PCJ – Chapter 569 The Meishan Sect

After Wei Chenguang and his father left, Zhang Jiaohua weighed the pros and cons and felt that founding a sect might not be such an unrealistic idea after all. If he had to personally handle every trivial matter, it would naturally distract him. Seeking the Great Dao was never easy—if bogged down by daily affairs, how could one ever hope to attain the Dao of Eternal Life? Zhang Jiaohua had no desire to live like Daoist Zhang, hiding away in the deep mountains and struggling even with basic daily needs.

Moreover, Zhang Jiaohua faced a very practical issue: for example, the Jade Elixir Tea and Ruby Elixir Tea—these two kinds of tea had to be prepared personally by him. If he ever went into long-term seclusion, the supply of these teas would cease. Although he could prepare larger batches for storage in advance, if the seclusion lasted too long, that method wouldn’t suffice. For cultivators with long lifespans, seclusion lasting several years—or even decades—was not uncommon. Zhang Jiaohua could easily remain in closed-door cultivation for a hundred years inside the Cultivation Diagram.

If he had a sect of his own, he could delegate such matters to trusted individuals within the sect. Take someone like Wei Chenguang—there would be no concern about betrayal over material gain, since wealth held no allure for such people. As long as Zhang Jiaohua regularly provided cultivation resources, they would remain loyal without hesitation.

Zhang Jiaohua quickly made up his mind: he would establish a sect. His swift decision was also a way of fulfilling the expectations of the master he had seen in his dreams and the mission of inheriting the Dao. As for the sect’s name, he didn’t even need to think—naturally, it would be called the Meishan Sect.

Upon receiving Zhang Jiaohua’s message, Wei Chenguang and Wei Changxin were ecstatic and rushed over.

“Master, as for the tedious work of organizing the sect, just leave it to us. We’ll immediately reach out to all the rogue cultivator families in the capital, as well as sects like the Medicine King Valley and the Artifact Refining Sect. I believe that once they hear this great news, they’ll come quickly. After all, we’re not like ordinary people—who would refuse the chance to continue cultivating if given the opportunity?” Wei Chenguang pledged confidently.

“Alright, I’ll leave it to you then. However, the Meishan Sect values quality over quantity. Those with impure intentions must never be allowed in. No matter what sect they belonged to before, once they join Meishan, they are Meishan through and through. Factions and internal cliques will not be tolerated,” Zhang Jiaohua warned.

Wei Chenguang grinned, “Rest assured, Master. These things can all be managed through sect regulations. It’s simple—if the cultivation resources are controlled by the Sect Master, those trying to slip in for personal gain can be eliminated at any time. As for the malicious ones—if they need to be beaten, beat them. If they need to be killed, kill them. We’re running a cultivation sect, not a charity.”

“Good. Then I’ll leave this in your hands,” Zhang Jiaohua said.

Initially, he thought running a sect would be troublesome. But once it got going, he actually found it quite freeing. All the minor matters were now handled by others—even the preparation of the elixir teas could be delegated. If it weren’t for the need to maintain a strategy of artificial scarcity for the Jade and Ruby Elixir Teas, there’d be no issue supplying them at full capacity. With Zhang Jiaohua passing on the secret techniques, many rogue cultivators were now capable of preparing these teas. Wei Chenguang had gathered all of them into the Xiyun Secret Realm—not for nothing. Anyone allowed into the Xiyun Secret Realm had to bring some kind of value to the sect.

The newly formed Meishan Sect was no welfare center—it didn’t support freeloaders. Zhang Jiaohua had drawn a spiritual spring from the Cultivation Diagram to rejuvenate the one in the Xiyun Secret Realm. As a result, spiritual energy there grew increasingly dense, creating an excellent environment for cultivation. But those who cultivated there also had to contribute meaningfully to the sect.

“All Meishan cultivators who want to train in the Xiyun Secret Realm must earn enough contribution points. For example, guarding Meizi’ao (Plum Ridge) is one of the required tasks. Every cultivator must serve a one-month shift there each year. I’ve already arranged the schedule, ensuring that Meizi’ao is always under Meishan protection and that the past incidents don’t recur…” Wei Chenguang gave a detailed report to Zhang Jiaohua.

Zhang Jiaohua grew a little impatient, “Enough. As long as you understand how to handle it, that’s fine. The sect may be established, but I don’t have time to manage everything. I’m leaving it entirely in your hands. If anything goes wrong, I’ll be holding you accountable.”

Wei Chenguang immediately replied, “Understood, Master. I will do my utmost.”

Even though Zhang Jiaohua wanted peace and quiet, it seemed fate had other plans.

Not long after the Meishan Sect was established, Liang Mingjie from the Kunlun Sect showed up again.

“You’ve got some nerve! The Xiyun Sect had already received our Kunlun Sect’s invitation to attend the Dao Discussion Conference. And you just wiped them out! Are you disregarding the Kunlun Sect entirely?” Liang Mingjie demanded.

“Was the Xiyun Sect part of the Kunlun Sect?” Zhang Jiaohua asked calmly.

“Well, not exactly, but destroying them is still a slap in our face!” Liang Mingjie replied, clearly lacking confidence.

“What connection did the Xiyun Sect have with your Kunlun Sect?” Zhang Jiaohua asked again.

“Not much of a connection, really. But—”

“And their arrogance wasn’t authorized by the Kunlun Sect, was it?” Zhang Jiaohua interrupted.

“Of course not. The Kunlun Sect is a righteous orthodox sect—we would never do such a thing.”

“Exactly. So I’ve helped you by clearing out a rotten sect. Keeping them from sneaking into the Dao Discussion Conference is something your sect should be thankful for,” Zhang Jiaohua said.

Liang Mingjie scratched his head, speechless—Zhang Jiaohua had left him no room to argue.

“Well then… since the Xiyun Sect can no longer attend the Dao Conference, who will take their place?” Liang Mingjie asked.

“Obviously, the Meishan Sect,” Wei Chenguang interjected before Zhang Jiaohua could answer. Then he whispered to Zhang Jiaohua, “I’ll explain this to you later, Master.”

After settling Liang Mingjie, Wei Chenguang turned to Zhang Jiaohua and said, “I made this decision without prior approval. Please forgive me, Master.”

“You really think we should attend this Dao Discussion Conference?” Zhang Jiaohua asked—he hadn’t intended to go.

Wei Chenguang nodded, “I do. The Kunlun Sect wouldn’t be holding such a conference at this time unless something major was happening—likely related to the worldwide depletion of spiritual veins. The cultivation world now refers to this as the End of Dharma Era. Since it began, spiritual veins around the world have started to wither. Even some of the most renowned ones are running dry. The Xiyun Secret Realm’s spiritual vein, once quite famous, is now drying up too. If my guess is right, even the three great sacred lands are experiencing this.”

Zhang Jiaohua frowned. “If that’s the case, what’s the point of attending?”

Wei Chenguang explained, “Even if their veins are failing, the sacred lands still possess resources we can’t imagine. More importantly, they’ve been around longer than any other sect on Earth. Maybe they know the reason behind this spiritual decline.”

Zhang Jiaohua was suddenly struck by a thought: “That’s true—if we understand the cause, maybe this entire situation could still be reversed.”