Chapter 686 - 514: Foundation Establishment Perfection

In July of the 393rd year of Jia Shen, the Yunshan Sect held a funeral for Elder Yang Jiye, mourning his passing.

On a Foundation Establishment journey, Yang Jiye sacrificed himself, and Tan Yunxing disappeared. Linzhou also became a place of heartbreak for the Yunshan Sect.

Yang Jiye was originally a Yunshan Elder, highly respected, and had served as the Transmission Elder for decades. Before becoming true inheritors, all disciples received his guidance in cultivation and his teachings of true scripture secret techniques. From this perspective, he was the teacher of all Yunshan disciples.

He was bold and fiery, somewhat rash in his actions, yet he was very congenial and approachable with his disciples. The news of such a master's demise brought shock among the Yunshan disciples, leaving them in disbelief and deep sorrow.

On the day of the mourning, hundreds of Yunshan disciples gathered spontaneously, their expressions mournful, wearing white flowers, standing silently on both sides of the road escorting the spirit tablet.

Lu Qian personally presided over the ceremony, placing his spirit tablet within the Heroic Monument Forest on Dragon Claw Peak. His name was forever engraved on the commemorative monument.

After the ceremony, Lu Qian stood before the monument, reluctant to leave for a long time.

The cold caw of crows lingered, tree shadows swayed, and he stared blankly at the name on the monument until the Moon Hooks hung high, shrouding the monument forest in a veil of mist.

"Junior Brother... don't be too sad." Jiang Qingfeng's eyes were slightly red as he tried to comfort him, "Senior Brother Yang would wish for you to be resilient if he were watching from above. Didn't you often say that the greatest solace for these heroic spirits would be seeing the Yunshan Sect constantly breaking through and advancing? This all depends on us, the living, striving hard."

Lu Qian did not turn around. A long time later, he sighed softly.

"The Yunshan Sect gained a hero, but I lost a senior brother."

"I wonder how many people will still be with me in another hundred years?"

In September of the 393rd year of Jia Shen, Zhang Lemei ventured north alone, fortunately intercepted by the patrol team after being discovered by the intelligence group.

This time, under Lu Qian's intimidation, she didn't cause a fuss, only attempted to sneak away silently, intending to search for Tan Yunxing in Qingzhou.

Faced with this situation, the assembled elders were troubled again. Cultivators can fly and escape, and if they deliberately evade, in this vast world, how can she be found? Zhang Lemei would inevitably remain in Qingzhou for a long time, and with her late-stage Qi cultivation, it would be extremely dangerous.

If her identity was accidentally exposed and captured by the Qingling Sect, that would be even worse. Now the Yunshan Sect remained in the shadows while the Qingling Sect stood openly; should Zhang Lemei be captured, the situation would immediately reverse.

Despite Jiang Qingfeng's repeated persuasion, Zhang Lemei remained uncompromising. She had only one request: if the Yunshan Sect wouldn't find Tan Yunxing, she would.

With no other choice, Lu Qian had to confine Zhang Lemei again, arranging for teams to guard her day and night.

In the same year, October, the Yunshan Sect again adjusted the division of labor among elders. Due to Yang Jiye's sacrifice, the position of Transmission Elder was temporarily taken by Lu Qian, who also decided to take this opportunity to broadly understand the disciples' progress in cultivation, simultaneously serving as a chance for learning and improvement.

The incident with Tan Yunxing left him quite disheartened; becoming a good master seemed a long way off.

Wu Yan progressed smoothly, largely due to her exceptional talent, diligent study, gratitude, and ambition. He acted only as a guide imparting advice.

How to pass on skills and techniques, nurture talent, still required careful contemplation.

He hoped that no second Tan Yunxing would emerge under his tutelage.

Simultaneously, the vacant position of Security Steward after Tan Yunxing's escape was taken by Lu Qian's fellow disciple, Hao Qiuguang.

This Junior Brother Hao, an Elder of Yunshan, naturally faithful. However, his personality was somewhat vain, liked to show off, also impatient. Lacking a bit in comprehensive ability, Lu Qian never arranged him in a management role before.

But now stability was of utmost importance. Patrolling the territory, capturing spies, stabilizing mortal lands, attending to mortal appeals in the security department didn't require outstanding ability, especially with the intelligence group as support; presumably Junior Brother Hao could manage.

Unexpectedly, Hao Qiuguang only took the position for three months, by the end of December of the 393rd year of Jia Shen, he sensed the arrival of a Foundation Establishment opportunity, and in the following January smoothly achieved Foundation Establishment.

Career promotion, cultivation progress, could be described as a double blessing. Seeing his confident and spirited demeanor, Lu Qian felt happy for him too.

In May of the 394th year of Jia Shen, the Spirit Talisman Sect added a Foundation Establishment Feather Scholar, a familiar face.

Zhang Guangzhong, who at the Shuangye Square's first tournament had narrowly lost to Jiang Qingfeng, had unique insights into talismanic techniques as well.

The Spirit Talisman Sect had endured several upheavals, changing its mountain gates multiple times, suffering great losses in elite members. Zhang Guangzhong's survival and now smooth Foundation Establishment evidenced his profound blessings.

The Spirit Talisman Sect, following the Zhou Family, became the second sect with dual Foundation Establishments within the Yunshan Sect's sphere of influence.

This year was also a time of flourishing strength for the sects under the Yunshan Sect. Among the fourteen affiliated vassal sects, two had produced Foundation Establishment Feather Scholars.

One was named Two Qi Sect, the other Illusion Dream Temple.

Amidst the joy, a new problem emerged.

The Spirit Vein from the First-Level High-Tier Qi cultivation stage was becoming insufficient for the new Foundation Establishment sect.

Moreover, as peace endured, everyone had the opportunity to immerse themselves in cultivation, progressing rapidly, with more subordinate sects qualifying to advance.

However, according to the law among the subordinate sects of the Yunshan Sect, they could not attack each other or seize each other's Spirit Vein, leaving how to resolve the Spirit Vein issue as a new problem facing the Yunshan Sect.