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

"Master, I have come here on the orders of the Sect Leader to take over the Spirit Plant Hall. Please hand over all the affairs, personnel rosters, and resource accounts of the hall to me."

"what?!"

The smile on the hall master's face froze instantly, and disbelief and a hint of anger flashed in his eyes.

"Take over the Spirit Plant Hall? Junior Nephew Han, although you are valued by the Sect Leader, you have only just broken through to the Golden Core stage. You may have some talent in the way of spirit plants, but managing the affairs of a hall is no child's play. Sect Leader... how could the Sect Leader make such an arrangement?"

He instinctively resisted. Lingzhi Hall was a territory he had cultivated for a long time, rich in profits, and an important channel for him to obtain points and exchange resources. How could he easily give it up?

Han Li's tone was calm, yet carried a subtle hint of sarcasm.

"The sect leader's arrangements are reasonable. After joining the Tianxing Sect, the hall master has lived in Tianxing Mountain for a long time and rarely left the mountain to expand the sect's territory or search for resources. However, he was able to rely on 'coordinating' contributions from many low-level cultivators in the Spirit Plant Hall to exchange for a large number of cultivation techniques and sect leader's teachings. He must have a deep understanding of the 'essence' of the hall master's position."

Now that the sect leader has appointed a disciple to take over, perhaps it's because he feels it's time for the hall master to change positions and make more 'tangible' contributions to the sect.

These words were practically accusing him of being a lazy and corrupt official! The hall master's face flushed red with shock and anger. He hadn't expected that Han Li, a junior who had just formed his core, would dare to speak to him like that, and that he seemed to know everything about what Han Li was secretly doing!
Han Li sneered inwardly.

He recalled what the sect leader had said to him privately when discussing the future of the sect.

"To take control of a sect, you must first establish a foundation. The Spirit Plant Hall may seem insignificant, but it is crucial to resources and has the most contact with the lower-level disciples. Use this as a foundation to cultivate trusted followers, so that you can take over the overall situation in the future."

Looking at the actions of this hall master, he only cares about his own personal gain and suppresses promising low-level cultivators. He is simply a parasite on the sect! The sect leader appointed him to take over the Spirit Plant Hall, which is obviously also intended to clean up these scoundrels and restore order.

"You...you're talking nonsense! I have always been diligent and conscientious, how could I have..."

The hall master still wanted to argue.

Han Li stopped wasting words and raised his hand, revealing a jade pendant that was pure white, with the words "Tianxing" engraved on the front and a star-encircled pattern on the back.

The moment the jade tablet appeared, a vast, majestic, and seemingly all-encompassing aura wafted out. Although faint, it made the hall master, who was in the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm, feel a sinking feeling in his heart, and even his Nascent Soul felt an uncomfortable sense of oppression.

"This is a token personally bestowed by the sect leader; seeing this token is as if you were seeing the sect leader in person."

Han Li raised the token, his voice clear and resonant.

"The sect leader said that he values ​​disciples not because of their talent or ability, but because they have a sincere and loyal heart for the sect and are willing to truly carry on the Tianxing Sect, rather than like some people who only know how to use the sect's power to undermine the sect and enrich themselves. If the hall master still has doubts, he can take this token or go to the Star Hall in person to ask the sect leader for confirmation."

The clear aura belonging to Ying Xuan on the token was unmistakable. The aura of a Nascent Soul cultivator naturally carries a suppressive effect on cultivators of different realms. The hall master sensed that aura, and his last shred of hope vanished.

This Golden Core cultivator before them was actually valued so highly by the sect leader, who even bestowed upon him a token representing status and power! What did this mean? It meant that in the sect leader's heart, this boy was probably already being groomed as a core disciple, or even... a successor!
"The sect leader hasn't ascended yet... With this token, who in the sect would dare to openly harm him?" The hall master felt bitter, yet also sneered with a hint of resentment. "However, if the sect leader were to ascend and depart one day... Hmph, a brat who relies on the sect leader's protection, possesses great treasures, but only has the cultivation of a Golden Core cultivator, how many days could he survive in this dog-eat-dog world of cultivation?"

These magical artifacts, and that possible secret, will come sooner or later…

A thousand thoughts raced through his mind, but he had no choice but to lower his head. The hall master took a deep breath, suppressed all his emotions, bowed deeply to the token in Han Li's hand, and spoke with utmost respect, even with a hint of flattery.

“Since it is the sect leader’s decree, I will obey! Han…Han Hall Master is young and promising, and he is truly deserving of the sect leader’s trust! I will now hand over all the affairs of the hall to Han Hall Master! Under Han Hall Master’s leadership, the Spirit Plant Hall will surely prosper even more in the future!”

Circumstances are beyond one's control. Faced with the absolute will of the Nascent Soul Sect Leader, he, a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, had no room for negotiation.

The handover process was quite swift. Although the former hall master was resentful, he dared not play any tricks and obediently handed over the personnel roster, resource accounts, distribution maps of various spirit fields, and records of contributions over the years to Han Li. Although Han Li had just taken over, he was meticulous and had been secretly observing things beforehand, so the handover went quite smoothly.

Many cultivators from the Spirit Plant Hall rushed over upon hearing the news. Their reactions varied upon seeing Han Li, holding the sect leader's token and having already formed his Golden Core, become the new hall master. Some, who had previously suffered suppression from the former hall master or felt it was unfair, showed joy.

Some who were close to the original hall master and worried about losing power were anxious; most others were observing, both curious and somewhat doubtful about the new young Golden Core Hall Master, and they all stepped forward to pay their respects, their words full of flattery and probing.

While dealing with his fellow disciples, Han Li secretly observed and discerned their personalities and attitudes, and began to plan how to reorganize the Spirit Plant Hall and cultivate truly capable people.

This was the first test the sect leader had given him, and also the first step in laying the foundation for his future.

However, just as he had completed the initial handover and was talking with several seemingly reliable and honest Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Spirit Plant Hall—

"The Supreme Elder Huyan Zhuo of the Mulan Grassland, along with cultivators from 108 tribes of the grassland, has come to pay homage to Sect Leader Ying of the Tianxing Sect! They wish to lead the entire Mulan clan into the Tianxing Sect to jointly cultivate the Great Dao! They request fellow Daoists of the Tianxing Sect to guide them and convey their message—!"

A roar, like a muffled thunderclap, containing immense magical power and an unquestionable will, suddenly came from outside the mountain gate of the Tianxing Mountain Range. The sound waves rolled and instantly spread throughout the entire mountain range, exploding in the ears of every cultivator!

Han Li's expression changed drastically, and he abruptly looked up towards the mountain gate! The Tianxing Mountain Range has a sect leader in charge, and more than a hundred Nascent Soul cultivators stationed there. Ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators would not dare to act recklessly here, let alone let such a warning shout resound through the mountains! The newcomers are not friendly, and their strength is extremely high!
With a swift movement, he transformed into a streak of azure light and flew rapidly towards the mountain gate. At the same time, countless streaks of light of varying strength shot into the sky from all parts of the mountain range, like a swarm of bees startled, densely packed towards the mountain gate.

The auras of nearly four hundred Nascent Soul cultivators erupted without any concealment, converging into a terrifying, suffocating pressure that enveloped the area outside the mountain gate.

When Han Li arrived at the huge plaza in front of the mountain gate, a dark mass of cultivators had already gathered there, led by several hundred Nascent Soul cultivators, followed by even more Golden Core and Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Everyone looked towards the mountain gate with solemn and uncertain expressions. Above the gate, thousands of figures hovered in the air! Leading them was an old man in a grey robe, dressed in an ancient animal hide robe, his face withered, yet his aura as unfathomable as a dormant volcano—none other than Hu Yanzhuo, the only Nascent Soul cultivator of the Mulan Grassland and the Supreme Elder!

Although his aura was waning, the faint pressure emanating from him, belonging to the Nascent Soul stage, still weighed heavily on the hearts of the Nascent Soul cultivators of the Heavenly Star Sect.

Behind Huyan Zhuo stood more than a hundred Nascent Soul cultivators in neat formation! Each of them exuded a fierce aura and arrogant eyes, carrying the unique savagery and murderous intent of grassland cultivators! Behind them were more than a thousand Golden Core cultivators, an equally powerful force.

"Mulan Grassland...is going to be incorporated into my Tianxing Sect?"

Upon hearing the content of the shout, Han Li frowned, and a strong sense of suspicion immediately welled up in his heart.

Although he hadn't been a member of the Tianxing Sect for long, he was well aware of the long-standing conflicts between the Yue Kingdom, the Nine Kingdoms Alliance, and the northern Mulan Grasslands. Recently, with the sect's expansion, small-scale skirmishes with Mulan cultivators had become increasingly frequent, and it was said that thousands of Mulan cultivators had already died at the hands of Tianxing Sect disciples. Now, their entire clan was coming to surrender? How could this be! They must be harboring malicious intentions and had ulterior motives!
His instinctive reaction was to immediately go and report to the sect leader, but when he saw the hundreds of Nascent Soul elders around him with different expressions, he stopped in his tracks.

He is currently only the newly appointed head of the Golden Core Hall. Although he holds the sect leader's token, his voice is too weak in the face of such a major event that involves the interests of the entire sect and may even trigger a violent internal conflict.

The mainstream and core of the sect ultimately consist of these hundreds of Nascent Soul cultivators. The incorporation of hundreds of Nascent Soul cultivators from the Mulan Grassland will inevitably dilute the existing resources and points, especially the precious "Sect Leader's Instruction" opportunity, which will certainly be ranked according to contribution and points.

This directly impacts the core interests of the existing Nascent Soul stage!
Moreover, Han Li clearly understood that even if the Mulan people were to temporarily merge with them, they would never truly stay; sooner or later they would leave or have other motives. When that time came, the first to clash with the Mulan Nascent Soul cultivators would inevitably be those who currently benefited from the system.

He is still in the early stages of his career and has few trusted confidants. If he rashly steps forward, he will only become a target of public criticism.

Thinking of this, Han Li quietly took a few steps back, disappeared into the crowd, and watched coldly from the sidelines.

As expected, the Tianxing Sect immediately erupted in chaos!

"Bullshit! You barbarians from Mulan have a long-standing feud with my Tianxing Sect. Countless of my disciples, and even the relatives and friends of my elders, have died at your hands! And now you dare to speak so shamelessly as to say you want to merge with us? You are nothing but a wolf in sheep's clothing and a delusional dream!"

An elder in the late Nascent Soul stage, originally from a border sect of the Yue Kingdom and deeply antagonistic towards the Mulan Grassland, with his hair and beard bristling, was the first to shout angrily, his voice echoing across the surrounding area.

"Huyan Zhuo! You old scoundrel, your lifespan is almost over. Instead of waiting to die on the grasslands, why are you stirring up trouble in my Tianxing Sect? Do you want to take someone down with you before you die?"

Another mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator also shouted sternly.

Even more extreme, a Nascent Soul early-stage cultivator from the Nine Kingdoms Alliance, with a hideous scar on his face, fixed his gaze on a fierce-looking mid-Nascent Soul mid-stage man in the Mulan camp, his eyes almost spitting fire as he roared.

"Tuoba Xiong! It's you! Sixty years ago, you killed my personal disciple and slaughtered over a hundred members of my family branch! This is an irreconcilable feud! Today you dare to deliver yourself to my doorstep, I will fight you to the death!"

Fellow practitioners, do not believe the nonsense of these barbarians! They are surely trying to get a share of our sect's abundant resources, seeing our sect leader's power and influence, and perhaps even plotting something sinister!

"Yes! We can't let them in!"

"Mulan barbarians, get back to the grasslands!"

"Want to merge? First, ask if our magical artifacts agree!"

On the Tianxing Sect's side, the crowd was filled with righteous indignation, especially the Nascent Soul cultivators who had old grudges against Mu Lan. Their killing intent was boiling, and they all unleashed their magical treasures, their imposing aura suggesting they were ready to fight at the slightest provocation. Before the mountain gate, the atmosphere instantly became tense, as two enormous Nascent Soul auras collided in the air, causing the wind and clouds to change color and the spiritual energy to become chaotic.

Han Li, hidden among the crowd, watched the chaotic and intense scene, his mind racing. The actions of the Mulan Grasslands were far from simple. And the reactions within the Tianxing Sect confirmed what the sect leader had previously said: "People's hearts are divided, and interests are intertwined."

This sudden "submission" will likely ignite the many hidden conflicts within the Tianxing Sect. He needs to navigate this vortex, discern the direction, protect himself, and await... the sect leader's attitude.

Hu Yanzhuo, the Supreme Elder of the Mulan Grassland, whose hair and beard were all white and whose aura was declining but who still carried the majesty of a Nascent Soul cultivator, stood in the void outside the Tianxing Sect's mountain gate, ignoring the angry or mocking gazes of the hundreds of Nascent Soul cultivators of the Tianxing Sect inside the mountain gate.

His cloudy yet still sharp gaze seemed to pierce through mountains and palaces, reaching the most dazzling starlight in the Star Palace.

He knew that the Nascent Soul cultivators of the Tianxing Sect, who had already benefited from the situation, would never want to see them, these "barbarians," squeeze in with the enormous power of hundreds of Nascent Soul cultivators to share the pie, not to mention that the two sides already had a blood feud.

Therefore, from the very beginning, their goal was not to persuade these Nascent Soul cultivators, but to directly engage in dialogue with the only being who could make decisions and cared most about their "gifts".

Hu Yanzhuo took a deep breath, his withered chest rising and falling slightly. With his weakened but still powerful magic, he condensed his voice into a line, no longer the previous defiant rolling thunder that echoed through the mountains, but with a kind of reverence and clarity that was almost like a pilgrimage, sending it directly into the depths of the mountains.

"Elder Huyan Zhuo of the Mulan Grassland, along with cultivators from 108 tribes of the grassland, pays respects to Sect Leader Ying of the Tianxing Sect! The Mulan clan is willing to offer up the exact coordinates and detailed records of the 'Void Passages' that our ancestors explored and accumulated with blood and tears throughout the ages, totaling 379 locations!"

Of these, twenty-one were marked 'suspected stable,' and nearly one hundred were marked 'had exhibited unusual phenomena'! All cultivators of the Mulan clan, from myself down, are willing to completely merge into the Tianxing Sect, acknowledging Sect Leader Ying as our sole master, and daring not disobey any of his commands! We only beg the Sect Leader's mercy, allowing us, the disciples of Mulan, to also receive his teachings and guidance on the path of the Great Dao!

These words resonated clearly in the ears of every cultivator, both inside and outside the mountain gate.

The words "379 coordinates" and "21 suspected stable locations" were like a thunderclap, making all the Nascent Soul cultivators of the Tianxing Sect present go numb and their faces turn extremely ugly in an instant!
They knew all too well what this meant! What did Nascent Soul cultivators pursue? Besides breaking through their own realm, wasn't it a stable and reliable void passage to ascend to the upper realm and pursue a broader path to immortality?
The reason this group dared to outwardly comply while inwardly defying orders, and even secretly concealing and destroying potentially relevant clues and records, was primarily because they gambled that the sect leader couldn't find a reliable channel for the time being and could only rely on these "tools" to slowly search. Therefore, they were forced to tolerate certain actions by the sect leader, and even give him opportunities to approach and curry favor. (End of Chapter)