The days passed and the news about the Dark Palm sect issue reached everyone in the land. The word of a new upstart sect taking them out and that the three similar-sized sects that were close by were now besieging their Harmonious Peaks. Everyone was curious about the new upstart that had formed but even more curious why it hadn’t been eradicated by the three powerful sects.
The Dark Palm sect was in shambles, some of the peaks had crumbled before the combined might of the enemy alliance. The ancestral elders did their best to keep the defensive formation working but they were at an impasse. They were trapped in a defensive battle, unable to flee and far too old to last a prolonged battle against multiple nascent soul masters at a similar level.
Without much else to do, Zhang Dong and his allies had to wait. They cultivated with diligence, increasing their understanding of the newly gained Dao they were cultivating in.
The tensions were high, no one knew what would happen. Everyone was on edge, preparing for the worse while trying to bolster their personal might.
With more time passing news of the evil sect’s demise reached their ears. After two months of continuous struggling, the demonic sect was announced vanquished. The ancestral elders were all slain and everyone associated with the evil sect was sentenced to death.
As it goes with large sects like these, there were many stragglers left outside. There were just too many members to eradicate and not enough time or manpower. There was a slight chance that someone could try taking revenge on the three sects but it was highly unlikely that they would succeed. The best they could hope for is a quiet life in the lower levels or being taken in by other sects while hiding their identity.
The war was finally over. The giant sect was no more but life continued. Demon Subduing Sect, Dragon Gate Sect, and The Limitless Sword Society they were the true winner of this short war. They had used the confusion that began with Zhang Dong’s appearance and managed to vanquish a long time rival.
They all wanted a piece of the pie now, the alliance wasn’t one that was build of friendship or necessity, it was built on profit. Any one of them could have been in the Dark Palm Sect’s place if things went differently. They didn’t voice it but everyone knew that they would betray each other at a moment’s notice if it proved profitable and safe.
Back at Spirit Spring City or what was left of it, Zhang Dong was sitting in the lotus position .He was in the Dimensional Regalia along with Huo Qiang and Feng Liena. The three of them used this opportunity to strengthen themselves, they did some light sparring while increasing their cultivation bases.
‘Mmm… it’s not as easy as it used to be…’
Zhang Dong grumbled while opening his eyes. When he was in core formation he could just progress with the help of the ambient Qi energies in the surroundings. Now it was different, his progress was slow and going at a snail’s pace. Even after two months had passed he had barely managed to push his cultivation past 1%. At this pace, he would reach the middle stage realm in about 16 years.
He gave out a sigh and decided to take a walk, sitting around for hours while just taking in energy was still a boring past time. Luckily as a cultivator, he entered a type of cultivation trance that made the time seem to pass faster.
The floating island had gotten larger than before as well. He had convinced both his friends to donate some spiritual energy each day along with him. Three nascent soul cultivators that had immortal grade cultivation methods were infusing this island with their power now. It went from a couple of kilometers in diameter to close to twenty. With high-quality Qi it was growing steadily and could now truly be used as a secret space of the sect.
Before plans to further this place could come to fruition they still had to resolve one problem.
Zhang Dong didn’t interrupt the others with their cultivation and stepped out, which was just in time to hear someone running up with haste. He could tell with his spiritual sense that it was Zhang Kuo.
“Is there any news?”
The man looked a bit more frantic than usual, his body temperature was also higher and he was clearly sweating.
“Yes Patriarch… the Dark Palm Sect… is no more!”
Zhang Dong nodded, this was about the time he thought it would take for them to get through their defenses. He straightened out while giving his reply.
“Any word from those three sects? Did they send someone or made any demands?”
Kuo nodded at the question and gave a swift reply.
“Yes my lord, they have actually sent word, although…”
Zhang Dong could see the man clench his fist tighter as if something was bothering him, his body language was making him look angered.
“Good, what do they want? What are the terms?”
Kuo took out a jade slip and presented it to his Patriarch. Zhang Dong raised his eyebrow before scanning the jade slip with his spiritual sense. He was actually expecting them to send someone in person to do some negotiating, he received a message via jade mail instead.
“Hoh? I kind of figured this much but they don’t take us very seriously, do they?”
Zhang Kuo nodded while taking the jade slip back. The three sects gave their terms, the United Elements sect would be allowed to exist but they were to remain in the regions previously occupied by the middle-sized clans. This meant that they wouldn’t actually be getting any land that was previously used by the Dark Palm Sect. They were also required to pay a large sum in spirit stones or other resources like herbs or weapons. The explanation given for that was that it was a payment for the land they were graciously given.
“Mmm, you can leave.”
Zhang Kuo nodded and left, Zhang Dong on the other hand was just glad that it was now over. Even though it looked like their new sect wouldn’t go far, he knew that things weren’t all that bad. He still had all those high-level techniques and he had his system. With him being the sect leader he was now the proud owner of a vast tract of land. Many people lived there, many people that if treated right would give him many spirit points which he could spend to improve his techniques even more or even increase his own cultivation or from his sect members.
It was time to stabilize his new faction. Even though the other sects weren’t taking them seriously, he preferred that. It was easier to go against someone that was underestimating you.
‘I bet they fear my Wei Hung persona more than they fear me. They will probably place spies all around the place to keep watch over us. Well not like it matters…’
Thanks to the Medallion treasure he was content. No spies would be getting their hands on their cultivation manuals, he had ways of catching those types of people. The screening process that he was planning to implement would catch them in the act, only loyal disciples and elders would be allowed inside, growing in power through the years until they were strong enough to break away from the shackles.
He continued walking outside, his gaze on the still destroyed scenery. He had come to this world over two years ago, he was slowly integrating himself with the people. He sometimes asked himself about why he was even going so far. There were many occasions for him to just leave, he would have been safer as a solo act but he decided to stay.
He never felt like he had a purpose in his life before this. He lived his life alone, he didn’t depend on others and no one else depended on him as he led his boring life of going to work and playing games. Somehow he ended up in here, many times stronger than an average man and many times over his head.
He somehow managed to survive until this point but he attributed it to luck and his system. Going forward he wanted to further his relations with these people. They were quirky and strange but somehow they grew on him. He was slowly growing into the role of a leader, caring more for his people than his own well being.
He floated up into the sky, going past the defensive formation that opened a little hole for him. He didn’t go unnoticed from his sect members that offered him bows.
If he was an original resident from this world he would have been quite maddened. The three other sects just dumped their demands on him without giving any space for negotiation. This would be considered a big blow to the face for the entire sect and could even evolve into a full-blown reason to go to war with.
Zhang Dong on the other hand didn’t care as much for this so-called face. Regretfully, he was still a flawed human and sometimes he would feel like being petty. He closed his eyes and released his spiritual sense into the area making it travel far and wide to find someone.
It didn’t take long for him to spot his target, his enhanced system map made it appear as a dot. He opened up his eyes and without much warning bolted into that direction. His colossal nascent soul immortal grade aura blasting into all directions as he kicked up a storm.
“What is the Patriarch doing?”
This was the thing the people down below were asking themselves. They just saw their leader take off in a certain direction, one of the more informed elders from the sect took a moment to realize where Zhang Dong’s destination was.
“Oh no… why is the leader going towards that person… I must report this to the other two grand elders!”
He took off running while sweating profusely.
Zhang Dong on the other side was close to arriving at his destination which was a person. The moment he arrived he could see an old man wearing a Dragon Gate Sect robe. The man was very old and was looking at Zhang Dong with a frown on his face and with a raised eyebrow.
“What is the meaning of this?”
“Oh? What do you mean honorable elder from the Dragon Gate Sect? Can’t I greet such an esteemed senior from such a profound sect in my own lands?”
The man was even more confused than before. He was a nascent realm practitioner left here by his sect leader to keep an eye out. He was now trembling slightly as Zhang Dong’s massive overbearing aura was causing him distress, from the look of things this man had come to cause trouble.
“Why don’t we invite your other two friends?”
It didn’t take long for the leftover elders from Limitless Sword Society and Demon Subduing Sect to arrive. Both of them were on guard and unsure of what this man was up to. They were all early stage, nascent soul cultivators, ones of the weakest from their sides as the more prominent ones had left to help in the war efforts.
“What do you want! Are you trying to go against us?”
They didn’t take out their weapons but they were on guard. Zhang Dong just smiled while hovering in mid-air, his aura becoming even more overbearing after the three had gathered together. He was someone who jumped realms, even at the early stage his Qi was above a middle stage practitioner. If he added his empowering technique on top of that he could contend with late-stage cultivators.
The three started feeling dizzy, he was clearly too much for them to handle. They saw this man fight during the war and he was at the level of their own sect leaders, without them around they didn’t feel confident.
“Why the long faces? I’ve just wanted to greet you, three esteemed friends. Just trying to be a proper host, you are in the United Element Sect’s lands, even your leaders agreed to this.”
He nodded while the three men shrunk back. He was clearly threatening them with his aura while saying those friendly words and the three were smart enough to get the memo. Don’t get overboard in my land was the message he was trying to give.
“Don’t think you look interested in tea… how about I escort you to the borders, they aren’t that far, think they start off at Jade Grass City.”
The three were getting crushed under the overbearing pressure and knew well that this man wasn’t willing to negotiate. They just nodded and turned around, he at least made some sense as the war was over and it was considered rude to have other sects come to your lands uninvited.
“We shall leave, but don’t be unreasonable, your sect might not last long otherwise!”
The three snorted while leaving, Zhang Dong just remained in mid-air while smiling he even waved them goodbye. His waving hand changed into a fist with a middle finger raised, no one really knew what this hand gesture meant though.
With a resounding sigh, he then turned around, there was more work to be done.