Feng Yi sighed with emotion after sizing up Bao Gu, saying, “It’s been nearly three months since we last met, and your cultivation hasn’t progressed at all. Are you being lazy?”
Bao Gu replied, “Even if I wanted to be lazy, I fear I lack the strength.”
She then asked, “Feng Martial Uncle, you seem to be in good spirits. Has there been progress regarding the sect’s residence?”
Feng Yi took out several scrolls from his storage bag and said, “There are a few suitable locations for establishing the sect’s main gate, each with its own pros and cons.”
He unfolded the scrolls one by one and handed them to Zi Tianjun and Bao Gu, explaining, “I’ve thoroughly investigated the terrain, mountain shapes, and the distribution of surrounding forces. These locations are all viable options for establishing a foundation.”
After Bao Gu finished looking at the three maps Feng Yi handed her, she exchanged scrolls with Zi Tianjun.
By the time she had reviewed all six scrolls, she had a clear understanding.
The places Feng Yi selected indeed had their merits and drawbacks; in terms of terrain, they were all suitable for a sect’s residence.
Such locations were ideal for cultivation, appealing not only to them but also to others, including powerful demons.
Typically, those who could occupy such places were formidable demons, and if there weren’t any strong forces, cultivators might appear, potentially leading to small markets for trade.
Bao Gu thought to herself, “It seems there are quite a few cultivators engaged in border trade. Some places have even formed a certain scale!”
Seeing all the scrolls, Zi Tianjun looked up at Bao Gu and asked, “Bao Gu, what are your thoughts?”
Bao Gu handed Zi Tianjun a map of a marginal area where only scattered cultivators and demons frequented, saying, “Grandmaster, I prefer this location.”
Zi Tianjun responded, “Explain why you favor it.”
Bao Gu said, “Let me first explain why I don’t choose the territories occupied by powerful demons. From the information we gathered about the demon saints and the ancient relics, we know that the strength of demon cultivators and beasts is not inferior to that of cultivators, and may even be stronger. We don’t have a good understanding of the demons in those areas. Their strength is formidable, and since we lack knowledge, it’s unwise to act recklessly. That’s one reason. The second reason is that both cultivators and demons are living beings with similar intelligence and cultivation paths. I see no reason or confidence for cultivators to arbitrarily seize the living space of demons. Since the demons have already occupied those territories, we cannot encroach upon their domain. Therefore, I won’t consider the three locations occupied by powerful demons.”
Zi Tianjun, Feng Yi, and Nanshan Yijian exchanged silent glances before turning their attention back to Bao Gu, listening for her to continue.
Bao Gu set aside the three maps of the territories occupied by powerful demons and picked up the three maps where cultivators were active, saying, “Among these three, one has abundant spiritual energy and a wide area, which would be sufficient for the sect’s residence. However, it borders a major force, and their disciples often come here to train and hunt demons. Not to mention whether moving our entire sect there would attract their attention and lead to conflict, even if everything were peaceful, once we grow stronger, we would inevitably clash with the major forces of the cultivation world, and later, with the demon realm, making it difficult for us to expand; thus, it is not a viable option.”
She then picked up the second scroll and said, “The second location has the richest spiritual energy of the six, and it is rich in underground spiritual mines, possibly even hiding spiritual roots and blessed lands. Cultivators often come here searching for spiritual mines, and various forces are competing for this area, making it a place of conflict that we should avoid. The Xuantian Sect currently needs to recuperate; we cannot afford to suffer losses from personnel casualties.”
She set this scroll down and slowly unfolded the last one, saying, “This last location has relatively weak spiritual energy, and because of its weakness and lack of spiritual mines, both cultivators and powerful demons look down on it. The visitors here are mostly scattered cultivators or travelers, and there isn’t even a decent town formed; it’s all just makeshift markets, and there are signs of a black market.”
Feng Yi asked, “You favor this place?”
He frowned and said, “The most desolate, poorest, and most remote place is this one. How can a place I look down on be the one you prefer?”
Bao Gu understood Feng Yi’s dissatisfaction with her choice.
The Xuantian Sect’s previous weakness was largely due to the depletion of spiritual energy, so there was a tendency to choose locations rich in spiritual energy.
She looked at Zi Tianjun and noticed her Grandmaster was staring intently at the map of the contested area she had just set down, clearly tempted by that prosperous location.
She said, “If the Xuantian Sect had the strength of the powerful forces in the ancient city of Xuanyue, I would also choose that wealthy area. The Xuantian Sect currently lacks spiritual resources and the energy of heaven and earth; what we lack is a place to settle down and a population. This most desolate, poorest, and most remote place is the least conspicuous, allowing us to preserve the existing strength of the Xuantian Sect and maintain stability, which is one reason. The second reason is that it is better to be a chicken’s head than a cow’s tail; this place is one where the Xuantian Sect can most confidently control with its current strength. Here, the Xuantian Sect can develop into a dominant force and become the true ruler of this area. The third reason is that with humans and demons mingling, there are numerous makeshift markets and black markets—at least a dozen that Martial Uncle has discovered—indicating that while the spiritual energy here may not be abundant, the flow of goods is plentiful and trade is convenient. This could become a major source of income for the Xuantian Sect without needing to mine spiritual mines, allowing us to continuously earn spiritual stones.”
Zi Tianjun pondered in silence.
Feng Yi furrowed his brow, occasionally glancing at Bao Gu.
Bao Gu said, “Grandmaster and Martial Uncle might think this place has too many black markets, which could tarnish the reputation of the righteous sects in the cultivation world, but if the Xuantian Sect occupies this place, we can transform it into a harmonious area for a righteous sect.”
Feng Yi and Zi Tianjun still had reservations about Bao Gu’s choice.
They flipped through the previous scrolls again, comparing them repeatedly, even considering how to develop if they chose those places, ultimately realizing that they would have to pay the price of personnel casualties to seize them from powerful opponents, likely exhausting the Xuantian Sect’s remaining resources.
Zi Tianjun handed the map of the location Bao Gu selected back to her, saying, “If I entrust this matter to you, how do you plan to proceed?”
Bao Gu had already been considering how to manage the relocation of the sect while Zi Tianjun and Feng Yi hesitated, and when her Grandmaster asked her, she had a plan in mind.
She said, “Two words: proceed gradually.”
Zi Tianjun said, “Elaborate.”
Bao Gu explained, “If the Xuantian Sect were to relocate all at once, it would undoubtedly attract attention and easily become a target. Moreover, being unfamiliar with the area and exposed in the open would inevitably lead to various attacks and potential losses. My idea is to first send my senior sister to take the lead. Her strength is at the Golden Core stage, and she is quite formidable. Her cultivation level is not too conspicuous, making it less likely for her to be underestimated or bullied, allowing her to take advantage of many situations. Of course, if Grandmaster and Martial Uncle are willing to conceal their strength and handle everything, that would also be great; either Golden Core or Nascent Soul stages would work.”
Zi Tianjun’s idea was to first send Feng Yi to secure the area, and then the disciples could move in and settle down.
With their strengths, he believed no one would dare to attack them easily, and if someone did, they could handle it.
Bao Gu’s reasoning had some merit; being unfamiliar with the area and uncertain about the situation was indeed a concern.
He thought for a moment and said, “How about this: Feng Yi can transform into your and Yu Mi’s old servant to accompany you.”
Feng Yi was taken aback and looked at Zi Tianjun, doubting he had heard correctly.
Bao Gu laughed and said, “Playing the big bad wolf!”
Feng Yi: “…”
Zi Tianjun said, “The depth of the Xuantian Sect cannot be easily discerned.”
She turned to Bao Gu and said, “Once you arrive, you can call your Martial Uncle Feng ‘Feng Bo’.”
As a Martial Uncle, Feng Yi would be reduced to serving as a servant for his two female disciples—this was quite embarrassing!
He exclaimed, “Sect Leader—” but then turned to Nanshan Yijian, who had been silent, and asked, “Senior Nanshan, do you have any insights?”
Nanshan Yijian shook his head and remained silent, ignoring Feng Yi’s pleading gaze.
Bao Gu covered her mouth, stifling her laughter.
Feng Yi sternly scolded, “Bao Gu, do you and Yu Mi deserve this?”
Bao Gu winked at Feng Yi, smiling brightly, “If Martial Uncle Feng is unwilling, we can invite Senior Nanshan to accompany us.”
Nanshan Yijian looked at Bao Gu in surprise, then fell silent again.
Feng Yi maintained a stern expression and said, “What kind of trick are you trying to pull?”
Bao Gu smiled without answering, looking as if she had a “bad plan” in mind.
Zi Tianjun secretly shook his head and sighed.
Keeping Bao Gu here to practice must have built up her frustration!
This was not the chosen successor of the ancestor; she was clearly a spoiled child!
He said, “Let’s do it this way, Bao Gu. Although I’m entrusting this matter to you, you must not neglect your cultivation.”
Bao Gu nodded vigorously, her head bobbing like a garlic pounder.
She then cheerfully said to Feng Yi, “Don’t worry, Feng Bo, I won’t treat you poorly.”
Feng Yi rolled his eyes in exasperation.
Ignoring Feng Yi’s annoyance, Bao Gu happily asked Zi Tianjun, “Grandmaster, when will my senior sister come out of seclusion?”
Zi Tianjun replied, “You can wait a few days for her. In the meantime, tidy up a bit and see if there are any suitable candidates among your fellow disciples to bring along.”
Bao Gu felt that this trip would definitely require someone to run errands.
She couldn’t just treat Feng Yi as a servant and make him do all the chores.
She said, “Grandmaster, can I select a few senior brothers to accompany me?”
Zi Tianjun smiled and said, “Go ahead.”
Bao Gu accepted the order and stood up.
After thinking for a moment, she added, “Grandmaster, I need protective and impressive magical treasures.”
Zi Tianjun waved at Bao Gu, sending her off.
When lunchtime came, Bao Gu specially cooked a large pot of fragrant medicinal soup with meat, inviting the senior brothers who were not in seclusion to join her.
Once everyone had eaten their fill, Bao Gu happily announced that the Xuantian Sect had found a new residence, and she, along with her Grandmaster and Feng Martial Uncle, would be taking the lead.
Feng Martial Uncle would transform into her and her senior sister’s protective servant, and she needed some senior brothers to act as her attendants and accompany her, asking who among them was willing to go.
As soon as she finished speaking, the disciples of the Xuantian Sect buzzed with discussion.
Bao Gu raised her voice, saying, “The attendants are merely a cover for appearances; our main purpose is to get things done, to take the lead, and to prepare for the subsequent relocation of the sect.”
She looked around and noticed some of her fellow disciples whispering to each other, while others were deep in thought.
Bao Gu waited for a while but did not see anyone step forward.
Some were hesitant, while others showed no interest at all.
If it weren’t for the embarrassment of leaving her in a difficult position, many might have already walked away.
She knew everyone wanted to rebuild the sect, but asking these talented disciples with spiritual roots or dual spiritual roots to be her attendants was something many would be unwilling to do.
The senior brothers could easily increase their cultivation strength with five foundation-building pills a month, almost reaching a new stage in about a month.
Several senior brothers had even broken through from the late foundation-building stage to the Golden Core stage.
Meanwhile, she had already proven to everyone how useless a five-spirit root was over the past two to three months—eating several foundation-building pills daily and drinking second-tier monkey wine had not shown any progress in her cultivation.
Although her senior brothers had always been kind to her, she could tell from their gazes and private discussions that they felt sympathy for her five-spirit root and looked down on her.
The chosen successor of the ancestor could not withstand the slow cultivation speed that was almost imperceptible.
In the cultivation world, strength was paramount; no matter how wealthy she was, if her strength did not improve, others would still look down on her in their hearts, making it unlikely for them to willingly be her attendants!
Moreover, this matter was significant; if they listened to her on such an important issue, they would likely look down on her in the future.
Those with ambitions for higher positions would not be willing to yield to someone with a five-spirit root like her!
Seeing that no one was willing to step forward, Bao Gu was not bothered.
The most important thing was to get her senior sister out of seclusion to accompany her; having these senior brothers along didn’t make much difference.
She smiled faintly and turned to leave, but after taking a few steps, she saw Feng Menglong leading a few people from Shui Yunzhe chasing after her.
Feng Menglong said, “Bao Gu, I will go with you.”
Bao Gu turned to Feng Menglong and asked, “Don’t you think that with your Golden Core strength and position as the master of a peak, it would be beneath you to be the attendant of a foundation-building junior like me?”
In her heart, she thought, “Have you thought this through after considering it for so long?”
Feng Menglong laughed heartily, “To strive for the rebuilding of the sect is to get things done; it’s not really about being your attendant. Moreover, even Grandmaster, Senior Nanshan, and Martial Uncle all value you and are willing to entrust such an important task to you, which shows you must have exceptional qualities to take on the responsibilities of the sect, so what harm is there in being your attendant?”
Bao Gu looked at the five people behind Feng Menglong and noticed that those from Shui Yunzhe were all present.
She asked, “Are you all going?”
As soon as she finished speaking, more fellow disciples rushed over, and soon everyone was saying they wanted to go.
Bao Gu thought to herself, “When no one wanted to go, not a single person stepped forward; now that someone is going, everyone is here.”
She quickly said, “We don’t need that many people; too many will attract attention. I only need two or three to accompany me.”
Hua Sheng stepped forward and asked, “Don’t you want a maid?”
Bao Gu smiled brightly and said, “Thank you, Senior Sister Hua Sheng.”
She playfully winked and said, “I’ve already thought of how to make my senior sister be my maid!”
Pouting, she huffed, “Hmph, to think she has been in seclusion and ignored me as her junior sister; just wait until I fix her!”
Hua Sheng laughed, “You fix her? Your senior sister is so strong; be careful she doesn’t fix you instead.”
She then said, “How about this: if you find it too crowded, I can go with you and Feng Menglong?”
With Yu Mi absent, Hua Sheng and Feng Menglong were the most outstanding among the younger disciples.
Both had broken through to the Golden Core stage and officially assumed the position of peak masters.
Feng Menglong was in charge of the remaining disciples from Shui Yunzhe, while Hua Sheng, originally a direct disciple of Martial Uncle Fan Tuan from Zhuo Yun Peak, now led Zhuo Yun Peak after her breakthrough.
Their positions sounded quite high, but the Xuantian Sect was no longer what it used to be.
Feng Menglong only had five disciples from Shui Yunzhe under him, while Hua Sheng had seven, which was relatively pitiful.
Compared to Bao Gu, who was a mere deputy peak master, they were much better off.
Bao Gu readily agreed, “Great!”
Hua Sheng laughed, “You’re really not being polite!”
Bao Gu shot a sidelong glance at Hua Sheng and said, “Am I being polite with you two? You both should thank me for taking you along!”
After saying that, she quickly left to avoid being caught by the new peak masters from the other two peaks.
