The Long Journey to Immortality

"So I chose to come back at this time."

With a satisfactory explanation, Daoist Qingxu breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good. I was overthinking it, haha."

Although he became the sect leader, Daoist Qingxu had no airs of a sect leader whatsoever.

At least not in front of Han Lu.

"It's only been a few years, and you're about to advance to the late Golden Core stage," Qingxu Daoist thought, remembering that he was still stuck in the mid-Golden Core stage. He was certain that he was the one who had been swept away by the tide. "I remember when you were still in the Foundation Establishment stage, we met. Now you're about to surpass me."

"The younger generation is truly formidable, indeed!"

Han Lu humbly replied, "It was just a stroke of luck; we had plenty of resources."

"With the talent of the Qingxu Sect Master, it is not impossible that he will be able to advance to the late stage of Golden Core and achieve Nascent Soul after he is relieved of his heavy responsibilities as sect master."

Both flattery and humility require a sense of proportion.

With just a few simple words, Daoist Qingxu felt completely at ease.

Han Lu's approach, based on facts with slight exaggeration, was unlikely to backfire or cause offense.

"Is there anything the sect can help you with?" Daoist Qingxu had high expectations for Han Lu, naturally hoping that she would make sure every crucial step in her cultivation went smoothly.

Han Lu asked without any politeness, "Does your sect possess any pill formulas or secret techniques to assist in drawing the twelfth pill pattern?"

"Of course," Qingxu Daoist replied. "Coincidentally, Elder Taicang from our sect will also be going to the academy tomorrow to look up information on this matter. You can go with him."

"He has been troubled by this matter for a long time and has gone to the academy several times to consult the classics."

"I think he should be able to help you with this."

Although Elder Han Lu of Taicang had never met him in the sect, she had heard of this elder's name.

This elder's talent was only average, but he had good fortune and practiced diligently.

He is now probably over 350 years old. If he can break through to the late stage of Golden Core within a few years, there is still a good chance that he can go further.

"That's quite a coincidence. Thank you for the reminder, Sect Leader."

After telling her own story, Han Lu brought up her "extraordinary" friend, Xiao Ran.

"Sect Master, more than ten years ago I introduced a Golden Core cultivator named Xiao Ran from the Great Yu Dynasty to the sect. I wonder how he is doing now? Is his performance in the sect satisfactory to you?"

When Xiao Ran was mentioned, Daoist Qingxu praised him highly, saying, "He is quite good. He has outstanding talent and ability, and his behavior and logic are similar to those of cultivators in the Central Plains."

Hearing this, Han Lu breathed a sigh of relief and muttered, "That's good, that's good."

"However..." Qingxu Daoist paused, seemingly wanting to say something but then stopping himself.

This made Han Lu's heart, which had just been at ease, start to pound again.

After coughing, Qingxu Daoist smiled mysteriously, "But what? You'll understand when you meet him."

Seeing Qingxu Daoist's demeanor, Han Lu had a good idea and thought to herself, "It should be a good thing, not a bad thing."

Chapter 1017 Western Democracy

Having gained a clear understanding of the situation, Han Lu was able to remain calm and composed while talking with Qingxu Daoist for a long time.

The two recounted stories that had unfolded in the Central Plains and the wildlands over the years.

Qingxu Daoist was amazed by Han Lu's description of the Hundred Birds Society, while Han Lu was also pleased with the subtle changes in the Zhengyi Sect over the years mentioned by Qingxu Daoist.

Unlike Xuan Chengzi, Qingxu Daoren was not a reformer, but during his nearly twenty years in office, he still did a lot of work and brought many positive changes to the Zhengyi Sect.

Currently, within the Zhengyi Sect, disciples from various academies are allowed to change academies in their third year after joining the sect, based on their own circumstances, and to cultivate other five-element attribute techniques as their primary cultivation method.

This has allowed many disciples who were previously "misplaced" for various reasons to receive more suitable training and be taught according to their aptitude.

In addition, the chess competition that Han Lu participated in back then also underwent some reforms.

In addition to competitions within each branch, team competitions and sect competitions have been added, greatly increasing the entertainment value of the event.

Furthermore, due to the generous rewards and high exposure of chess competitions, chess quickly became the most popular skill among the Six Arts for cultivators of the Zhengyi Sect.

According to Qingxu Daoren himself, who is fond of chess, he also planned and organized a chess tournament between the North and South to compare the best chess players in Zhengyi Sect and Xuanyang Valley.

Han Lu expressed her support for this, and even showed great interest in winning a local championship title in the Central Plains, a region with a relatively lower skill level, to prove her chess skills.

These minor changes have made the atmosphere within the Zhengyi Sect even better than during Xuan Chengzi's reign.

Almost every disciple felt that the "good old man" Qingxu Daoist was a good sect leader.

However, there was still a shortcoming. Qingxu Daoren told Han Lu about something as a joke.

"Some disciples, I don't know where they heard the news, said that in the Great Yu Dynasty, many sects elect their sect leaders and sect masters through democratic elections, and that only sect leaders and sect masters elected in this way can be supported by thousands of disciples."

"They advocate that we, the Zhengyi Sect, should also adopt this system that came from the West, believing that this is the only way to make the Zhengyi Sect stronger."

Hearing this not-so-funny joke, Han Lu still laughed out loud. She said sarcastically, "Hasn't the sect grown bigger and better over the past thousand or ten thousand years while adhering to the old system?"

"It is precisely because each new sect leader is appointed by the previous sect leader that the stability of the sect's order can be guaranteed, and many excellent rules and regulations have been passed down from generation to generation."

"If it were really changed so that the sect leader could be elected based on the sect disciples' votes, wouldn't that lead to complete chaos? Wouldn't it be that as long as they promised to increase benefits and open up the internal treasury, everything would be fine?"

"The disciple has benefited, but the sect will probably disband in less than twenty years."

Han Lu's comments were blunt and hit the nail on the head for Qingxu Daoren.

Master Qingxu clapped his hands gently and praised, "Well said."

"But to be honest, this idea is quite popular in the Zhengyi Sect. Many disciples and even some elders who are not so good at overall things but have their own ideas about the position of sect leader think this is feasible. This kind of 'Western democracy' is quite popular among these cultivators."

"Han Lu, do you have a way to help me eliminate this destabilizing factor from the sect?"

Clearly, Daoist Qingxu had been troubled by this matter for a long time and did not know how to deal with it.

As someone who can eliminate calamities, he naturally wants the Zhengyi Sect to be united and actively prepare for war in the future, so as to pass through the nearly 1,000 years in a peaceful manner.

When suddenly asked such a difficult question, even Han Lu remained silent and thought for a while before coming up with a preliminary idea.

"Like a rebel army that ultimately failed in the mundane world."

"In fact, many ordinary people are not living badly. They only joined the army and rebelled because they were incited by a few leaders who promised them many benefits beyond their comprehension."

“Once the leader is captured and killed, no matter if there are 100,000 or 1 million people gathered, they will all scatter.”

Han Lu paused, observing the expression on Qingxu Daoist's face, before continuing, "Therefore, we can also focus our efforts on those elders who can directly benefit, using either forceful or gentle methods to change their minds."

"Without a leader, no matter how much the disciples cause trouble, it will only last for three or four years at most before they naturally quiet down and focus on their own cultivation."

Upon hearing this, Daoist Qingxu nodded slightly. "The method is good and feasible, but will it cause internal strife within the sect? After all, those few are also sect elders. If there is any mishap in handling it, it will definitely damage the sect's strength."

"Are there any gentler methods?"

"It doesn't need to take one or two years to see results."

"As long as it works."

The Taoist Qingxu then made a new request and sought advice from Han Lu.

"Well... it's not that there's no way, it's just that the methods are a bit underhanded." Han Lu did indeed have other options.

"Tell me about it," said Qingxu Daoist, very curious.

Han Lu said, "Let me, Xiao Ran, or some other trustworthy cultivators who have close ties with the Great Yu Dynasty spread some messages within the sect."

"Of these messages, seven parts are true and three parts are false."

"I have heard that the Palace Master of the Jitian Palace was selected by the previous Palace Master and is highly concentrated in a few sects and factions. It has nothing to do with the so-called Western democracy. However, the Jitian Palace is the most powerful sect in the Great Yu Dynasty."

“Fake news includes fabricating non-existent sects and making up stories about how they are in trouble because of reforms.”

"We will adopt a two-pronged approach to change the disciples' thinking."

"If all goes well, then we can solve this problem once and for all."

"After all, the vast majority of disciples have never been to the Great Yu Dynasty, so they have no way of verifying the truth of the rumors."

Master Qingxu nodded repeatedly, "Good idea, good idea."

He discussed some details with Han Lu and then planned to use Han Lu's name to make some attempts in the next few days.

If things go smoothly and effectively as Han Lu said, then a large-scale publicity campaign can be launched to nip any potential instability or unrest in the bud.

They discussed both official and personal matters at length, and Han Lu stayed with Qingxu Daoist for a full hour before leaving.

Before leaving, Han Lu inquired about Xiao Ran's residence from Daoist Qingxu.

"Elder Xiao Ran lives in the Five Elements Mountain Academy," Qingxu Daoist told Han Lu Xiao Ran's address, "but I haven't seen him in the last few days, I don't know where he went."

Xiao Ran was a rogue cultivator. Although he had joined the Zhengyi Sect in the Central Plains, he spent most of his time outside the sect, acting as a rogue cultivator with a foundation who actively participated in the sect's external affairs.

Since Xiao Ran is not currently with the Zhengyi Sect, Han Lu can only postpone dealing with Xiao Ran's affairs for now.

Chapter 1018 The Disciple's Situation

Back at her residence, Han Lu lifted the restrictions she had placed before leaving and moved back into the large courtyard on Hanchan Peak in Dongshan Academy.

Because of the protective restrictions, the residence is no different from the one Han Lu left before.

The day before Han Lu left the Central Plains, she dismissed the servants sent to her by Dongshan Courtyard, and before leaving, she cast a spell to seal off the huge mansion.

Otherwise, if Han Lu hadn't returned to this place nearly twenty years later, the first thing she would have done would have been to clean up and give her home, which was covered in thick dust, a new lease on life.

Flying low over the house, Han Lu took out and arranged the numerous decorations she had accumulated in her storage bag according to her own ideas, giving the house a fresh new look.

In the blink of an eye, the once lifeless mansion came to life, as if the owner of the mansion had never left.

After completing these tasks, Han Lu sat down in her study and began writing furiously. She then sent out two more letters, summoning her two senior disciples to come and meet her.

This time, however, only Qiu Peng answered the call.

Upon arrival, before Han Lu could even ask, Qiu Peng explained, "Senior Sister Haoge has gone on a journey to the East Sea and will probably not return for another year and a half."

Han Lu nodded slightly and asked, "Qiu Peng, tell me about Hao Ge first. When did she form her Golden Core, and what are the specific details?"

Han Lu was very clear about the cultivation progress of her two eldest disciples.

When he left the Central Plains, Nian Haoge was only one step away from the Golden Core Realm, and he would be able to attempt to form a core in three years at most.

As a master, Han Lu felt guilty for not being by her disciple's side when he formed his core. Naturally, the first thing she did upon returning to the Central Plains and seeing Qiu Peng was to inquire about Nian Haoge's core formation.

When Nian Haoge reached the Core Formation stage, Qiu Peng was naturally by his side, possessing firsthand intelligence.