World's No. 1 Swordsman-Chapter 442: Everything Prepared!

Upon a closer inspection, Pure Yang Sword Faction actually sounded refined and fitting.

It was distinct enough from the Shu Sword Sect, clearly showing that Qing Yanzi had given it careful consideration beforehand. Had it been called Pure Yang Sword Sect, people would likely mistake it for a branch of the Shu Sword Sect.

The name also reminded Wang Sheng of the Pure Yang Sword Song. He quickly offered the jade pendant engraved with it to his master. Qing Yanzi accepted it, infused his spiritual perception into the pendant, and soon looked quietly satisfied.

He suddenly felt fulfilled, as though his life was now complete. The feeling was somewhat akin to the saying, "If one learns the Dao in the morning, one can die content in the evening."

It wasn't quite as dramatic, of course.

For Wang Sheng, the Pure Yang Sword Song was simply the icing on the cake. After all, he was already fully attuned with the Heavenly Ziwei Sword Art, which was perfect for combat, control, and comprehending the Dao of the Sword.

Unlike him, Qing Yanzi had never found a sword style that truly suited him. The Pure Yang Sword Song, which perfectly matched the Pure Yang Immortal Mantra, was far more valuable for him.

"With this, our Pure Yang Sword Faction can finally have a complete Daoist heritage."

Just as Qing Yanzi exhaled in relief, Wang Sheng asked his senior sister to record audio on her phone. He then recited from memory dozens of cultivation techniques that their forefather had created.

In a serious tone, he then said, "Master, these were written before the Pure Yang Immortal Mantra was completed. Our forefather recorded his insights and experiences while walking the path of cultivation. Since they're all part of the Dao of Pure Yang and were gradually perfected over time, they should make our sect's foundation appear deeper."

Qing Yanzi nodded, clearly pondering a few of the lines that Wang Sheng had just recited.

Mu Wanxuan volunteered to copy them down. She also informed them that she had several techniques related to the Dao of Balanced Yin and Yang that could also be included in the sect's "cultivation library."

For any sect, the number of cultivation texts it possessed was important for its image.

Qing Yanzi chuckled. "In that case, I'll buy a batch of ancient texts, and we can put together a proper Daoist canon repository."

Wang Xiaomiao whispered from the side, "So we have a name and a repository now. What else are we missing?"

With a touch of emotion, Qing Yanzi answered, "Disciples. Ones with good aptitude. They are a sect's true foundation."

Wang Sheng thought for a moment. "Master, why not select a few candidates whom the Daoist elders and masters recommended?"

"We cannot refuse the goodwill of the Daoist Masters, but we have to value quality over quantity. Especially you, Little Sheng. You have no idea how many sword cultivators want to apprentice under you. When the time comes for you to take disciples, you have to be extremely cautious."

Wang Sheng was about to nod when he realized that his master had neatly sidestepped responsibility. He smiled helplessly. "Master, I don't even know how to teach. You should be the one taking disciples."

Mu Wanxuan quickly nodded in agreement and softly added, "Yin Yang."

What she was trying to say was clear: her Dao of Balanced Yin and Yang was difficult to pass on since it relied heavily on personal comprehension.

Xiaomiao giggled. "Master, you're just being lazy!"

"How could I ever be lazy?" Qing Yanzi sighed. "Very well, I shall take in three to five new disciples myself. That way, I can fulfill the promise I once made to your forefather. Before the resurgence of primal qi, I hesitated to recruit disciples since I didn't want to risk leading the young astray. Now that the path of cultivation has reopened, there's no reason for me to hesitate anymore.

"Here's how it will be. As their senior sister, you'll be in charge of overseeing the new disciples' cultivation, Little Xuan. Little Sheng, as their second senior brother, you'll guide them in sword practice and show them what it means to be a true sword cultivator. How about it?"

Wang Sheng and Mu Wanxuan nodded in agreement, but as soon as they did, they both sensed something slightly off.

Xiaomiao voiced what they were thinking. "What will you be doing, then, Master Qing Yanzi?"

Qing Yanzi smiled and calmly answered, "Me? I'll naturally handle their moral and philosophical education. One has to study virtue and learn to be a good person before cultivating in the Dao and becoming an immortal. That is our unchanging principle. That's enough for tonight. It's getting late. I'll finalize the disciple selection process tomorrow.

"Little Xuan, you use the internet the most. Use satellite maps to find a few mountain peaks that we can potentially build our mountain gate on. Once the Immortal Dao Conference ends, we'll inspect them in person." 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

The two had no room to object.

As Qing Yanzi rode the wind into the night sky, his disciples exchanged a look. Wang Sheng smiled wearily, while Mu Wanxuan raised a fist of encouragement.

Xiaomiao yawned. "I'm going to bed. Good night, Big Brother, Senior Sister."

She promptly turned off the light bulb above her head.

The evening breeze whispered across the rooftop. Occasionally, passing cultivators in the sky would catch a glimpse of the martial siblings leaning close together. Young cultivators dating wasn't unusual these days. The night was deep, and no one bothered to check who they were.

***

Starting a sect seemed simple on paper. One just had to get a few disciples, construct a mountain gate, build a few houses, and announce to the world that they had established the "such and such sect."

In truth, however, they also had countless troublesome matters to handle apart from those. First was the issue of territory, which required submitting an application to the Special Affairs Unit, gaining official approval, and receiving temporary ownership of a mountain gate.

Next was legitimacy. A sect required a "license to operate." To apply for one, two of the following four conditions had to be met:

First, they had to acquire guarantees from at least two 5A-grade Daoist sects. Second, their sect master or core elder was required to be on the Heavenly Rankings, with a clean record and good character. Third, the sect they were founding had to be a branch of an existing 5A-grade Daoist sect beforehand. Fourth, the founder had to be a retired Special Warfare Unit instructor.

Before Wang Sheng and his fellow sect members could obtain their license for the Pure Yang Sword Faction, they would have to request guarantees from the Longhu Mountains, the Shu Sword Sect, and the Wudang Mountains first.

The government's real authority over the Hua Republic's cultivation world did not come from those rules, but from the cultivation resources it controlled and distributed. With the license, the sect could receive generous monthly supplies of Spirit Stones, alchemical pills, and special allowances. In return, it had to follow government leadership and contribute manpower when the nation faced danger.

Once the license was secured and the mountain gate approved, they would have to deal with the details regarding construction. For one, newly founded sects were not allowed to build excessively grand structures. Their disciples' living standards could not be overly extravagant either, nor could they be overly harsh. There were also other related rules to follow.

On the second day of the Immortal Dao Conference, when the tournament was at its climax, Wang Sheng found himself buried in a ten-centimeter-thick manual titled Cultivation Sect Coordination and Management Guidelines. His master had forced it upon him.

There was no helping it. Those were the rules. While Daoist sects were subject to supervision, they also benefited quite a bit from it.

Mu Wanxuan sat beside him with stacks of blank paper, her headphones on. Using the soft, flexible tip of her brush, she jotted down line after line of cultivation techniques that Wang Sheng had recited the day before.

They were simply at the venue so others could see them. Whether they watched or not was irrelevant. Unlike them, even more Daoist elders and Daoist masters than the previous day had surrounded Qing Yanzi.

Word had already spread that he and his disciples had decided to establish their own mountain gate and take in new disciples. Many quickly sprang to action, with those acquainted with him even eagerly flocking to him.

However, Qing Yanzi had laid down rules. Recruitment could not rely solely on connections; aptitude and character were the main criteria.

In the end, he gave the Daoist masters a clear answer: after the Immortal Dao Conference, he and his two disciples would search for a mountain, and once their dwellings were ready and the gate had been built, they would announce the date and method of recruitment. Thanks to that, they got through the day—albeit barely.

In the afternoon, Captain Mou Yue walked over to the small viewing platform with two subordinates. She cautiously asked, "Daoist Master Wang, may I come up?"

Wang Sheng set down his book and smiled faintly at Mou Yue. "Of course. As long as it's not anything troublesome."

Mou Yue looked helpless. She told the two behind her to stay put, walked up, and sighed. "I thought you'd be angry enough to ignore me."

"How could I?" Wang Sheng replied calmly. "Official and personal matters should be kept separate. What is it?"

"It's nothing serious. I heard you're founding a sect, so I came to give you this." Mou Yue pulled a rhombus-shaped metallic piece from her pocket. "It's a personal gift. It's not important intelligence, but it'll save you some legwork."

Wang Sheng blinked. He accepted the few-centimeter-long metallic piece, found a button on it, and pressed it gently. It emitted beams of light that quickly converged into a projection of the Hua Republic's territory. Qi meridians, qi nodes, and locations suitable for cultivation that had yet to be claimed were marked.

Mou Yue gestured behind her. "Alright, I'll be going now."

Wang Sheng smiled and thanked her.

Mou Yue left as quickly as she came. With a curious expression, Mu Wanxuan used her brush to draw a little figure with pigtails and a few question marks above its head.

Wang Sheng smiled. "Oh, right. I forgot to tell you, Senior Sister, but we've fallen out with the Special Investigation Unit."

"How come?"

"It's quite complicated." Wang Sheng swiped across the projection. "From now on, we'll focus on cultivating diligently and only take action when the Hua Republic faces a crisis. Our nation isn't facing external threats now, so we have nothing to worry about. Speaking of, there's still one devilish sword out there that we have to deal with."

Mu Wanxuan blinked and hummed softly in response. She then continued recording cultivation techniques beside him. It took her almost an entire day to finish her massive task.

When the Immortal Dao Conference ended in the evening, Qing Yanzi flew over and discussed a few small matters with Wang Sheng and Mu Wanxuan. When he turned to leave, he was still muttering to himself.

"We still need a cook. Mm, yes, a cook is important. We can hire one with a high salary..."

Wang Sheng shook his head slightly and sighed. "You're overthinking this, Master. How could a cook be that important?"

Mu Wanxuan's eyes widened. She tugged at her junior brother's arm. "Important! Very important!"

Wang Sheng nodded. "That's true. The taste of food affects the Dao Heart, especially for our juniors, who will still need nourishment from food."

Huai Jing, who had been playing on his phone nearby, chuckled but didn't comment.