A Sect from a Spirit Vein

Chapter 345 - 305: Honoring the Fallen

When Wangshu hung high in the sky and the night deepened, all the cultivators of the Shuangye Alliance finally gathered in Lingsha City. For a moment, the city was filled with bursts of spiritual power, making it seem quite lively.

The total number of cultivators in the Shuangye Alliance and the collected spirit seeds situation were quickly compiled and presented to Lu Qian. This time, the collected spirit seeds from each territory returned to each respective family. In the future, any spirit seeds found within Lingsha City and the territories affiliated with Golden Dawn Peak would be distributed according to a set ratio.

For the Yunshan Sect, there was an unexpected joy in terms of spirit seeds, as the former residences of the Spirit Talisman Sect and the Shahe Gang where spirit seeds were nurtured were also found, resulting in a large number of spirit seeds, together with their families, becoming part of the Yunshan Sect.

Now, after the merging of the sects, Yunshan Sect has a total of four Foundation Establishment cultivators (Lu Qian, Guh Nishang, Yang Jiye, Duu Yeming), two at Qi Cultivation Perfection (two Defense Honored Guests employed from the Shuangye Square Tournament), fifteen at Late-Stage Qi Cultivation (Jiang Qingfeng, Wang Yu, Zheng Duan, etc.), eighty-four at Mid-Stage Qi Cultivation (Zhang Lemei, Junior Brother Hao, Fanx Shang, Wuh Zilan, Cui Shanyan, etc.), and one hundred ten at Early-Stage Qi Cultivation (Lin Le, Jiang Baitao, Li Da, Wang Ruoyu, etc.), totaling two hundred fifteen cultivators, and an additional ninety-eight spirit seeds.

In contrast, Shuangye Alliance’s Zhou Family, Spirit Snake Peak, and Zhuquan Sect have a total of twenty at Late-Stage Qi Cultivation, sixty-eight at Mid-Stage Qi Cultivation, and eighty at Early-Stage Qi Cultivation, totaling one hundred sixty-eight cultivators, with an additional forty-seven spirit seeds.

If the entire army of the Shuangye Alliance were assembled, there would be a total of one hundred eighty-nine Qi Cultivation elites. However, subtract ten stationed at Golden Dawn Peak, those technical talents not easily deployed to the battlefield, those already deployed in the intelligence group, and those in charge of the three hundred li of lookout points. In total, there are still one hundred forty people available.

With four at Foundation Establishment and one hundred forty Qi Cultivation elites, this is the current force that the Shuangye Alliance can quickly mobilize.

"Starting now, we must ensure the recuperation of these one hundred forty people. For those injured, spare no effort, and supply medicinal pills and spiritual medicines generously to ensure a rapid recovery of battle strength."

"All three hundred li of lookout points must be fully deployed tonight, completed by noon tomorrow."

"Do not neglect the education of the young disciples and the nurturing of the spirit seeds. Senior Brother Yang, as the Transmission Elder, it’s a hard job but please come up with a plan for this task."

"Senior Sister, the inventory of all the city’s stock has been entrusted to you, and afterwards, you will need to negotiate with the three sects of the Shuangye Alliance to draft a reward distribution list."

"Senior Brother Wang, with Senior Brother Tan... with Senior Brother Tan’s passing, the role of Punishment Elder is temporarily yours. Although the current situation is chaotic, our sect’s rules and regulations must be enforced strictly, especially when it comes to educating new disciples from Qingli Mountain, Liuhua Valley, and Wuwang Temple who have joined our sect."

"Lin Le, you are fully responsible for the reconstruction of Lingsha City. Coordinate well with the three sects of the Shuangye Alliance. Since it’s temporarily impossible to purchase building materials externally, cut trees and quarry stones from the nearby mountains and forests. It doesn’t matter if the buildings are simple as long as they can house people and restore basic living order."

"Zheng Duan, take this letter and go to the Divine Flood Dragon Sect overnight to deliver it to Lady Ji in person."

With a great external enemy approaching and internal chaos, Lu Qian issued orders one by one. The members of Yunshan Sect could hardly catch their breath and started working under the night sky.

Once everyone dispersed, only Lu Qian was left in the discussion hall, sitting high on the main seat.

Looking at the empty hall, the heart-rending cries of Zhang Lemei and Xiaoyunxing from earlier seemed to still echo in his ears. A strong sense of fatigue welled up, prompting a long sigh from Lu Qian.

He understood better than anyone the grand truths like "the road to success is always paved with sacrifices" and "the path of growth is full of pain."

Yet, how much he wished that Elder Zhou and Senior Brother Tan were still alive.

Even with countless achievements, the people he wanted to share them with were no longer there.

Lu Qian naturally understood what Zhang Lemei had left unsaid; she was implying that he was not worthy of being the Sect Leader.

Lu Qian had a thousand words in retort, but did it matter?

She lost her husband, Yunxing lost her father, and he lost his Senior Brother. Not only that, but in this battle so far, over half of the Shuangye Alliance’s elite forces had been lost, and many had been deprived of their loved ones.

With the growth of Yunshan Sect, such sacrifices would only multiply.

Unknowingly, Lu Qian had walked out of the hall and arrived at the place where the fallen disciples lay. He wandered among the corpses, lost in thought until the sound of soft weeping brought him back to reality.

He focused his gaze and saw three familiar small figures.

Jiang Baitao was kneeling before Master Xuan Ji’s body, clutching a palm-sized jade monkey tightly, her voice hoarse and eyes swollen from crying.

Wang Ruoyu sat beside her, looking around at the bodies and at Jiang Baitao, his eyes red-rimmed and tear-streaked.

Li Da sniffled on the side, saying, "Junior Martial Uncle, please stop crying... People’s deaths cannot be undone, and you... you keep crying, making me unable to stop."

Lu Qian stood behind the three of them, observing the features of Master Xuan Ji and Tan Hong. He opened his mouth several times but could not utter a single word.

At that moment, Li Da finally noticed someone behind him. Seeing that it was Lu Qian, he hastily bowed, "Disciple pays respect to the Sect Leader."

Jiang Baitao suddenly raised her head and threw herself into Lu Qian’s arms, wailing loudly, her tears and mucus smudging everywhere.

Lu Qian held her a little tighter, patted her head, looked at Master Xuan Ji and Tan Hong, and finally spoke.

"Elder Zhou, Senior Brother Tan, I’ve come... to see you both..."

Half an hour later, Lu Qian led the three tear-streaked youths out, intending to let them rest well. But Jiang Baitao suddenly knelt to the ground.

"Sect Leader Senior Brother." The young girl raised her head, "Please pass down my grandfather’s Array skills to me; I want to be my grandfather’s disciple!"

Lu Qian was slightly taken aback, seeing the determination in Baitao’s eyes and suddenly felt at ease.

If Master Xuan Ji knew this from the underworld, how gratified he would be.

All the sacrifices were for Yunshan Sect to have successors, to continue for generations, to lay a grand foundation for the descendants of Yunshan.

Should Yunshan Sect’s disciples be thriving and living in peace and happiness, the heroic spirits would have no regrets.

What we must do is learn from the past, cherish the present, and look to the future.

I shall erect a Memorial Stele here, in front of which will be the great square of Yunshan Sect.

I want the fallen heroes to witness the vibrancy and vitality of Yunshan disciples.

After a moment, Lu Qian smiled slightly: "The Array Dao is difficult and profound, requiring painstaking effort, otherwise, it’s just a waste of time. Taotao, in the path of arrays, you don’t have an exceptional talent, which means you have to exert a hundredfold effort compared to ordinary people."

"If you quit halfway, I will not forgive you."

"Will you still learn?"

Jiang Baitao nodded firmly, her eyes brimming with tears.