Am I the old man who's always by my apprentices' side?

Chapter 317 The Tianji Sect’s Establishment Ceremony
"They want me to get beaten to death by Senior Brother Chang!"

Amidst the laughter and banter, Li Zhi casually mentioned the names they used to have when they were at the Taiyue Sword Sect.

Fang Tang was taken aback by this abrupt remark, and annoyed, she raised her hand and tapped Li Zhi's shoulder with the scabbard: "What are you thinking! I'm just concerned about your cultivation, Junior Brother! To encourage you to improve!"

Li Zhi rubbed his shoulders, chuckled, and was about to say something more sarcastic when suddenly, a clear and melodious bell rang throughout Tianhe Mountain.

Dang——dang——dang——

The bell tolled several times, echoing among the mountains, as if washing away all the noise and making even the air solemn. It seemed to possess some kind of magic, piercing through the clouds, skimming over the treetops, startling a few birds into flight, before quietly disappearing into the depths of the valley.

The guests, who had been strolling leisurely in various places, all straightened up upon hearing the sound and converged on the square in front of the main hall on the mountaintop.

The main hall of the Tianji Sect is only a facade; the interior is not yet completed. Therefore, the sect's grand ceremony is held in the square.

The entire square is paved with bluestone slabs, and flags with special patterns are planted all around, fluttering in the breeze.

The three sacrificial animals, large and small, were placed outside the hall, while the disciples of the Tianji Sect, dressed in gold-embroidered purple brocade robes, were already lined up in front of the hall, quietly waiting for the main hall to begin.

"The ceremony is about to begin!"

Fang Tang, who had been joking with Li Zhi, also became serious and whispered a reminder.

The members of the Taiyue Sword Sect straightened their robes and, at the signal of their senior brother, walked in an orderly fashion toward the two high blue stone platforms reserved for them.

Their positions were to the east and west of the Tang Sect, seemingly of equal status, while the White Stone Immortal Sect was located in the very center.

There are three sects and factions in total, and each faction has two high platforms. So there are a total of six high platforms at the front of the square, near the mountain gate.

These six platforms are not as exquisite and majestic as those in the White Stone Immortal Sect, nor even as impressive as the platforms in the Sword Casting Manor that have been in use for many years. They are built on a base of bluestone, reaching a height of less than ten feet. The top is a wooden viewing platform without a roof or any carvings or decorations, making them look very simple.

However, although these six platforms were simple, there was a faint spiritual light flowing around them, indicating that some kind of ingenious formation was set up—but everyone was completely ignorant of formations, so they couldn't tell what kind of formation it was at all.

The guests arrived at the high platform in order. Even sitting in chairs, they had a wide view, overlooking the entire front hall of the Tianji Sect and its surrounding square.

Apart from the few sects and forces that were invited, the Tianji Sect did not stop the other independent practitioners. Instead, they all went to the thatched shed with countless bamboo mats set up. Although it was a bit far from the square, they could still see the sect's grand ceremony.

The Tianji Sect even provided tea for these uninvited wanderers—several handy disciples carried copper kettles and moved among them, pouring fragrant spiritual tea for everyone, which was quite thoughtful.

Before anyone knew it, the hushed conversations gradually subsided, and everyone's attention was focused on the area in front of the main hall, where many disciples of the Tianji Sect stood.

A moment later, Tang Yinxiang, dressed in a dark purple brocade gown, slowly walked onto the stage.

Her face was not adorned with makeup, yet her features remained beautiful, and her brows held an added air of authority and composure.

Following behind her were all the formal disciples of the Tianji Sect, a very small number, only a few dozen, but all of them had solemn expressions.

Tang Yinxiang walked to the front of the platform, her gaze slowly sweeping over the six high platforms not far away. Her voice was clear and authoritative, and through her spiritual power, it clearly resonated throughout the entire square:

"Thank you all for your presence at the founding ceremony of my Tianji Sect, fellow Daoists and comrades of the martial world. Yinxiang expresses her gratitude..."

She bowed slightly in greeting, and from a distance, the people on the high platform returned the bow.

After straightening up, Tang Yinxiang continued, "The Heavenly Mystery Sect was founded on Tianhe Mountain. Its purpose is to study the Dao of Formations and deduce the changes of the heavens in order to protect the common people and uphold the righteous path..."

"The Way of Formations encompasses everything, capable of both defense and offense, of trapping and aiding. It is the supreme method for communicating with heaven and earth and harnessing the power of nature. Now, with the revival of spiritual energy and the resurgence of immortality, it is the time for the Way of Formations to shine once more. It is also the cornerstone for our immortal sects and factions to help each other and work together for the common good..."

"Although our sect is newly established, it already has a lineage. We are fortunate to have been blessed by our esteemed master, who has allowed us to practice martial arts for twenty years and bestowed upon us the responsibility of guarding tombs. We are also fortunate to have received guidance from the Immortal White Stone, which has given us a glimpse into the mysteries of formations. Today, we establish our sect not to compete for supremacy, but to sincerely wish to share our profound teachings with fellow practitioners throughout the world, to encourage and promote each other, and to contribute our modest efforts in this unprecedentedly changing world..."

Her speech was concise and powerful, not only hinting at the lineage of the Tianji Sect but also demonstrating a friendly and open attitude. Her dignified yet humble demeanor immediately won the favor of many.

The mention of the "responsibility of guarding the tomb" and "Zhang Xianren's guidance" stirred up everyone's thoughts, and the various speculations that everyone had made in private before seemed to have been subtly confirmed.

Next came the usual rituals of offering sacrifices to Heaven and ancestors (mainly to commemorate the predecessors of the Tomb Guardian Sect and Sword Saint Tang Xingjian), and announcing the sect rules. Although these rituals were somewhat tedious, they appeared solemn and mysterious under the repeated illumination of the array's spiritual light, drawing everyone's attention almost intently.

After the ceremony was completed, Tang Yinxiang announced that the ceremony was successful, and then "celestial music" began to play.

This was the Princess's Music Troupe that Tang Yinxiang's master, Tang Xiaoyu, had borrowed from her second senior sister, Murong Ruyan. Their skill level was far beyond that of ordinary music troupes...

As the music began, the well-prepared Tianji Sect servants brought out a variety of food and drinks to the six high platforms to entertain the guests.

There were fresh and delicious peaches, as well as some delicate side dishes. The tea was "roasted barley tea," which was the most popular among the famous sects in the martial arts world, and it had a unique aroma.

Most importantly, these foods are all spiritual foods, which are also known as "immortal foods" as misunderstood outsiders!
With these spiritual foods, the atmosphere became much more relaxed.

However, everyone knew that the real show was just beginning.

In the past, such founding ceremonies in the martial arts world were not only rituals, but also the best occasion for various forces to observe and exchange ideas with each other. They were also the most important stage for many martial arts sects to test the strength of the newly established sect.

Although nowadays, apart from the scattered individuals and small sects on the outermost edge of the square who are not qualified to enjoy the high platform, everyone present, including the newly established Tianji Sect, is a celestial force, as long as forces exist, the way they interact with each other will not change much.

Sure enough, after a few rounds of drinks, an elder from the Taiyue Sword Sect rose with a smile, cupped his hands towards Tang Yinxiang on the stage, and said, "Sect Leader Tang, in this world, the path of immortality is still in its infancy. Your sect's establishment based on formations is truly unique and admirable. However, my Taiyue Sword Sect is only skilled in swordsmanship and not in formations, so we are inevitably unclear about formations. This path is extremely profound, and our knowledge is shallow. I wonder if we will have the opportunity today to witness the mysteries of your sect's formations and broaden our horizons?"

These words were spoken politely, but the underlying probing was self-evident. In fact, this was actually a deliberate "performance" by the Taiyue Sword Sect in cooperation with the Tianji Sect—

As is widely known, Tang Yinxiang, the leader of the Tianji Sect, is from the Tang Sect and has an ambiguous relationship with it. This is why the Tang Sect, a sect with a great reputation in martial arts but unheard of in immortal cultivation, was invited to attend the ceremony together with the Taiyue Sword Sect and the Baishi Immortal Sect.

Of course, it was precisely because of this that the Taiyue Sword Sect learned that the Tang Clan had gradually shifted from martial arts to immortality. At least half of the Tang Clan disciples who came to observe the ceremony were Qi Refining stage cultivators who had drawn Qi into their bodies.

Therefore, given this relationship, the Tang Clan would definitely be too embarrassed to speak up first as the "straight man," otherwise it would seem too fake.

And another White Stone Immortal Sect...

Ok……

As is widely known, Tang Yinxiang's master is Tang Xiaoyu, the fourth disciple of the sect leader of the Baishi Immortal Sect. Therefore, the Baishi Immortal Sect cannot engage in any question-and-answer games with the Tianji Sect.

Therefore, the task of playing the "straight man" fell to the Taiyue Sword Sect.

They weren't familiar with the Tianji Sect, but it was still a force of immortals, and they were completely ignorant of formations!
Tang Yinxiang received the "signal" from the Taiyue Sword Sect, smiled slightly, and said, "Elder Liu is too kind. The Tianji Sect is newly established, and we have only been practicing the immortal path for a few months. We have only developed a dozen or so formations, which is truly shameful."

"However, since fellow Daoists have such an interest, our Tianji Sect shall make a fool of itself in offering our services."

She finished speaking and gave a light clapping.

Suddenly, several beams of light rose up around the square, connected by a thin, purplish-gold shimmering membrane that enveloped the entire Tianji Sect.

The next moment, everyone felt the scene before them blur slightly, as if space itself had been slightly distorted. The originally clear sky seemed to become even clearer, and the distant mountains appeared closer. The flow of spiritual energy in the air became visible to the naked eye, like silk threads, gathering into mysterious patterns, swimming in the air like fish, appearing and disappearing.

"This is the 'Minor Spirit Gathering Manifestation Array,' which can slightly gather spiritual energy and manifest its flow trajectory, making it convenient for disciples to observe and cultivate..."

Tang Yinxiang explained it casually.

Tang Yinxiang spoke lightly, but a chorus of low gasps arose from the high platform. Even Chang Ping'an couldn't help but exclaim to his junior brothers and sisters, "No wonder Fourth Junior Sister has been in seclusion lately, and even when she comes out, she always goes outside. It turns out she's been studying these things!"

Xu Wen, who had come with Chang Ping'an to join in the fun, gently waved his folding fan and said, shaking his head, "Before coming here to witness the ceremony, I searched through most of the books in the library related to the Dao of Arrays. Although there are indeed many 'Spirit Gathering Arrays,' there are absolutely no 'Small Spirit Gathering Manifestation Arrays.' If I had to name something similar, there's only one 'Manifestation Array' used for cultivators to visualize, but it doesn't have any 'Spirit Gathering' function..."

"I have never seen a formation that can both gather spiritual energy and manifest it before!"

Upon hearing this, Chang Ping'an exclaimed, "Then it seems that this formation must have been developed by Fourth Junior Sister and the Tianji Sect on their own. It's truly amazing!"

Xu Wen raised his chin, somewhat unconvinced, and added, "It's alright. This formation just seems to combine the 'Spirit Gathering Formation' and the 'Spirit Manifestation Formation.' It's not difficult, and it can't really be considered an original creation..."

As he spoke, Xu Wen realized that what he was saying sounded a bit sour, so he added at the end, "Of course, that's true, it's quite impressive, especially the way he thought things through, it's really ingenious."

Zhang Chengdao, who had appeared on the platform at some unknown time, nodded abruptly and said, "Indeed ingenious."

Manifesting the invisible flow of spiritual energy in a near-tangible form has immeasurable benefits for lower-level disciples in understanding and sensing spiritual energy!
Moreover, setting aside these objective benefits, just looking at it from a subjective perspective...

That's handsome too, okay!

Ever since he transmigrated to cultivate immortality, Zhang Chengdao's biggest obsession, besides going back to his original world, has been why the "special effects" of various immortal techniques don't look cool enough, especially the spiritual energy, which has no color and doesn't match his "fantasy" of immortality at all!
While it's practically true that spiritual energy is colorless, in the world before the transmigration, what kind of cultivation game wouldn't have various spiritual energy light effects?

Having been spoiled by various rendering techniques and flashy games, Zhang Chengdao's biggest dissatisfaction with cultivation was precisely this aspect. Now, a mere "Minor Spirit Gathering Manifestation Array" could make up for it, which truly surprised and delighted him.

Moreover, this formation was developed by the natives of this world themselves, which means that even if I were to become a hands-off manager, the natives of this world would still have the ability to develop and improve on their own...

This is absolutely fantastic news!

"Master!"

"metropolitan!"

Upon hearing Zhang Chengdao's remark, Chang Ping'an and the others were first startled, and then they all stood up and bowed.

Zhang Chengdao casually waved his hand and said, "No need for formalities, let's first appreciate the skills of other sects."

That's definitely the skill of the Heavenly Secrets Sect!
Although Zhang Chengdao knew that Tang Xiaoyu had asked his original disciple to establish a new immortal sect, he did not inquire about the matter, let alone offer any advice.

Whether it's the twelve disciples of the Heavenly Mystery Sect who have successfully guided Qi into their bodies, or the numerous formations displayed at this sect's grand ceremony, they all developed or researched these formations on their own. Zhang Chengdao, on the other hand, knew absolutely nothing about them.

If you want to learn formations, you have to study mathematics or even "advanced mathematics," which he really can't learn. There's nothing he can do!
Therefore, the establishment of the Tianji Sect pleased Zhang Chengdao far more than the "transformation" of the Taiyue Sword Sect.

Isn't this exactly what makes up for the shortcomings of the White Stone Immortal Sect?

Even if we want to use formations in the future, we won't have to worry about not having enough people to use!
Chang Ping'an and the others had no idea of ​​the complex thoughts swirling in Zhang Chengdao's mind. They only saw that their master/secretary was very happy, and their hearts were filled with boundless respect once again.

Master/Sect Leader is indeed a true immortal on land, an unparalleled saint! To see a sect or force able to embark on the path of immortality, he is so happy and not worried at all about the status of the White Stone Immortal Sect. He truly has a broad mind!

……

(End of this chapter)