The enormous sect main hall was now packed to the brim.
With the Great Xia Sword Sect at the height of its prosperity, expansion had become inevitable, leading many experts drawn by its reputation to join as guest elders and retainers.
Many of them had never even laid eyes on Li Guanqi.
And this time, Li Guanqi had not come alone—he had brought everyone with him!
*Weng—!*
The grand doors of the main hall opened slowly, and the bustling hall instantly fell dead silent.
Not only that, but everyone rose to their feet, even Wu Bing.
However, the hint of pride in Wu Bing's eyes was impossible to conceal, his grin practically stretching from ear to ear.
As the doors parted, a group of eight appeared before everyone, each clad in magnificent, shimmering robes.
Li Guanqi's cohort wore Great Xia Sword Sect robes, the embroidery upon their shoulders displaying distinct colors.
Li Guanqi stood at the very front, followed by Ye Feng, Cao Yan, and Xiao Chen.
These few possessed bona fide sect elder status conferred by Lu Kangnian.
Cao Yan and Xiao Chen had also previously held lectures and preached the Dao within the sect.
Gu Li and Tang Ru were not truly members of the Great Xia Sword Sect, while Xu Junlin and Qin Wushang were purely along for the spectacle.
Yet since Li Guanqi intended to build momentum for the Great Xia Sword Sect before departing, they naturally had to be there.
A faint yet terrifying pressure radiated from each of the eight.
The cultivators in the hall bowed their heads even lower.
According to reports from Yu Hua and the others, the Great Xia Sword Sect was not without spies from other sects, but every single one of them was already under the Guanyun Pavilion's watchful eye.
In Yu Hua's words, so long as Li Guanqi nodded, the Guanyun Pavilion could slaughter every last one of them within the span of an incense stick!
Li Guanqi and his companions did not walk slowly.
Yet this short distance of just over twenty zhang felt like an eternity to everyone present!
The sect's veteran elders fared reasonably well, hardly feeling any pressure upon them.
Those newly joined elders and consecrated retainers, however, were an entirely different story.
They distinctly felt the terrifying, abyss-deep auras radiating from the group.
Their faces turned deathly pale, sweat poured down like rain, and their bodies trembled with rubbery legs, yet none dared lift their heads.
"Welcome, Elder Li!"
"Welcome, Elder Li!"
The shouts resounded through the hall like crashing waves.
Li Guanqi led the group in cupping their hands in salute toward Wu Bing.
"Li Guanqi pays respects to the Acting Sect Master."
"Ye Feng pays respects to the Acting Sect Master."
Every one of them explicitly addressed him as Acting Sect Master, which also served to keep Wu Bing in check.
Although Li Guanqi felt it was unnecessary, he wanted everyone to understand that the Great Xia Sword Sect had only one true sect master: Lu Kangnian!
Hearing this, Wu Bing felt neither awkward nor embarrassed in the slightest.
As he saw it...
If only Li Guanqi nodded and agreed to take up the mantle of sect master, both he and Lu Kangnian would wholeheartedly approve.
It would actually make things easier for him.
This was also why Li Guanqi still upheld Wu Bing's authority as Acting Sect Master on certain occasions:
Wu Bing truly and whole-heartedly acted in the sect's best interest.
He held no great attachment to worldly power; he was more like a pure cultivator pursuing the Great Dao.
Wu Bing stood up and gestured for Li Guanqi to take the head seat.
Li Guanqi, however, would not overstep his bounds. Seeing Wu Bing yield the primary seat, he raised a hand in refusal.
Even with his immense strength today, he was unwilling to usurp the limelight.
Without a second thought, he sat below the throne, and the companions behind him took their seats in succession.
Only then did Wu Bing sit in his seat as Acting Sect Master, raising a hand and speaking in a deep voice, "Be seated."
Li Guanqi and the others gradually reined in their aura. Ye Feng and the rest looked calm and detached, betraying neither joy nor sorrow.
They truly possessed the bearing of top-tier cultivators in positions of supreme authority.
After all, their experiences over the years had tempered their temperaments significantly.
Wu Bing then looked toward Li Guanqi and said softly, "Surely everyone already knows."
"Our Great Xia Sword Sect now has four new Mahayana realm cultivators—a truly joyous occasion worthy of celebration!"
"From now on, no one across the Six Domains will dare look down upon our Great Xia Sword Sect!"
At these words, cheerful murmurs of agreement and laughter erupted below.
"Today's assembly was convened by the Grand Elder, so let the Grand Elder preside over the rest of the meeting."
Li Guanqi gave a slight nod. His sharp gaze swept across the entire hall, instantly plunging the room into pin-drop silence.
Everyone felt as though thorns were pricking their backs; Li Guanqi's gaze carried an immense, overwhelming pressure.
Li Guanqi's voice slowly rang out. It was not loud, yet it resonated right beside everyone's ears.
"How many of you here can recite the Great Xia Sword Sect's creed right now?"
At this question, many froze momentarily, their faces quickly flushing with guilt.
Yet the long-standing elders, consecrated experts, and guest elders of the Great Xia Sword Sect answered almost instinctively:
"The sword in hand shall not point at the weak; the sword in heart shall not fear the strong!"
"Right the injustices of the world; slay those in the world who deserve death!"
"If one day you draw your sword for this creed and meet a formidable foe, the Great Xia Sword Sect shall wield its full might to ensure your safety!"
Everyone, including Li Guanqi, Ye Feng, and the rest, as well as Wu Bing, recited the sect creed with solemn expressions!
Their voices were deafening, striking the newcomers' ears like thunder!
Li Guanqi had not concealed his voice earlier, allowing every disciple throughout the Great Xia Sword Sect's territory to hear it.
In an instant, the sound of disciples reciting the sect creed echoed across the entire Great Xia Sword Sect, ringing straight into the clouds!
Upon hearing Li Guanqi's inquiry, all disciples halted whatever they were doing.
Standing in place, their eyes turned toward the summit of Tianjian Peak as they chanted at the top of their lungs.
Li Guanqi slowly stood up, looking upon everyone with proud majesty.
His deep voice rang out, resonant and resolute: "The sect today possesses the confidence to face any enemy!"
"Therefore, so long as you stay true to your hearts and never forget your original aspirations, the sect will be your staunchest backing."
At this moment, the sense of sect pride within the hearts of everyone in the Great Xia Sword Sect soared to its peak!
Yet immediately after, Li Guanqi shifted his tone, his eyes narrowing slightly as his voice grew chillingly cold.
"However... if any disciple or elder, emboldened by the sect's newfound prominence and power that none dare offend, should commit evil..."
"Then the sect's creed and penal laws will be an executioner's blade hanging over your heads!"
"Every single one of you, listen well!"
Li Guanqi's voice turned soaring and grim.
"If the sect discovers anyone who flouts our creed, behaves wickedly, and commits heinous acts..."
"Under our penal code, there will be no gentle punishment like mere expulsion from the sect."
"The Great Xia Sword Sect will spare no effort to capture you, bring you back to the sect, and execute you under the harshest punishment!"
At these words, everyone's expressions turned grim!
Across the territory of the Great Xia Sword Sect, the disciples' faces changed subtly as well. Ever since news had spread of Li Guanqi and the others breaking through to the Mahayana realm, countless outsiders had sought to flatter and fawn over them.
Within the Great Xia Domain, simply hanging a Great Xia Sword Sect identity token at one's waist meant that even the cloud boat ferries dared not charge a single coin.
Li Guanqi's words served as an alarm bell, startling everyone awake.
Many disciples and guest elders wore expressions of sudden realization.
Watching this scene unfold, Wu Bing smiled, the corners of his lips curving upward.
He was naturally well aware of all this, but constrained by his limited cultivation and lack of intimidating presence, he had held back until Li Guanqi's return.
Li Guanqi striking fear into their hearts in person was infinitely more effective than anything he could have done.
Chapter 1154