A sage master under the pine tree imparted the Dao and taught longevity.

Last night, Chen Chuan carefully copied the scroll onto the brocade.

As dawn broke, he took out the [Sound Transmission Stone], concentrated his energy into it, and after a moment, Bai Pu's figure appeared on the stone's surface.

"Senior brother?" Bai Pu looked surprised. "Has something happened?"

Chen Chuan briefly recounted what happened yesterday.

Upon hearing this, Bai Pu's expression hardened: "That group of demonic cultivators was surrounded and wiped out by us yesterday, with most of them losing their lives. Only the leader managed to escape in the chaos. We were searching everywhere when he actually found his way to Senior Brother's temple."

He paused, then said in a deep voice, "Senior brother, please wait a moment, I'll be there immediately."

Less than half an hour later, a clear cry came from the sky.

Bai Pu arrived on a crane, followed by three streaks of light that landed outside the temple; all of them were dressed as disciples of the Qingyuan Sect.

Chen Chuan came out to greet him, cupping his hands in thanks, "Thank you for coming in person, Junior Brother."

Bai Pu waved his hand, his expression solemn: "This matter concerns the overall situation of the encirclement and suppression, how could we dare to be negligent?"

Chen Chuan led everyone into the hall and sat down in the main hall. Then he took out the items he had taken from the demonic cultivator the night before and placed them on the table.

"These are the relics of that demonic cultivator: spirit stones and pills. I have not used any of them; they are all here."

He then took out the two black jade slips and said, "These two jade slips contain demonic cultivation techniques. I will give them to you, junior brother, to deal with."

Bai Pu took the jade slip, and as soon as he probed it with his divine sense, his brows furrowed tightly. He said coldly, "It really is an evil technique that refines the soul and devours blood... If such a technique were used in the mortal world, I wonder how many lives it would take."

He put all the items into his storage bag and waved behind him.

A young cultivator with a cold expression stepped forward and bowed to Chen Chuan, saying, "This junior is Zhou Huaijin from Cuiwei Peak. Thank you, senior, for killing this fiend. Those demonic cultivators seriously injured two of my senior brothers from Cuiwei Peak. We will remember this grudge."

Chen Chuan waved his hand: "It's just my duty, nothing to mention."

Zhou Huaijin continued, "Senior, please allow me to inquire. During the previous siege, we extracted information from another demonic cultivator that their leader carried a Foundation Establishment Pill, which he obtained while intercepting rogue cultivators. I wonder if you saw it on this person?"

Chen Chuan remained calm and shook his head, saying, "The demonic cultivator's items have all been presented on the table. Junior Brother has also examined those bottles of pills; they are all ordinary healing items."

Bai Pu pondered for a moment, then said to Zhou Huaijin, "Go and investigate inside and outside the temple to see if that demonic cultivator left anything nearby before he died."

Zhou Huaijin accepted the order, got up, and left the main hall.

Chen Chuan sat still, picked up his teacup, and slowly took a sip.

A moment later, Zhou Huaijin returned and shook his head at Bai Pu: "Uncle-Master, I scanned the area within a hundred feet of the temple with my divine sense and found no abnormal fluctuations in spiritual energy. It must not be here."

Bai Pu nodded slightly, then turned to Chen Chuan and said, "Senior brother, please don't be offended. This matter concerns the sect, and we must investigate it."

Chen Chuan waved his hand and laughed, "Junior Brother has handled things perfectly, how could I possibly blame you?"

Bai Pu stood up, put the spirit stones and pills on the table into his storage bag, and turned to instruct the accompanying disciple, "Take these items back to the sect and hand them over to the Enforcement Hall for safekeeping."

All the disciples responded in unison.

After seeing his disciple off, Bai Pu turned back to Chen Chuan and said with a smile, "Senior Brother has done a great service by eliminating a demonic cultivator for the sect. The sect will surely reward you. Is there anything you wish for? I can inform the sect leader when I return."

Upon hearing this, Chen Chuan remained silent for a few moments, seemingly considering his words.

After a long silence, he slowly spoke: "Junior brother, senior brother does have a request."

"Please speak freely, senior brother."

"This humble Taoist would like to ask my junior brother to inform the sect leader on my behalf..." Chen Chuan paused, then cupped his hands and said solemnly, "This humble Taoist wishes to establish a sect and set up a new school in this desolate mountain. I hope the sect will grant me permission."

Bai Pu did not show much surprise upon hearing this.

He looked at Chen Chuan and said, "Senior Brother, are you really sure? Establishing a sect is not as simple as taking in a few disciples. Sect rules, sect management, disciple discipline—each and every one of these is a complicated matter."

Chen Chuan nodded: "I have been thinking about this for a long time. Now that the temple has both spiritual fields and granaries, if we can get permission from the sect, we can rightfully teach and impart knowledge, and we will not have to be restricted by those three people when we accept disciples in the future."

Bai Pu pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "This matter... I will go and speak to him on behalf of my senior brother."

Chen Chuan cupped his hands in thanks: "Thank you, junior brother."

Bai Pu nodded, said no more, climbed onto the crane's back, and flew away.

……

On the return journey, the three Qingyuan Sect disciples rode side by side on their light. Zhou Huaijin lagged half a step behind and suddenly whispered, "Uncle-Master, is the Foundation Establishment Pill really not in that old Taoist temple?"

Bai Pu said calmly, "Didn't you already investigate that?"

Zhou Huaijin hesitated and said, "As far as my divine sense can perceive, I have not detected any spiritual energy fluctuations from the Foundation Establishment Pill, but..."

Another disciple interjected, "Senior brother, you're overthinking it. That demonic cultivator was severely injured and fled dozens of miles using the Blood Escape Technique. He was already at his limit. He might have destroyed his Foundation Establishment Pill during his escape to prevent it from being stolen."

Zhou Huaijin thought for a moment and nodded slightly: "That's true. Those vicious and ruthless individuals, when driven to desperation, would rather destroy their core than fall into the hands of others; that's quite reasonable."

Upon hearing this, Bai Pu neither agreed nor disagreed, but simply rode the crane forward without saying another word.

……

Songjian Temple

After seeing everyone off, Chen Chuan sat alone in the main room, looking worried.

He took out the ebony box from his sleeve, stared at the lid wrapped in layers of concealing talismans, and remained silent for a long time.

After a long while, he hid it again in a secret place.

Then I moved to the window and looked out into the distance.

The night was deep and silent, the vast wilderness was utterly still, save for the rustling of the pines and the ceaseless sound of the waves.

He silently weighed the current situation in his mind.

The Qingyuan Sect governs five mortal kingdoms. The Qian Kingdom, where the Great Wilderness Mountain is located, is at the southernmost tip, bordering the Jin Kingdom, which is the outermost edge of the Qingyuan Sect's power.

The world is becoming increasingly turbulent.

He had heard Bai Pu mention that the Qingyuan Sect's patriarch had been in seclusion for decades and had not shown his face. Currently, only the sect leader and three elders were in charge of the sect.

The demons of the Northern Demon Realm have repeatedly invaded the border in recent years, and the Southern Demon Sect has become increasingly rampant. The demon cultivators who have now wandered into the Great Wilderness Mountain are the best proof of this.

The Qian Kingdom is located in a remote area, beyond the reach of sects. If war were to reach this place one day, how could these few small houses with green tiles in Songjian Temple possibly withstand it?

The only way is to become stronger as soon as possible.

The disciples need to become stronger, and I need to become stronger even more.

Xiao Jin has already entered the Qi Refining stage, while Shen Mo is still in the embryonic breathing stage...

He took a deep breath and silently made a decision in his mind.

"Time waits for no one; we need to hurry."

……

Qingyuan Sect, the main hall.

The hall is spacious and deep, with intricate patterns carved on the jade pillars and fluorescent stones hanging from the ceiling, casting a clear, watery glow.

Bai Pu stood in the hall, bowed and cupped his hands: "Disciple Bai Pu greets Sect Master."

Seated at the head of the table was a man with an ancient face, white hair and beard, and half-closed eyes. His spiritual pressure was as calm and unwavering as an abyss. He was none other than the sect leader of Qingyuan Sect, Master Qingxu.

"What is it?" Master Qingxu asked calmly.

Bai Pu gave a detailed account of the siege of the demonic cultivators in the Great Wilderness Mountain, and also mentioned Chen Chuan's merits in killing the fleeing demonic cultivators and handing over the relics. Finally, he mentioned Chen Chuan's intention to establish a sect.

Upon hearing this, Master Qingxu slightly opened his eyes and said indifferently, "A mere Qi Refining cultivator dares to establish a sect?"

Bai Pu had anticipated the sect leader's reaction and calmly replied, "Sect leader, please forgive me. Chen Chuan has rendered meritorious service in slaying the demon this time, and he is devoted to spreading the Dao. He has only taken on a few disciples, all of whom are children."

He paused, then changed the subject: "Moreover, in my opinion, we are currently in a turbulent time. The Great Wilderness Mountain is located at the border between the Qian Kingdom and the Jin Kingdom, and is the gateway to the southern territory of our sect."

"The sect's resources are limited, and it's difficult to attend to everything. If Songjian Temple can establish itself here, even as a small sect, it can serve as the sect's eyes and ears and a shield in the southern region."

"Chen Chuan, at nearly ninety years old and still at the Qi Refining stage, won't amount to much. But if he could settle down in the Great Wilderness Mountain and protect this territory for the sect, wouldn't that be wonderful?"

Master Qingxu remained silent for a long time, then lightly tapped the armrest with his fingertips.

After a long pause, he said calmly, "Very well, since it has rendered service to the sect, I grant permission."

He waved his hand: "Go ahead and make the arrangements. Don't bother me anymore."

Bai Pu's face lit up with joy, and he bowed, saying, "This disciple obeys."

……

Several days later, at Songjian Temple.

At noon, sunlight cast dappled golden rays across the courtyard.

Shu'er was leading Qingjiao to drink water by the stream when she suddenly heard a whooshing sound from the sky. Looking up, she saw a silver light shooting towards her from the horizon.

"Master! Someone's coming!" She dropped Qingjiao and rushed back to the temple.

As the silver light drew closer, it turned out to be an exquisite silver shuttle, with the emblem of the Qingyuan Sect engraved on its body.

The shuttle slowly came to a stop outside the viewpoint, and two people stepped off the shuttle.

One person was dressed in the Qingyuan Sect's standard Taoist robe, with a jade pendant hanging from his waist, and had a solemn expression.

The other person was dressed in a black official robe, with a black gauze hat and a jade belt around his waist. He had a refined and scholarly appearance and was clearly an official of the Qian Kingdom.

Chen Chuan and Xiao Jin came out of the temple to greet them, cupping their hands and saying, "You two have come from afar, we are sorry for not welcoming you properly."

The Qingyuan Sect disciple stepped forward, took out a scroll of bright yellow silk, unfurled it, and read aloud:

"Decree from the Sect Leader of Qingyuan Sect—"

"There is a Daoist named Chen Chuan of Qisong who has cultivated the Dao for many years and made meritorious contributions to spreading the Dao. Recently, he also slew demonic cultivators in the Great Wilderness Mountain and protected the local area. His loyalty and diligence are commendable. Therefore, he is hereby granted permission to establish a sect in Tingsong Valley of the Great Wilderness Mountain, and is hereby bestowed the name 'Songjian Sect' and listed as a subordinate academy of the Qingyuan Sect."

"Bestow upon me a third-tier mountain-protecting formation, the Azure Origin Defense Formation."

"Bestow upon him three thousand second-tier spirit stones and ten bags of superior-grade spirit seeds."

"Issued four tokens for registered disciples of the Qingyuan Sect."

"I bestow upon you a set of basic cultivation techniques jade slips, including the complete 'Qingyuan Yanglun Jing', the 'Golden Light Technique', the 'Earth Escape Technique', the 'Spirit Wood Technique', the 'Heart Cleansing Technique', and twelve other first and second-tier cultivation techniques."

"From this day forward, Songjian Sect will be under the protection of Qingyuan Sect and bound by its rules. We must uphold the righteous path, spread the Dharma and guide people, and must not do anything rebellious."

"So be it."

After the disciple finished reading the announcement, he handed the silk and various rewards to Chen Chuan, saying with a smile, "Sect Leader Chen, congratulations!"

Chen Chuan accepted the gift with both hands, bowed deeply, and said, "This humble Taoist, Chen Chuan, thanks the sect for its generous gift."

The disciple nodded slightly and stepped aside.

An official from the Qian Kingdom stepped forward, took out a scroll bearing a large vermilion seal from his sleeve, cleared his throat, and announced in a loud voice:

"Imperial Edict of the Great Qian Kingdom—"

"By following the instructions of the Immortal Master Qingyuan, the Songjian Sect has been established in the Great Wilderness Mountain."

From the date of this decree, all taxes and corvée labor of the five towns of Qingxi, Bailu, Luoyun, Qingshi, and Woniu, and their subordinate villages under the jurisdiction of Dahuang Mountain, shall be under the unified command and allocation of Songjianmen.

"The officials and commoners of the five towns should respect the Immortal Sect and abide by the laws. All matters involving the Immortal Sect shall be handled by the Songjian Sect, and local officials shall not interfere arbitrarily."

"In addition, we are gifting Songjian Sect five thousand taels of silver, one hundred bolts of silk, ten oxen, and deeds to five hundred households of good citizens, to fund the sect's initial establishment."

"So be it."

After the official finished reading, he respectfully handed over the documents, household deeds, bank notes, and other items.

Chen Chuan accepted the document, his heart churning with emotion, but his face remained calm and composed. He cupped his hands and said, "Thank you for the generous gift from the Imperial Court."

The official waved his hands repeatedly and bowed, saying, "You flatter me, Immortal Master. It is my honor to serve the Immortal Sect."

After the handover was completed and a few more pleasantries were exchanged, the two boarded the flying shuttle and soared into the sky.

Chen Chuan stood there for a long time, holding the rolled-up silk and documents in his hands.

Behind them, Xiao Jin and Shu'er exchanged a glance, both seeing undisguised joy in each other's eyes.

Shu'er finally couldn't contain herself any longer. She jumped forward, tugged at Chen Chuan's sleeve, and looked up to ask, "Master! Do we have our own sect now!?"

Chen Chuan looked down into her bright eyes and reached out to ruffle her hair.

"yes."

His voice was calm, but his heart was in turmoil.

Songjian Gate!!!

From this day forward, Chen Chuan will no longer be that old, wandering cultivator trapped in Qi cultivation.

He has disciples, spiritual fields, a sect, and tens of thousands of people in the five towns under his rule!

He is indeed the head of Songjian Sect.