The Quest for Immortality

A few supervisors are chatting in the pavilion.

In front of them, there are numerous scrolls and heaps of Jade Slips.

These almost encompass the dossiers of all the Tao cultivation influences within the Nine State that have reached a certain magnitude, have a certain scale, been formally recognized by the Taoist Court, and undergone assessment.

All matters regarding the assessment of these influences, demotion, promotion, naming, renaming, and delisting are decided by discussion among the cultivators of the Heavenly Right Pavilion.

Therefore, the cultivators of the Heavenly Right Pavilion hold great power, but their affairs are equally busy.

At this time, several supervisors of the Heavenly Right Pavilion are discussing the matter of the “Three Sects Unification” of Taixu Gate.

And in the middle of the pavilion, sits an “elder.”

This elder has a wooden face, a rigid expression, and skin like rotten wood, resembling a living puppet mechanically stamping various scrolls.

The seated supervisors chat among themselves, ignoring the “elder.”

…

”Qian Learning State Boundary, Tai’a, Chongxu, Taixu Three Gates merge, using ‘Taixu Gate’ as the name, combined into one sect…”

”This matter has dragged on for quite some time, the Pavilion Elder has spoken, it needs to be finished today.”

”But it’s just some follow-up work, the higher-ups have already nodded, we don’t need to take charge.”

”We are just supervisors, even if we want to make decisions, we aren’t qualified…”

”At least, we need to become Supervisor.”

”What are you thinking? Supervisor is not something you can do at will. Honestly, typical cultivators reaching the level of supervisor is the end of the road, don’t even think about Supervisor, even if you manage to reach there, without the ability, you won’t sit firmly.”

”Our Heavenly Right Pavilion’s Supervisor is relatively decent, unlike the Heaven Shu Pavilion, they handle formations and even involve heavenly secrets, without some capability, even if given the Supervisor position, you wouldn’t dare sit, or else you’d have bad luck.”

”Heavenly Right Pavilion isn’t simple either…”

”Alright, let’s not talk about this, focus on work.”

The pavilion falls silent for a while.

But as the work is tedious, after some time, someone speaks up:

”Taixu Gate… How come, in these times, there are sects willing to reunite after separation? For what purpose?”

”Couldn’t survive otherwise…”

”I heard there have been reforms in the Qian Learning State Boundary lately, frequent changes, fierce sect competition, probably about to drop out of the Eight Great Gates, thus forced to merge for survival.”

”No wonder…”

”What’s the point of reforms when everything was fine, causing so much unnecessary trouble.”

”People die for money, birds perish for food, sects are the same, outsiders like us can’t figure out the games inside.”

”That’s true as well…”

”However, since it’s the Three Sects Unification, why specifically use ‘Taixu Gate’ as the name?”

”It’s simple, Taixu Gate currently holds the greatest influence, is ranked higher, and haven’t you heard, Taixu Gate produced an Array Demon…”

”Demon?”

”You’ve never heard?”

One supervisor shakes his head, “Been working overtime, busy with the battles in the Southern Wilderness, haven’t heard.”

And someone asked, “What demon?”

”Ignorant, right,” the previous supervisor said, “Qian Learning State Boundary, Array Discussion Conference, a Taixu Sect disciple suddenly appeared, mid Foundation Establishment, yet drew the peak of the Nineteen-Pattern array, won the Array Leader.”

”This event even reached my Taoist State…”

”Mid Foundation Establishment, Nineteen-Pattern Array? Fake, right?”

”Impossible…”

”Divine Sense can’t be cultivated, even if born with it, it can’t exceed this much; there must be a trick. I don’t believe it…”

”Even in my Taoist State, the central hub of the Nine State, with remarkable talent, I haven’t seen such a genius…”

”Exaggerating too much.”

”Is the Qian Learning State Boundary so inexperienced? Don’t they know what surpassing Three Rank in Divine Sense means? Believing such absurdity?”

”Is the Qian Learning Sect trying to create momentum for a genius, boasting too much?”

”Indeed, I also don’t believe.”

Several supervisors shake their heads.

Someone says, “But the chief examiner of the Array Discussion Conference is from the Heaven Shu Pavilion of Taoist State, questioning Qianxue Sect is something, but surely you can’t doubt Heaven Shu Pavilion?”

”That’s true…”

”Misjudged?”

”What are you thinking? Fourth-grade Array Master, can they misjudge? They are more proficient in formations than the number of dossiers we’ve reviewed…”

”So could it be… there really is such a genius?”

”Hard to say…”

”Speaking of which,” a supervisor asked, “this Array Demon… what’s the name?”

A steward pondered and said: “Seems like, with the surname Mo, called… Mo Hua?”

As soon as the words fell, the steward shivered violently, turning pale.

Everyone still wanted to ask him other things, but seeing his appearance, they were a bit stunned, “What’s wrong?”

”Why is your face so pale?”

The steward, still shaken, pointed upwards, “I feel, just now that puppet, seem… like it looked at me?”

Everyone followed his gaze and saw the “elder” in the center, with a wooden expression, still using awkward movements, stamping one document after another.

”What are you saying? This is a puppet, not a person…”

Another steward said: “Be careful with your words, what puppet? Following our Heavenly Right Pavilion’s rules, we respectfully call him ‘Lord Gui’…”

”There are no outsiders here, why bother being so particular?”

”Alright, even if we call him Lord Gui, isn’t he still just a puppet?”

”No, I really felt just now that this Lord… Lord Gui, seemed to glance at me…”

”Don’t talk nonsense, out of thin air, why would Lord Gui look at you?”

”I, well…”

”Alright, alright,” an elderly steward spoke, “let’s stop the idle chatter, quickly get to the real business, handle the matter of the Qian Learning State Boundary, Three Sects Unification.”

”Over there in Southern Wilderness, the war is getting intense, Sect movements happen frequently. In a few days, there might be even more issues, where is there any leisure?”

”Yes…”

”Chief Xia is right.”

”Finish these trivial matters as early as possible…”

Thus, everyone quieted down, starting to expedite the processing of documents, and only finished by dusk.

The elderly Chief Xia respectfully handed over the Three Tai Xu Sects Unification documents to the central puppet elder.

The elder treated all equally and stamped them with a seal.

However, no one noticed, his mouth slightly moved, emitting a faint “creaking” sound, like… the sound of cracking pine nuts.

…

After the Heavenly Right Pavilion sealed the discussion.

The Three Sects Unification was finally implemented.

Taixu Gate was now teeming with people.

Disciples of Tai’a Sect and Rushing Void Sect, now should be called Tai’a Mountain and Mount Chongxu, gathered at the Great Dojo on Taixu Mountain to attend the first sect opening assembly after the Three Sects Unification.

Because after the unification of the Three Sects, Taixu Gate is the leader, so such assemblies are all held at Taixu Mountain.

This assembly was very grand.

Disciples in golden Taoist Robes from Tai’a Mountain, disciples in azure blue Taoist Robes from Mount Chongxu, as well as disciples in black and white Taoist Robes from Taixu Mountain, gathered together tightly, a spectacle of a Great Sect atmosphere.

Afterwards, the leaders of the Three Sects each routinely spoke, urging disciples to unite and diligently cultivate.

As the sect-opening ceremony ended, encompassing the Three Mountains, embracing tens of thousands of disciples, the newly established and grand Taixu Gate also officially formed.

The next day was the Formation large lesson.

Elder Master Xun gathered all disciples from the middle phase of Foundation Establishment from the Three Mountains at the Taoist Field on Taixu Mountain.

”From now on, your Formation studies will be taught by me.”

Elder Master Xun said with an ancient voice, “However, I am very busy with affairs, therefore on usual days, Formation studies of Tai’a, Chongxu, and Taixu Three Mountains disciples will be taught by Mo Hua.”

”Mo Hua, you come.” Elder Master Xun gestured.

Mo Hua nodded and walked to the center of the Taoist Field.

Elder Master Xun spoke to the disciples below:

”This is Mo Hua, henceforth, he is your Formation ‘Junior Brother’, teaching Formations on my behalf.”

”Come, pay your respects to your Junior Brother…”

All disciples from Tai’a Mountain and Mount Chongxu paused.

Most of them were unfamiliar with Mo Hua, but they were not unaware of Mo Hua’s fame.

Many disciples had even witnessed Mo Hua’s stunning, overwhelming performance at the Array Discussion Conference, suppressing all sides and winning first in Formations.

Although Mo Hua looks young, not seeming like a “Brother,” no one dared to question.

Especially as it was Elder Master Xun’s command.

Thus, in the vast Taoist Field, from the three Sects, thousands of disciples, simultaneously, in unison, bowed and said:

”Greetings, Junior Brother!”

”Greetings, Junior Brother…”

The chorus of “Junior Brother” converged like countless streams forming a river, grand and overwhelming, echoing through Lin Yue, reaching the clouds, and resounding through the ancient Taixu Mountain, endlessly.

Mo Hua thus became the shared “Junior Brother” of Three Mountains One Line after the Three Sects Unification.