Gentlemen, it's time to enter the Banner of Ten Thousand Souls.

Chapter 171 The Dharma Assembly
It's hard for outsiders to understand what Chen Ye is thinking.

After all, no one knows his true origins, let alone imagine what different eras he has experienced.

Many people say that no matter how history changes, human nature never changes.

But Chen Ye had also heard that history always progresses in a spiral.

Because there is never a shortage of smart people in this world, the strategy of keeping the people ignorant may bring temporary stability, but it is impossible to keep everyone in the world a fool forever.

Wisdom is passed down from generation to generation, and future generations will always go further by following in the footsteps of their predecessors.

This principle applies both in his past life, which lacked supernatural powers, and in this present life, where he cultivates and manifests in the world.

Chen Ye has always believed that only by following this rule can one be considered to be "acting on behalf of Heaven," while acting against this rule and only thinking about using it for personal gain is "going against Heaven."

It sounds complicated, but in essence, it all boils down to the saying, "Do not do to others what you would not have them do to you."

Chen Ye himself did not want to be blinded by the gods and become a fool who only knew how to kowtow and pray for blessings, so the mortals under his rule should not suffer such torment.

If one's wisdom is clouded and one only prays to gods and Buddhas, how can that person still be called a human being? They are not much better than beasts.

However, the saying "Do not do to others what you would not have them do to you" is easy to say but not easy to do in practice.

Chen Ye was just a poor boy before, and he wasn't qualified to say such empty words and platitudes, but now that he is the leader of a sect, he can be willful. This is the true meaning of the Yellow Springs Sect's tradition.

After seeing Toya Lier off, Chen Ye's thoughts returned to the construction of Fengdu City.

Once that sacrificial ritual is widely adopted, the hundreds of thousands of wandering souls in Fengdu City will undoubtedly have a huge demand for various offerings.

Offerings can't all be made of wood; it would be such a waste if they were all burned to ashes.

Therefore, it seems that a paper offering shop needs to be set up in Fengdu City to make various sacrificial items so that mortals can worship the City God and the gods.

"Everyone says that food is the most important thing for people, but in my Fengdu City, the most important thing is the paper effigies shop." Chen Ye couldn't help but laugh and said self-deprecatingly, "If you say this isn't a ghost town, I'm afraid no one will believe you."

Although the name "ghost city" sounds bad, Chen Ye felt a great sense of accomplishment. If Fengdu could truly become a place that accommodates reincarnation as he wished, it would be the greatest merit he had ever made in his life.

"But where can we find skilled paper craftsmen? The northern frontier is bitterly cold, and such craftsmen are probably hard to find. Moreover, there are no paper-making workshops in the city, and materials are extremely scarce."

After pondering for a moment, Chen Ye felt that the solution should be sought from the Central Plains.

The northern frontier is barren, and it would be extremely difficult to persuade craftsmen from the Central Plains to migrate here with their families. No matter how eloquently they were persuaded, it is only natural for people to be reluctant to leave their homeland.

Instead of hiring someone, it's better to send someone to learn.

Chen Ye thought they should select a few people from the northern frontier in Fengdu City and send them to the Central Plains to learn their craft. Papermaking and paper figurine making weren't particularly advanced skills; as long as you were willing to spend the money, you wouldn't be afraid of being taught.

Once they have all learned how to make paper offerings, they can be brought back to Fengdu, and then the paper offering shop can open for business.

Thinking of this, Chen Ye excitedly went to the Lord and told him about his plan.

Upon hearing this, the Lord sneered, "I think you're just restless and can't stand the loneliness of this desolate place. You're looking for an excuse to go back to the prosperous Central Plains and have some fun, aren't you?"

Chen Ye was quite frank, nodding and saying, "I really am planning to go out for a walk. Fengdu City is rather deserted right now, and with you, Venerable Lord, in charge, I don't need to keep an eye on things in the city every day. I'll also take this opportunity to visit some friends in Baihai Valley."

When the Yellow Springs Sect was about to establish its own sect, it was only natural to invite some friends to attend the ceremony, in addition to the five major sects. Chen Ye's act of delivering the invitations was considered proper.

The Venerable One did not object to this, but instead offered some advice: "Now that you are a Transcendent Realm cultivator, your return to the Central Plains can be considered a triumphant homecoming. While you're at it, recruit some disciples for the Yellow Springs Sect. Your master and I cannot make a public appearance at the sect's founding ceremony, and we can't just let those ordinary people from the Northern Frontier hold the show, can we?"

The Lord's words put Chen Ye in a difficult position. It wasn't so easy to recruit people to join the Yellow Springs Sect; it wasn't like buying servants from a slave trader.

Which cultivator isn't proud and ambitious, seeking immortality and enlightenment? Why would they willingly join a newly established small sect as a figurehead?
However, Chen Ye did think of the three men, Fu, Lu, and Shou. If he could invite them to serve as guest advisors, it would not be a bad option.

Moreover, what the Venerable Lord said makes sense. When the distinguished guests from the five major sects arrive, it would be too shabby and pathetic for him, the sect leader, to receive them all alone.

Taking on apprentices is a must, but Chen Ye himself feels a little embarrassed.

After all, he had only been cultivating for a little over a year, and now he was about to become someone else's master, which was quite strange.

Chen Ye sighed, "Never mind, let's go to Hundred Seas Valley first and see what's going on. Maybe we can find something there."

Having made up his mind, Chen Ye left the Yellow Springs Palace, mounted the Black Whirlwind, and headed straight for the Hundred Seas Valley.

Last time, it took three days to fly from Baihai Valley to Luoyan Town, but this time the return trip didn't take that long.

Black Whirlwind had been free lately, so the Lord caught him and gave him a good "training." No one knows what kind of magic pills he was given, but his originally slightly chubby figure became much firmer.

Despite its seemingly smaller size, its strength has increased rather than decreased, and its flight speed is far greater than before.

As Chen Ye faced the biting wind, his face trembled involuntarily once again.

"This guy can fly fast, but he just can't seem to learn how to control the wind."

Helpless, Chen Ye had no choice but to use his "Bronze Bell Hell" supernatural power to summon a bronze bell to cover himself, thus blocking the oncoming cold wind.

It must be said that this supernatural power was indeed incredibly useful, finally sparing him the pain of the biting wind. Traveling day and night, a day later, the valley shrouded in colorful mist came into view once again.

From a distance, the valley looks like a fairyland, magnificent and fantastical.

However, mortals must never approach it, for the seemingly beautiful seven-colored mist actually contains deadly poison, enough to easily turn flesh and blood into a puddle of pus.

The distinction between immortals and mortals has always been so clear.

Chen Ye arrived at the valley entrance and entered the maze with practiced ease.

As time passed, the formations and hexagrams also changed, but this was not difficult for Chen Ye, who was proficient in this art.

A moment later, he found a way out, passed through the mist, and stepped into the Hundred Seas Valley.

Looking around, the pavilion still stands quietly in the same place, the scenery just as it was before.

However, when he first arrived here, he was just a novice cultivator in the Qi Sea Realm, but now he has reached the Profound Realm. Although the time has been short, Chen Ye feels as if he has lived through another world.

He had barely entered the valley when a young cultivator came to greet him.

This man had a somewhat dull appearance, wore a long blue robe, and was about the same age as Chen Ye. His face still shone with spiritual light, clearly indicating that he had only recently entered the Qi Sea Realm, just like Chen Ye had been.

Upon seeing Chen Ye, the young cultivator immediately bowed and greeted him: "Fellow Daoist, please wait a moment. Is this your first visit to Hundred Seas Valley, or a return visit? Are you here to visit old friends, or to attend a gathering of cultivators?"

Chen Ye returned the greeting with a cupped hand and introduced himself: "I am Chen Ye of the Yellow Spring Sect, and I have come to Hundred Seas Valley to visit some friends. May I ask how you are addressed?"

"So it's Fellow Daoist Chen, my apologies for my rudeness. I am Li Fan, a rogue cultivator." Li Fan was quite polite in his words, but when he heard the name "Chen Ye", his face showed no change.

Chen Ye's mind raced, and he asked, "Fellow Daoist Li, did you only arrive at Hundred Seas Valley recently?"

Li Fan quickly explained, "To be honest, Fellow Daoist Chen, I only arrived here a few days ago. I heard that I could earn some Azure Pearls by welcoming guests here, so I took on this job. If there is any inadequacy in my hospitality, I hope Fellow Daoist Chen will forgive me."

Chen Ye smiled and shook his head: "Fellow Daoist, you are too kind."

He understood immediately; no wonder Li Fan didn't recognize him. Since the incident with the Crimson Serpent Demon, his name should have been quite well-known among the cultivators of Hundred Seas Valley. It seemed that Li Fan was new here and hadn't inquired about these matters.

Chen Ye wasn't trying to show off; he was just casually asking, "The cultivator gathering has started again? I remember the last gathering ended less than a year ago."

Li Fan explained, "It seems that Fellow Daoist Chen has indeed returned to this familiar place. There are no fixed rules for the gatherings of cultivators in Hundred Seas Valley. As long as the five major sects have the desire, they can convene at any time. This time, it is the Cloud Peak Immortal Sect that is taking the lead in wanting to hold a 'Dharma Demonstration Conference' here. We, the independent cultivators, heard the news and felt that it was a good opportunity to exchange information, so we also took the opportunity to hold our own gathering."

"A magical demonstration conference?" Chen Ye had never heard of such a thing before. "Could it be a martial arts contest in a ring? I would appreciate it if Fellow Daoist Li could enlighten me."

As he spoke, he took out several Azure Pearls and placed them in Li Fan's hand.

Unexpectedly, Li Fan waved his hands repeatedly to decline, saying, "Fellow Daoist Chen is too kind. This little bit of information is nothing. I cannot accept such a reward without having done anything right. This 'Spell Demonstration Conference' is actually more about the exchange and discussion of magical techniques..."

With Li Fan's detailed explanation, Chen Ye quickly grasped the general idea.

Although there is only a one-word difference between "performance" and "competition," their meanings are completely different.

The Yunlu Immortal Sect has always been renowned for its complex and exquisite magic. Most of the top array masters in the cultivation world today have some connection with it.

The “Dual Enlightenment Conference” is more like a large-scale technical seminar and puzzle-solving event.

The Yunlu Immortal Sect will meticulously design numerous challenging problems related to spells and formations, inviting cultivators from all over the world to solve them.

Those who successfully solve the puzzle will receive a generous reward from the Yunlu Immortal Sect, which is a priceless treasure for most independent cultivators.

Those who display exceptional talent may even be spotted on the spot by the Yunlu Immortal Sect and taken in as disciples, which would truly be a meteoric rise with limitless potential.

As for the Yunlu Immortal Sect, what they want is the ideas and methods that others use to solve the problem, to gather the strengths of various schools of thought and integrate them into their own tradition.

In this way, the conference was a win-win situation for everyone.

Independent cultivators have the opportunity to gain tangible benefits and exchange ideas with fellow practitioners to verify their knowledge; the Yunlu Immortal Sect, on the other hand, not only showcases its own profound knowledge and style, but also gathers wisdom from all sides and discovers talents.

No wonder the rogue cultivators flocked to it and were happy to help, making the cultivator gathering so lively.

Chen Ye asked, "How many more days until this Dharma Assembly?"

Li Fan assumed Chen Ye wanted to earn some rewards, so he said to him, "Fellow Daoist, you've come at an inopportune time. The Dharma Assembly lasts for a month, and we're now in the last three days. The simpler puzzles from before have already been solved, and now only the most difficult ones remain."

This person really speaks very directly; they don't mince words at all.

However, Chen Ye wasn't there for the rewards; he was just curious to see what the Yunlu Immortal Sect was capable of.

However, there was no rush. Chen Ye bid farewell to Li Fan and prepared to catch up with Fu Lu Shou and the other two.

Not long after Chen Ye left, Li Fan seemed to suddenly remember something and muttered to himself, "Chen Ye of the Yellow Spring Sect... Chen Ye... I feel like I've heard that name mentioned before. Could it be that I've accidentally encountered a true senior master?"

(End of this chapter)