"Establishing a sect truly is no simple matter."
Having set things in order at the Demon Flame Sect, Qin Sang embarked on his return journey.
Reflecting on the busyness of the past several days, he actually felt a touch of weariness, prompting an inward sigh of emotion.
As the supreme head of a sect, having one's every word carry immense weight, commanding absolute obedience, and receiving the worship of thousands of disciples was indeed immensely satisfying to contemplate, but ultimately, it was not what he truly sought.
His original intention had simply been to take in a few competent disciples.
Fortunately, he now had several capable hands under him. Li Yufu and Meigu were each capable of taking charge of affairs independently, and could become the pillars of the sect in the future.
Zhao Shanran and Tan Yi'en were somewhat less gifted, but Qin Sang did not lack fiend demon pills, and he intended to give them a boost to achieve Core Formation.
Both possessed decent character and temperament. One assisted Meigu and was familiar with sect affairs; the other was tactful and smooth, ideally suited for handling trivial matters inside and outside the sect.
Furthermore, similar to the Spirit Taming Sect, Qingyang Temple possessed an advantage unmatched by other sects.
By allying with the demons in the Thousand Mountains Bamboo Sea, the sect's disciples could attempt to gain the recognition of spirit beasts, thereby establishing a sect that bridged both the human and demon races.
As long as the ancient teleportation array remained intact, there would be a steady stream of fiend demon pills in the future.
Naturally, compared to the prestigious great sects, Qingyang Temple still lagged far behind, especially in heritage and successors. Even Li Yufu, who held the highest cultivation, was merely at the early Core Formation stage, still an age away from the Nascent Soul realm.
Qin Sang knew very well that these things could not be rushed.
With him present, Qingyang Temple's strength would only grow greater. The framework had already been established; all that remained was to find a place rich in spiritual energy to serve as the mountain gate and headquarters.
In the future, Qin Sang would not devote too much energy to the sect; his own cultivation was the foundation of everything.
On his journey back, Qin Sang once again took a detour past Shaohua Mountain, hoping to see Mu Yifeng.
He had not been able to see him last time.
Mu Yifeng had become an ascetic cultivator, perpetually in secluded cultivation.
Back then, Qin Sang had not dared to contact Mu Yifeng brazenly, lest he implicate him.
This time, Shaohua Mountain had already sealed itself off ahead of time, so Qin Sang still did not get to see the man in person.
After pondering it, Qin Sang did not fret.
He would definitely be heading to the frontlines; if Mu Yifeng was there as well, they could meet then. His strength was nothing like in the past; ensuring Mu Yifeng's safety was something he could easily accomplish.
Afterward, Qin Sang returned to the Yuanshen Sect, intending to wait until he had completed the first step of the cultivation technique—projecting all the killing talismans into his sword soul and setting himself on the right track—before venturing out again.
To his surprise, when Qin Sang returned, he discovered that the bird duo—one gluttonous and the other lecherous—had arrived, having waited for him for many days.
"Master! You're finally back! This humble servant has had such a bitter wait! A day apart feels like three autumns! A year apart feels like..."
Fat Chicken scurried over, full of flattery, talking a mile a minute.
Halfway through, it realized its beak was moving without a sound. Seeing Qin Sang's displeased expression, it was quite quick-witted and clamped its beak shut at once.
"Didn't the white crane come with you? Where did it go?"
Just as Qin Sang asked, a crane's cry drifted over from the distance. The white crane and a multicolored spirit bird flew wing to wing.
Halfway through their flight, the white crane gave a debonair flap of its wings in farewell. The spirit bird seemed utterly reluctant to part, its cries plaintive and mournful.
"Greetings, Master."
Before Qin Sang, the white crane did not dare act too flashy, displaying great deference.
Qin Sang scoffed derisively, "Flirting and chasing skirts in human territory—it seems you've grown tired of living! Didn't you claim you only fancy courting descendants of the phoenix race? A mere mortal-demon stage spirit bird who barely gained sapience could actually entrance you so?"
The white crane sighed deeply. "The demons of this realm are too pathetic—not a single creature with phoenix blood can be found, so I had no choice but to settle for second best. Though she is only at the mortal-demon stage, her wings are exceptionally well-formed, straight, crisp, and clearly textured. The curve of her little beak is breathtakingly exquisite, especially alluring! Granted, she has quite a few flaws: her feathers aren't vibrant enough, the color patches are rather chaotic, her voice lacks crispness, and so forth, but she is still a rare find..."
As it spoke, it smacked its beak.
A hint of melancholy tinged the crane's expression. Stranded in this realm, who knew when it would ever return in glory to its homeland? Moreover, Qin Sang had placed a gag order on it, forbidding it from uttering a single word about the Demon Sea.
Qin Sang's eyelid twitched.
This lecherous bird spoke with such conviction, yet he couldn't see what made that spirit bird any prettier than others.
"Out with it. What business brought you here?"
Ignoring the self-absorbed, melancholy crane, Qin Sang looked at Fat Chicken.
"Reporting to Master, Old Liu sent the two of us. Demon King Yu sent word that a council will soon be held in Myriad Demon City, asking if Master and Senior Bamboo Demon have time to attend. Attendance is not mandatory."
Fat Chicken handed Qin Sang a jade slip.
Qin Sang's eyes flickered. "Has there been some change in the war situation?"
Fat Chicken hesitated. "Old Monkey just sent word back that everything seems normal on the frontlines."
After reviewing the jade slip, Qin Sang learned that one of the objectives of this council was surprisingly related to Ziwei Palace.
Qin Sang mused for a moment, then nodded. "Very well. Go back and tell Old Liu that I will make the trip to Myriad Demon City in person."
"Master, Master..."
Fat Chicken leaned in with a servile grin. "You will be disguised as a demon king. If you don't have a mount or retainers by your side, wouldn't that undermine your grandeur? Our cultivation is decent enough. Why not let us stay by your side? If any minor chores come up, we can lend a hand."
"Sycophant!"
Even the white crane couldn't stand it, sneering inwardly, but it eagerly trotted along behind nonetheless.
Qin Sang considered it and agreed.
Fat Chicken had roamed the Demon Realm for many years. Bringing them along would prevent him from slipping up due to unfamiliarity with the Demon Realm.
Qin Sang simply chose not to re-enter the Yuanshen Sect. He headed north once again, accompanied by two birds.
Passing by Li Yufu's cave dwelling, Li Yufu and Tan Yi'en came out to greet him, sharing a piece of good news.
"Senior Martial Uncle, Han Qiu sensed the opportunity for Foundation Establishment and is currently in secluded cultivation to break through."
"Good. This should be her final chance; hopefully she can seize it. Yi'en, did anything come of contacting your father's old acquaintances as I asked?"
Qin Sang looked toward Tan Yi'en.
Tan Yi'en replied, "Over recent years, following Martial Uncle's instructions, I managed to contact several of my late father's old friends or their families. They had either died in accidents or were stranded at the Foundation Establishment stage, their lifespans nearly exhausted and their path to immortality hopeless, having lost touch with my father long ago. However, from one senior uncle, I confirmed that two seniors had interacted closely with my father toward the very end. Both were Core Formation cultivators—one a rogue cultivator, the other a disciple of a great sect. But both were dispatched to the battlefield, so they cannot be contacted for the time being."
"The battlefield?"
Qin Sang's heart stirred. "I need to make a trip to Tianyao Mound, and I was planning to check out the frontlines upon my return. Yi'en, go to Cangheng Island first and wait for me; you will come with me. Yufu, during my trip to the Demonic Path territory, I took in a disciple. Long ago, I planted a seed in their lands, and unexpectedly, it has grown into a great tree... When you have free time, you can go lend a hand and familiarize yourself with them. In the future, the Demon Flame Sect will also merge into Qingyang Temple."
Hearing this, Li Yufu was instantly overjoyed. "This disciple will set out tomorrow!"
Every beginning was difficult. He had wracked his brains, realizing that establishing a sect entailed a myriad of complications and was truly no simple task.
With the Demon Flame Sect's foundation, developing Qingyang Temple would be vastly easier.
Chapter 1165