking Spirit Array,' I've trapped at least eighty or a hundred prying eyes, including Golden Core and Nascent Soul cultivators. But you're the first Nascent Soul cultivator. You've certainly made a breakthrough for my array."

Xiang Zhili's eye twitched slightly.

The Celestial Star Locking Spirit Array? Never heard of it. But this array could trap him, a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, silently and even make him feel a faint sense of danger; it's definitely not something from the lower realms! Could this person have come from the Spirit Realm or even a higher realm? But his aura is completely different…

He suppressed his surprise and doubt, and said in a deep voice.

"Sect Leader Ying, let's not beat around the bush. I admit that I was somewhat curious about your sect before, and when I probed it with my divine sense, I was inexplicably drawn into this formation. Although this formation is wonderful, if I were to spare no expense and burn my life essence and lifespan, I might be able to forcibly break through a corner. However, if I did that, you and I would become mortal enemies, which is not the way of a wise man."

"How about opening the passage? I swear by my inner demons that I will never reveal what I saw today to your sect, and I will offer you treasures as an apology. What do you say?"

His words were a mix of soft and hard, both indicating his ability to fight to the death and offering a way out for reconciliation. Although the lifespan of a Nascent Soul cultivator is long, every minute is incredibly precious, and burning one's lifespan to break the formation was indeed the last thing he wanted to see.

Ying Xuan seemed not to hear his subsequent threat, but instead looked him over with great interest, as if he were looking at something rare.

"At any cost? Burning your lifespan? Hmm, with the backlash power of this formation, if you unleash your full power, you might be able to tear open a crack, but afterwards, your cultivation will be severely damaged, your lifespan will be halved, and it might even shake your foundation, making it impossible to advance any further. Fellow Daoist Xiang, are you willing to do that?"

Xiang Zhili's face darkened, and anger rose in his heart.

As a Nascent Soul cultivator, he was practically at the pinnacle of existence in the mortal realm. How could he have ever been mocked like this before? But he was, after all, an old monster who had lived for countless years and was extremely shrewd. Knowing that he couldn't lash out at this moment, he forcibly suppressed his anger and said coldly.

"What exactly is Sect Leader Ying's intention? Tell me."

"Simple."

Ying Xuan held up two fingers.

"First, I need a complete cultivation method that can be reliably cultivated to the Nascent Soul stage. It must be an orthodox lineage that you have personally practiced or confirmed to be correct, without any deletions or errors."

Xiang Zhili's pupils contracted slightly. A Nascent Soul cultivation technique! Even in the Spirit Realm, it was a precious item; in the Human Realm, it was the highest secret of every sect, the foundation of a sect's inheritance!

"second."

Ying Xuan didn't give him time to think about refusing and continued speaking.

"I need the complete method for refining the 'Earth Fire Sealing Disc,' including the required materials, refining steps, array inscription, and control techniques. The more detailed the better."

Earth Fire Sealing Disc? Xiang Zhili was taken aback. Although this was a technique that major sects didn't easily pass on, its value was much lower than that of Nascent Soul cultivation techniques. What did this person want with it? The Heavenly Star Sect possessed so many spiritual veins; did they really lack earth fire?
"You have quite the appetite!"

Xiang Zhili was so angry that he laughed instead.

"The Nascent Soul cultivation technique is the foundation of my life, and the Earth Fire Sealing Disc is a secret passed down by various sects. You think you can just take it with a few words? Do you really think my Nascent Soul cultivation is just for show?"

His aura surged once more. Although suppressed by the great formation, it was not as earth-shattering as it was in the outside world, but it still caused a violent fluctuation in the surrounding starlight and a faint tremor in the space.

Ying Xuan remained unmoved and instead nodded slightly.

"Indeed, the souls and spiritual power of Nascent Soul cultivators have begun to touch the edge of the laws of heaven and earth, making them fundamentally much stronger than those of Core Formation cultivators."

He carefully sensed the aura emanating from Xiang Zhili. Compared with the top soldiers and thousand-year-old fox demons in the Great Qin world, it might not be inferior in terms of quantity, but in terms of quality, especially the feeling of being perfectly integrated with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth and subtly influencing the rules, it was indeed superior.

However, Ying Xuan also keenly sensed that Xiang Zhili's aura seemed to blend with this world with a slight stagnation and a sense of "rejection," unlike the smooth and natural integration of cultivators from the Great Qin world with their native world. Perhaps this was some kind of "incongruity" resulting from reaching the pinnacle of this world but failing to ascend and leave?
"pity."

Ying Xuan shook his head, his tone tinged with regret.

"Having power but being constrained by this world, like a caged tiger, seemingly powerful but actually not free."

These words seemed to strike at Xiang Zhili's deepest secrets and resentment, causing his face to turn extremely ugly instantly, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes.

"You ignorant brat, how dare you presume to discuss the Great Dao! Do you really think you can defeat this old man with this formation?"

Without further hesitation, the vast spiritual power that had been dormant within him suddenly erupted, and a terrifying pressure far exceeding that of a Nascent Soul cultivator soared into the sky, temporarily forcing the dense starlight around him back three feet!
He pointed his fingers like a sword, and a point of pure white spiritual light, condensed to the extreme, flickered and rippled, causing the surrounding space to emit a piercing tearing sound. He was about to throw caution to the wind and point it at a certain spot in this starry space!
However, just as he unleashed his spiritual power to its fullest extent, about to strike—

Ying Xuan's mind stirred slightly.

"Buzz—!!!"

The 108 island-shaped star cores surrounding the two, which had previously been slowly rotating and emitting starlight, suddenly lit up simultaneously! No longer the gentle starlight, but bursting forth with a dazzling, intense light that was impossible to look directly at!

On each "island" emerged dense, complex, and extremely mysterious chains of runes. These chains interlocked with each other, instantly forming a giant net that covered the entire space!

An indescribable, terrifying pressure arose out of nowhere, not from spiritual power, but directly affecting the space itself, and the souls and bodies of all the living beings trapped within it!
The terrifying spiritual power that Xiang Zhili had just unleashed—powerful enough to easily tear apart a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator—melted and solidified rapidly under the overwhelming spatial pressure and the suppression of the law chains, like ice and snow under the blazing sun! The pure white spiritual light at his fingertips flickered rapidly a few times before extinguishing with a "poof." (End of Chapter)