World's No. 1 Swordsman-Chapter 438: Mountain Gate Reestablishment Plan

Wang Sheng had underestimated the organizational power of the authorities and the Daoist sects' elders. While their group was still worrying over the issue, the officials of the Immortal Dao Conference had already begun a series of swift and decisive actions.

Because the venue was damaged, the event was postponed by a day. Moreover, soon after Wang Sheng had left, the ancient cultivators' disgraceful deeds from the past five years were made public. Cultivators everywhere began to praise Wang Sheng, though he never heard any of their admiration.

The world calls my sword mighty, yet I only wish to dream in drunken peace.

Immediately after, a large number of Special Warfare Unit instructors and elite forces appeared out of nowhere and surrounded Mount Hua.

Experts from the Daoist sects that didn't have ancient cultivators also arrived to assist the Special Warfare Unit. Together, they took control of the situation and investigated every cultivator to see if they had practiced the Grand Heavenly Net Technique.

The inspection method was surprisingly simple. They simply had to recite a famous mind-calming Daoist mantra several dozen times. Those who showed strong reactions carried a heart devil. Within a few hours, over six hundred cultivators were escorted out of the main venue, including many elders and core disciples from Daoist sects that had ancient cultivators.

None of the ten or so sect masters were mind-controlled, sparing the sects from complete humiliation. Even so, the reputation of the Daoist sects of the Hua Republic's cultivation world suffered a major blow. Their leadership remained intact, but many unaffiliated practitioners now had new tales to mock them with.

Meanwhile, Wang Sheng's fame became impossible to contain. After all, fifteen ancient cultivators had fallen to his sword. The authorities quickly promoted him to first place on the Heavenly Rankings and announced plans to establish a new "Immortal Rankings."

At the Immortal Dao Conference's Daoist symposium that very night, Qing Long, the Celestial Master, and other influential Daoists lavished Wang Sheng with praise. It seemed as though he now stood at the pinnacle of Earth's cultivation world, his sword unmatched under the heavens.

Qing Yanzi even gave his two disciples a call and asked if they wanted to attend the Immortal Dao Conference as "special guests." They wouldn't have to compete, judge, or do anything; they just had to sit somewhere visible on the main platform to bring prestige and lift morale.

Wang Sheng wanted to decline, but he could tell from his master's tone that his master was subtly insisting that they make an appearance. Hence, he agreed under one small request.

After a full night of rushed repairs, the main venue of the Immortal Dao Conference was finally restored early the next morning. The main platform was now decorated just like those of the previous conferences, lined with tables and chairs over a red carpet.

Since Mount Hua was still the host, its sect master's seat was positioned near the center of the platform. The sect masters of heritages that had ancient cultivators were seated on the edges.

To the right of the main platform, a smaller raised stage had been built. It was slightly higher and was more spacious. On it were two large parasols and several comfortable round chairs.

By seven or eight in the morning, the venue was filled with cultivators from every corner of the land. Having witnessed the battle between Wang Sheng and the ancient cultivators the previous day, everyone was in high spirits. Word had spread that Wang Sheng himself would attend the conference, making the crowd's excitement palpable.

Soon, a graceful hostess stepped onto the stage to deliver a speech. She then introduced the Daoist heritages as their sect masters entered—a segment that had been removed from yesterday's aborted opening ceremony.

As usual, Mount Hua, the host sect, entered first. However, only the acting sect master, who had just been appointed the previous night, and two elders walked onto the stage, making for an awkward scene. The cultivators watching didn't hesitate to express their displeasure with boos. It was reminiscent of crowds heckling old comedy troupes decades ago.

The Daoist heritages associated with the ancient cultivators entered next. They, too, were greeted with waves of jeers. It would take them at least ten years to repair their tainted reputations.

In this day and age, reputation and prestige determined access to quality disciples. Since the authorities had restricted the number and frequency of new disciples each heritage could take, reputation now directly influenced a sect's future growth.

After more than half an hour of lukewarm proceedings, the atmosphere finally began to heat up.

"Next, let us welcome the delegation of the Shu Sword Sect!"

As a righteous sect that upheld justice in dark times and possessed an ancient sword with an immortal sword spirit, the Shu Sword Sect's standing had soared to second place. Its influence and prestige had risen to new heights.

Cultivators across the venue chanted, "Sword control! Sword control!"

The Shu Sword Sect's elders and young disciples waved enthusiastically in response. Their members sat near the front, while Qing Long and several elders went up the main platform, taking their seats near the center.

That was the mark of true standing within the cultivation world.

The delegations of the Longhu Mountains and Wudang Mountains soon walked in as well. Finally, Qing Yanzi and the Celestial Master entered together, marking the official opening of the Fourth Immortal Dao Conference.

Many cultivators eagerly awaited Wang Sheng to descend from the heavens. However, the opening performances began, yet there was still no announcement of his arrival. Eventually, they turned their eyes toward the small, separate platform beside the main stage and found that several people were already seated on it.

One of them was Wang Sheng, who was in a sky-blue Daoist robe. Even without speaking, he naturally radiated a subtle Dao Rhythm. His serene and refined aura attracted attention, yet those who looked long enough inevitably found themselves drawn instead to the quiet fairy beside him.

Mu Wanxuan was in a plain light-blue ancient dress, her long black hair tied loosely behind her. Describing her beauty with mortal phrases like "fish sinking, geese falling, moon hiding, flowers blushing[1]" felt inappropriate, for such words would taint her with a trace of worldly charm. She was born in the mortal realm yet untouched by dust, breathtakingly beautiful yet never inviting desire.

Many cultivators recalled Wang Sheng's sword descending from the heavens the day before, slaying twelve ancient cultivators right before their eyes. Perhaps only a cultivator who stood so proudly above the world could be worthy of a celestial flower from beyond the Nine Heavens.

On Wang Sheng's other side sat Huai Jing, watching the cultivators in the area with interest and exchanging idle remarks with Wang Sheng.

Mu Wanxuan's phone was fully charged now. Wearing her headphones, she was absorbed in watching an old anime on a virtual screen, savoring the bliss of realizing that the series she had left unfinished two years ago had since released and completed a new season. If Wang Sheng hadn't dragged her to such a noisy place, the day would've been perfect for watching her shows.

Xi Lian was still asleep, with Xiaomiao keeping watch at the hotel. Wang Sheng had become almost obsessive about her safety, going so far as to leave Spiritless by her side for the first time. It also gave his little sister the rare opportunity to receive guidance from her master.

Shi Qianzhang and Liu Yunzhi had gone off to another city to drink and chat. That morning, Shi Qianzhang had said he wanted to help Liu Yunzhi heal from his psychological wound and cheer up a little, though where they had gone was anyone's guess.

The fifteen ancient cultivators were gone, and the Special Warfare Unit had detained those under the control of the Grand Heavenly Net Technique. They would not be severely punished, but they had to overcome their heart devils before returning to their Daoist heritages. Helping them with this would be one of the Daoist sect experts' next major tasks.

The authorities spared Liu Yunzhi in consideration of his timely report and contributions, which offset his mistakes. With Mount Mao in minor disarray, no one from his sect held him accountable for the time being.

In the arena, dozens of Mount Hua disciples were demonstrating a sword formation. It was visually impressive, though it lacked the grandeur of the Shu Sword Sect's hundred-man formation.

Huai Jing grinned. "Fei Yu, why don't you go up there and display a few sword techniques? The Mount Hua disciples' performance is boring, and it's such a pity that I didn't get to see your battle yesterday."

Wang Sheng calmly replied, "Once the crowd leaves, I'll perform a sword dance for you."

"Uh..." Huai Jing blinked. Noticing the goosebumps on his arm, he quickly intoned Buddha's name multiple times. "Don't say things like that, Fei Yu. I'm a monk; I can't handle matters between both men and women."

Wang Sheng glared at him. "Knock it off.

The delicate-faced monk only chuckled. He then opened, "Fei Yu, I had a discussion with my master last night. I have a small suggestion regarding Big Sister."

Curious, Wang Sheng asked, "Oh? What is it?"

Huai Jing smiled. "Xi Lian was born of the fiend race but cultivates in Buddhism and Daoism. Buddhist Master Santong, her master, was a high monk of the Buddhist sects and had deep ties with us.

"You said you wanted to establish a sect and found your own mountain gate, didn't you? If the location doesn't matter, there's a qi meridian and several beautiful, unclaimed mountains near the Heavenly Dragon Temple. We have a nice climate there, it's spring all year round, and you'll find many scenic spots within hundreds of kilometers."

Wang Sheng smiled bitterly in understanding. "It's just an idea. I haven't even spoken to my master about it yet. Naturally, he has the last say."

"This is a great opportunity. Daoist Master Bu Yan will surely agree," Huai Jing said. "Why not ask him right now?"

Wang Sheng thought for a moment. He took out his phone, only to realize it was still dead. Soon after, he remembered that as a Rebirth Realm cultivator, he no longer needed a phone to communicate over distance. Using his spiritual perception to lock onto his master, he sent a voice transmission to share his idea.

After pondering briefly, Qing Yanzi chuckled and transmitted, "I've been considering that as well. I didn't expect you to be thinking of the same thing, Little Sheng. Since our sect only has three people, we often find ourselves short-handed.

"Founding a proper sect will be hard in the beginning, but in a hundred or a thousand years, we'll have a force of our own in this world. We'll have greater confidence standing in Earth's cultivation world or stepping beyond into the Realm of Exiled Immortals. It's settled, then. We'll rebuild our Pure Yang Daoist heritage's mountain gate and begin recruiting disciples."

Can founding a sect and taking disciples really be done so casually?

Wang Sheng replied with a simple acknowledgment. He naturally followed his master's word without question. After all, his master would be doing most of the teaching once they had taken in new disciples.

Wang Sheng couldn't help but do a bit of mental calculation.

Master should only accept a few disciples first. Otherwise, we'd be expending too much time and resources. Three should be enough. After training under our sect for twenty or thirty years, they can each take in three of their own.

In just a few hundred years, the sect will have tens of thousands of disciples, allowing us to stand tall among the Daoist heritages of the cultivation world. Thinking about it this way makes founding a sect seem a lot easier.

While Wang Sheng was lost in thought, he saw several figures flying toward them. He instinctively suppressed his urge to counterattack. After all, he recognized the two flying in front: Fei Lianzi and Gao Shixing.

Before he could react, Fei Lianzi swooped down, grabbed his arm, and leaned in close. With an excited expression, he shouted, "Little Fei Lǘ, you're taking disciples? What a coincidence! My niece's daughter just reached the right age to begin cultivation. She's got great aptitude, fine looks, and she's obedient!"

His thick accent made Fei Yu sound like Fei Lǘ, essentially calling him a "flying donkey."

Stunned, Wang Sheng's jaw dropped. Has Master publicly announced it already? Wait! Why am I the one taking disciples?!

Before he could sort it out, his other arm was suddenly seized. Looking up, he saw the usually stern Gao Shixing forcing out an awkward but dangerous-looking smile.

"I also have a niece."

1. A Chinese idiom that's used to describe extraordinary feminine beauty. ☜