Cultivation begins with harvest.

A path leads into the dense forest high above.

Walking on this path gives one a strange sense of emptiness, distinct from tranquility. The deeper one walks into the dense forest, the heavier one's heart becomes, yet the more at ease and relaxed one feels.

Everyone else was using all their physical and mental strength to fight against this unbearable mental feeling, but Chen Guang, although he noticed something was wrong, still had time to look around and examine the path.

Wildflowers and weeds, nourished by spiritual energy, grew along the roadside, still carrying a faint, damp smell of heavy mist.

"Your name is Chen Guang? I've heard Old Zhou mention you before," the middle-aged cultivator suddenly said.

"You know Mr. Zhou?" Chen Guang wasn't particularly surprised. He was no longer the ordinary spirit farmer he used to be. He had been deliberately trying to understand the structure of the sect, the unique differences between the various halls and places, and so on. According to the intelligence, the Sage Hall was a rather harmonious and small but well-acquainted place.

Other branches, such as Chen Guang's branch, don't know exactly how many people there are in the Earth Branch. He doesn't even know all the spiritual farmers around his own branch. The number of people is terrifying.

The middle-aged cultivator nodded: "It's a pity that Old Zhou isn't here. I was the one presiding over this 'curse-casting' ceremony. Otherwise, he would have been very happy to see your progress. When he mentioned you to me last time, you were just a newbie at the first level of Qi Refining."

The other cultivators couldn't help but frown and glance at Chen Guang.

Firstly, they were curious about his relationship with the cultivators of Xiantang, and secondly, they were all very upset that this guy could chat with them so casually.

Just then, the group stepped into the dense forest. In an instant, the light, shadows, sounds, and breaths of the distance began to recede from them. They could only see dark, distant trees swaying, and hear the chirping of insects and birds coming from a distant, dreamlike place. Only the monks of the Sage Hall, dressed in white and gold robes, radiated a soft light and walked in front of them, the only light at this moment.

They could only see the surprise and unease on each other's faces through this light.

"What you need to do next is listen to me."

"You are now in the process of casting a spell. Once the spell is over, you must abide by five rules. If you violate even one of them, you will all be destroyed."

Ignoring the doubts and resistance in Chen Guang's heart, the middle-aged cultivator simply walked forward with a steady pace. Everyone seemed to be controlled by something, and this uncontrollable situation made them both respect and fear.

"First, one must not disclose the specific information of fellow disciples outside the sect, nor disclose matters that the sect explicitly requires to be kept confidential. All information obtained from the Scripture Pavilion must not be disclosed. This rule must never be violated."

"Secondly, fellow disciples must not kill each other, nor should they collude with people outside the sect to cause damage to the interests or physical and mental well-being of fellow disciples."

"Third, outside the sect, when fellow disciples are in danger, if necessary, one may stand by and watch, but never kick someone when they are down."

"Fourth, if there is a situation that harms the public or collective interests of the sect, it must be protected. When necessary, one can prioritize protecting oneself, but cannot completely avoid it."

"Fifth, those who have great grievances that have not been resolved, or those who have great grudges that must be settled, may have their status as disciples of the Qingheng Sect reduced."

The middle-aged cultivator explained the five rules one by one. As he spoke, everyone felt as if a faint, imperceptible wind blew through the dark forest, enveloping them and then disappearing, as if it had merged into their bodies. This made everyone dare not disregard the five rules in the slightest.

"Senior, does removing the Qingheng Sect disciple title mean that we violate all the other rules except for the first one?" Chen Guang asked. This sudden voice made the other cultivators' fear of the dark forest less intense.

At the same time, they couldn't help but feel horrified. Some of them had even greater cultivation than Chen Guang and tried to speak, but no matter what they did, they felt a numbness in their mouths and their lips moved but they couldn't make a sound.

"Yes," the middle-aged cultivator replied succinctly.

"So, with a fifth rule in place, are there loopholes in the previous rules?" Chen Guang asked. "Or rather, of these five rules, only the first one is truly inviolable?"

"Yes," the middle-aged monk replied as before.

Seeing the strange expressions on everyone's faces, the middle-aged cultivator smiled instead: "Do you know how many years the Qingheng Sect has been around?"

This question left Chen Guang speechless. He only knew that the Nine Husbands legacy was a remnant from thousands of years ago, and that the sect had existed for a much longer period than that, but he had no idea exactly how far back.

Not to mention Chen Guang, even the other cultivators were completely bewildered.

Everything else in Mingli Hall was mentioned to some extent, but the existence of Qingheng Sect was not mentioned at all, so how could they know about it?

As far as they knew, even a small, independent cultivator family liked to say something like, "Our virtuous lineage has lasted for so many years." But when it came to the Qingheng Sect, it seemed like nobody mentioned it at all.

"The Qingheng Sect has existed since ancient times," the middle-aged cultivator said.

Chen Guang gasped, and the other cultivators also stood in awe.

In many ways, Qingheng Sect is quite open and easygoing, allowing for individual expression. However, in some places, it has strict and rigid systems with very strong standards that cannot be altered or transgressed in the slightest.

For example, the definition of "ancient" is based on the lifespan of a Nascent Soul cultivator.

Qi cultivators generally live to be a hundred years old.

Foundation Establishment cultivators live for two hundred years.

A Golden Core cultivator's lifespan is five hundred years.

Nascent Soul cultivators are said to be long-lived, with a lifespan exceeding 1,500 years.

This is not a fixed number, but a common situation. After all, mortals can live to be 120 years old. Does that mean that all mortals live to be 120 years old?

Generally speaking, the lifespan of mortals can be defined as 65 years, and the lifespan of cultivators at various levels is also defined in this way. Even a Qi Refining cultivator, if they are determined to live, can live to 120 years old without much difficulty.

Therefore, according to the standards of the Qingheng Sect, time is divided into five eras from the perspective of Nascent Soul cultivators: the present era, the recent ancient era, the ancient era, the distant ancient era, and the Primordial era.

Events that have occurred within the last 30,000 years are all "contemporary" or "present" events.

Things that happened more than 30,000 years ago but less than 100,000 years ago are considered recent history.

Those between 100,000 and 300,000 years ago are considered ancient times.

More than 300,000 years ago is the ancient era.

Millions of years ago, collectively known as the Archean period, is difficult to trace and there is no real reason to record it, as it is too far removed from the past.

The fact that the Qingheng Sect has existed for at least 300,000 years still shocked Chen Guang and the others. Even though such a number was not directly tangible to those who had only lived for a few decades, it did not prevent them from intuitively feeling the weight and remoteness of that time. However, although the Qingheng Sect had considerable advantages over the Liyuan Sect in the north and many sects in the south in this vast world, it seemed to be somewhat different from the ancient sects they felt it had.

The middle-aged cultivator seemed to notice the change in everyone's attitude and took the initiative to explain: "No sect is everlasting. Rise and fall are normal. In the history of Qingheng Sect, there have been stories of migration and closure. You should all have heard of the Qingyun Family, right? When they were at their lowest point, their descendants were scattered in all directions. They dared not claim to be Qingyun or contact their clansmen. They could only dream of revival in their hearts and in their dreams. But now they exist steadily and are rising steadily."

"The same is true for the Qingheng Sect. Moreover, in the course of its inheritance, the Qingheng Sect has experienced several periods without a Nascent Soul cultivator in charge. For such a sect, the lack of such a pillar of strength, even if it is only for a hundred years, can have a glimpse of the impact and some guesses."

"The Qingheng Sect you've come into contact with is just the tip of the iceberg. How much of the Seven Peaks and Three Academies have you actually seen? You're all just outer disciples."

Chen Guang and the others were speechless.

The information revealed by the middle-aged cultivator was so shocking that everyone was still unable to calm down for a long time. The Qingheng Sect now also had a Nascent Soul cultivator in charge!

Chen Guang asked himself honestly, and it seemed that he had indeed been messing around within the scope of Ziling Peak all along. He even only had a superficial understanding of Ziling Peak. To be precise, he was still like a blind man touching an elephant in the Earth Hall, one of the nine halls of Ziling Peak, and only understood a part of it. From this perspective, it seemed that he could not see the true foundation of Qingheng Sect, an ancient sect.

"Senior, Qingheng Sect is an ancient sect, but is there any necessary connection between this and the Five Curses?" Chen Guang asked.

The middle-aged cultivator looked at Chen Guang with satisfaction: "You are still clear-headed. This is naturally related. When the Qingheng Sect was founded, the prevailing attitude in the cultivation world was to govern the sect with virtue. All sects were happy to share and never demanded anything of their disciples. If they wanted to learn skills, they would bestow their true teachings upon them. If their beliefs did not align, they could freely seek out a master with their existing skills."

"But things are different now. It is natural for the Qingheng Sect to change with the times. However, the Qingheng Sect also has its own set of practices. You all cultivate while doing other jobs, and the inheritance you receive is not considered true teaching. The two cancel each other out, so when you are unwilling, you can naturally leave alone."

"Don't doubt it, the cultivation method you all practice is the Purple Qi Rising to the Sun Technique. Some of you may be wondering why it's not the Purple Qi Rising to the Sun Technique. That's because it's specially made for cultivators below the seventh level of Qi Refining. Only when you reach the seventh level of Qi Refining and are able to accept the stricter and more genuine sect constraints can you obtain the Purple Qi Rising to the Sun Technique. Don't worry, the two can be inherited and cultivated without any obstacles and do not hinder each other."

"Don't think this is hypocrisy, trying to restrict your loyalty to the sect in this way. The ancient method of passing on the true teachings at will, coming and going as you please, is no longer feasible. If that were the case, Qingheng Sect would have been lost to history like most ancient sects. The theft, usurpation, and struggle in the cultivation world are far more insidious and cruel than you can imagine. Once you go out into the world, you will know that my Qingheng Sect can be called a 'benevolent' sect in the present day."

The middle-aged cultivator's robes were glowing, and his eyes shone with a special light: "It is precisely because of this kind of sect that I am willing to sincerely help you cultivators whose cultivation is far inferior to mine, and who may even only see you as a stepping stone for the sect."

Suddenly, the dark forest in front of them disappeared, and the group appeared not far from a corner of Xingfeng Market at the foot of the mountain.

"The curse will not hinder your cultivation in any way, and it will be lifted on its own after two hundred years. By the way, you should keep these words to yourselves. Don't tell those disciples who haven't been cursed. It might be better to have them come in person." The middle-aged cultivator nodded amicably, took a step back, and disappeared into the purple clouds.

Chen Guang looked up at Ziling Peak, but still couldn't see the end of it.