Cultivation Nerd-Chapter 265: Vacant Thrones

I followed Zun Gon as he walked out of the graveyard. Neither of us rushed.

Looking around, most of the graves likely had someone, maybe even multiple people, who cared about them.

Cultivators, heavenly calamities… so many dead. Perhaps…

I shook my head, brushing aside such foolish thoughts. I was too weak to even entertain them.

Instead of getting distracted and letting arrogance swell just because I’d barely taken the second step in cultivation, I forced myself to focus on the present and on what I could do now, not later.

Zun Gon’s politeness made me curious. I’d been trying to get a read on him, but he was so stone-faced it was hard to tell what he was thinking. So, I stuck to standard protocol and stayed one step behind him.

Part of it was to get a better view of the old bald man who looked like a bodybuilder monk. But it was also to observe how he moved, walked, carried himself, and reacted. You could tell a lot about someone from those things.

Yet, even when I slowed my pace at certain points, he slowed with me. We ended up walking shoulder-to-shoulder. He treated me more like an equal than a subordinate or junior.

Damn. I appreciated the respect. But I’d been counting on cultivator arrogance and someone trying to save face. That’s usually how I got my biggest openings.

Zun Gon waved his hand as soon as we left the graveyard grounds, and a boat emerged from his storage ring. It was small, the kind of boat you’d use for casual fishing in a quiet lake.

He took the front seat, I sat in the back, and we faced each other. A pulse of dense Qi flowed from Zun Gon into the boat, and it levitated off the ground.

Then a blanket of Qi wrapped around us, and we shot off like a rocket toward the far side of the mountain.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the graveyards still scattered along the shadowy slopes of the Blazing Sun Sect.

Strangely, it felt like all the sadness had drained out of me, leaving only emptiness. Like I’d run out of grief.

After a long stretch of silence spent turning over the deaths of two people who had once meant a lot to me, Zun Gon cleared his throat and drew my attention.

He leaned a hand on the edge of the boat and looked me in the eye, his expression unreadable.

“You know, these flying boats were made by the Sect Leader. Well, the former Sect Leader now. He was a good Artifact Maker,” said Zun Gon.

I wasn’t surprised that guy could make something like this. But it was still interesting to learn he was an artifact maker.

“He seems impressive,” I said. “What grade was he?”

Artifact Makers were ranked from Grade One to Nine, the same system used for Array Conjurers. One was the lowest.

Why didn't they just call them levels too… I had no idea.

“Nobody really knows,” Zun Gon said, his voice deepening as we passed over the top of the melted mountain and he stared down at the ground. “Nobody could really force him to reveal anything unless he wanted to. The guy was very good at his duties… but gave off the vibe that he never belonged.”

“Never belonged?” I raised a questioning brow.

Normally, I would’ve kept my mouth shut, but being an elder now came with certain privileges. People wouldn’t take offense at every little thing anymore. And besides, I knew Zun Gon wasn’t the petty type.

“Even though he lived for five centuries, I was still a young man when people from his generation were around. He had kids, a harem, everything someone with his power was expected to have. Yet… he never looked like he was comfortable in his own skin,” Zun Gon said, staring up at the sky. “You know, he had a farm behind his manor that he used to tend. People said he’d spend time there with his children, just enjoying life like some farmer. Some even laughed at him for it. Behind his back, of course.”

Huh. If that was true, then maybe the Sect Leader and I had something in common. We were, in a way, outsiders to this kind of lifestyle.

Of course, it could all have been a ruse and an image the Sect Leader wanted others to see. He was scarily intelligent when he wanted to be.

“Were the giant flying ships invented by him too?” I asked, thinking of the massive crafts that used to bring new students here.

Now that I was a Foundation Establishment cultivator, I understood just how impressive their speed really was.

“Yes. He even invented a lot of farming tools that functioned on Qi. Said that growing up and watching his parents break their backs in the fields was an ugly thing… so he made them. Though no one ever used those tools for actual farming,” Zun Gon said. He spoke so nonchalantly, like he didn’t care about the Sect Leader’s past beyond his duty.

I was starting to understand why the Blazing Sun Sect Leader didn’t seem to care about this place.

But even as I tried to keep my mind occupied with interesting things, my thoughts drifted back to the librarian and the old man. A part of me felt detached, like my sadness had been wrung dry. Another part felt like weeping all over again.

And then I thought of the old man and how he would’ve probably knocked me on the head with his broom.

Ah, the broom!

With a thought, it appeared in my hand.

It was the last thing he ever gave me. Old, worn, and nearly broken. Clearly, he hadn’t put much thought into the farewell gift. Probably just handed me whatever was nearby.

But as I stared at the useless piece of junk…

I smiled.

So, this was the only thing I had to remember the old man by.

Now that the sadness had run its course, my thoughts were clearer. I could confidently say that the old man didn't care whether people remembered him or not.

The librarian had been somewhat similar. He lived in the present and focused only on what was in front of him. He didn't seem like the type to care about legacy either.

Maybe this was my way of rationalizing their deaths. But there was a strange relief in it.

"Have the other Great Sects been causing any trouble?" I asked.

There were plans in motion, and if the big powers were getting involved, I might have to adjust a few things.

"Not for now. They probably aren't willing to take any chances, just in case this is a trap set by us and another Great Sect," Zun Gon replied, shaking his head. He seemed uncertain himself. "We've tried to keep the Sect Leader's disappearance quiet."

The way he said it, disappearance instead of death, told me he didn't believe someone like the Sect Leader could die so easily. I was thinking the same thing.

"However, it won't be long before the other Sects start sending probing teams. Maybe they already have," Zun Gon added with a sigh. "We don't want a war on our hands… but I doubt we'll have much choice. Especially with that woman from the Azure Frost Sect. She's a dangerous variable."

From his tone, it sounded like there was history between them. I stayed silent and listened.

"Among all the Sect Leaders, she's the youngest," Zun Gon said, gazing at the sky. "She was actually from my generation."

I stayed quiet. Information like this was always useful. It would come in handy someday, even if it didn't seem relevant now.

"She was like a hurricane," he said, his voice touched with nostalgia. "Our generation was called the golden generation. Two dozen of us across the Great Sects had the potential to reach Nascent Soul Realm… I was one of them."

"What happened?" I asked.

These were the stories never found in history books. History never cared for those who didn't live up to their potential.

"We were the golden generation that never was," he said. "That cold woman was the reason it all fell apart. She made sure the golden generation never became a thing. She's ruthless, cold, and smart. Stay far away from her."

She sounded like the cool-headed version of Song Song; if Song Song had been born with ice in her veins instead of fire.

Zun Gon continued, explaining more about the current situation. About the Sect, nearby towns, and the state of the world in general. I listened closely and committed it all to memory.

In the end, we arrived at our meeting place: a large wooden manor tucked against the scorched slope of the mountain. I couldn’t help but find it ironic. The structure stood solid and intact, despite the entire mountain being engulfed in flames not long ago. Wood, of all things, had survived here. Or maybe it had been rebuilt with haste and desperation. Either way, it stood as if daring the mountain to try again.

We stepped through the front doors, and the first thing that caught my eye was the walls, lined with artifacts. Not decorative tapestries or portraits, but weapons. Rows of swords of all kinds, elegant and brutal. Shields bearing faded emblems. Armor sets that had clearly seen war. Each piece hummed faintly with sealed Qi, as though they hadn’t been hung for display, but for readiness.

Despite the weight of the high grade artifacts hanging on every wall, we didn’t linger.

At the far end of the hall was a large staircase, broad and sloping down into darkness. Without a word, we descended. The air grew cooler with every step, the light dimmer. The wooden creak beneath our feet was the only sound that accompanied us, echoing faintly off the walls.

The deeper we went, the quieter it became, like the mountain itself was holding its breath.

At the bottom, we passed through a noise-canceling array and entered a chamber with a massive round table and sixty-seven chairs.

Sixty-five of them were already occupied by cultivators of varying ages, but all shared a similar strength. Twelve of them had Core Formation cultivation, which I could barely sense. As for the rest… I only recognized ten as inner elders.

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It made sense. Inner elders usually stayed at the Sect grounds, which was precisely why so many of them had been wiped out.

Seeing the people gathered here, it hit me just how serious this was. The strength present at this table was only rivaled by the other Great Sects. But still, if two or three strong forces like Molten Sky Island decided to band together, they could challenge what was left of the Blazing Sun Sect.

Typically, Great Sects had such overwhelming power that even if every other faction in their territory united, they'd still crush them, even without a Nascent Soul cultivator at the helm.

But now… the Blazing Sun Sect was at its weakest.

I looked around the table. Most of the Core Formation cultivators were familiar faces, except one, someone wearing a blank porcelain mask. I didn't recognize him.

Zun Gon took one of the two remaining seats, then motioned with his head for me to sit to his right. I did, still wondering why he was being so polite.

Was it just the potential I'd shown?

Reaching Foundation Establishment at my age earned respect. But Zun Gon's courtesy still felt... excessive.

Looking around the room, I saw that nearly every elder the Blazing Sun Sect had left was present.

Though there were a few notable absences, like Cao Ruogang.

He probably didn't give a shit whether this place lived or burned.

“First of all, I’d like to start this meeting by saying that despite these trying times, we have some new blood willing to step up,” Zun Gon said, looking my way. “This is Liu Feng, the newest Foundation Establishment Cultivator and the newest inner elder of the Blazing Sun Sect.”

The elders around the table nodded, murmuring brief congratulations as Zun Gon continued. If this were any other time, I might have tried to analyse everything that was being said, and what each of the elders really thought about my situation. But I was not in the mood after recent events.

“There would usually be a training period, or something along those lines, where Liu Feng would’ve been groomed for decades to take over someone’s position,” Zun Gon sighed, shaking his head in mock disappointment. “But sadly, many of them have died, and the younger generation will have to fill the shoes they left behind.”

He was dressing it up with formalities, but I saw it for what it was.

Normally, you’d spend decades clawing your way up for a sliver of authority. But now? Most of the gatekeepers were gone. The power vacuum was real, and there were plenty of empty chairs to fill.

It looked like they were planning to offer me one.

If it turned out to be a position with no real influence, I’d refuse and negotiate for something better. And if that failed, I’d leave the Blazing Sun Sect behind and find another way to deal with Song Song’s father.

Zun Gon nodded at me with a smile that reminded me of a proud grandfather. But he probably knew, just like I did, that many cultivators in this room were already looking for a way out.

I doubted all the survivors were here. Some high-level cultivators had probably already jumped ship, joining other powers or going into hiding.

And that was a real problem.

If they joined rival factions, then our enemies might gain intel showing just how weak the Blazing Sun Sect truly was.

Had Zun Gon considered that when he called this meeting? He gave off a musclehead vibe, but I doubted he reached his cultivation stage by being the xianxia version of a gym bro.

“What position would you like, Elder Feng?” Zun Gon asked, snapping me out of my thoughts.

He was letting me choose my position? That wasn’t how this usually worked. If it were, people like Xin Ma wouldn’t have been forced into roles they hated.

But I could see why it was happening now. The dead weight was gone. The nepotists who tried turning Sect posts into family heirlooms? Gone too. All that remained was power and who was bold enough to take it.

“If you need more time to think, I can give you a list later,” Zun Gon added. “You can scroll through all the open positions and pick one that suits you.”

If I accepted that, I’d come across as indecisive.

Most people would take a wild guess and hope not to offend anyone important. But I had an edge. I’d memorized most of the elders’ faces and the positions they held, even if I’d never cared much for politics. That meant I could avoid stepping on the wrong toes.

Still… there weren’t many positions that truly stood out to me.

The thought of becoming the elder who managed the outer library crossed my mind. But sentimentality wouldn’t get me anywhere, and even Xin Ma had felt trapped in that job.

I looked around the room, mentally cataloguing all the elders and their positions. Then I deduced the ones that were missing.

“How about the Martial Technique Elder?” I tested the waters.

It was a position usually reserved for a Core Formation cultivator. But I was prepared to negotiate, so I started high.

This was like asking for a ridiculous amount of money in a negotiation, just so there was room to come down.

“Sure,” Zun Gon said without hesitation. After him, the rest of the elders nodded in agreement. No one objected.

What was this?

I doubted they were ignorant of what that position entailed. The Martial Technique Elder even had access, at least indirectly, to the secret Sky Grade techniques of the Blazing Sun Sect.

I watched them carefully. No one looked annoyed. Not even mildly displeased.

Oh, they wanted something from me.

That explained the smooth approval. Sure, the role technically meant safeguarding and cataloguing the techniques, not actually using them. But if anyone knew even a little about me, they’d know I wasn’t exactly the rule-following type.

Rules weren’t always made to be broken… but every rule had a price at which it would be.

This whole thing was a setup and a debacle carefully arranged before I even walked through the door. They’d already talked it through. Reached a consensus. Maybe they hoped to leash me early… or perhaps they were desperate enough not to care.

“Good. That is a good position. Perfect for your talents,” said an old man with an oval-shaped face and thick eyebrows. He looked like an egg with eyebrows. “Now, tell me some of your information so I can note it down.”

He was the Elder of Names. He catalogued everyone in the Sect and their positions, and handled personnel logistics.

We’d likely work together often. He’d record the names and functions of techniques. I’d be the one to protect the actual scrolls.

“My name is Liu Feng, from the Liu Clan. I’m a one-star Foundation Establishment Cultivator, and nineteen years old,” I said.

The elder’s hand froze mid-scribble.

“Foundation Establishment at nineteen?” he asked, eyebrows rising halfway up his oversized forehead.

The others looked surprised too, but quickly recovered.

“What’s your element?” one of them asked.

“My element is jade,” I replied. With a thought, I conjured a jade barrier around myself, shaped it, then let it dissolve.

“My first technique is Jade Barrier. Its hardness scales with my cultivation. I can also use it to fly, levitate… it’s quite versatile.”

The elders nodded, murmuring to one another. Many seemed to approve.

How would they react if they knew my real element?

The reason I lied was simple. Because I knew I might lose all value in their eyes if I told the truth. I would go from being a bright, rising star to just another fool who picked an exotic element and would never break through to Core Formation.

The average cultivator wouldn’t respect the path I was taking. Why make things harder for myself? So, I lied.

Also, I was not comfortable with anyone who might have different thoughts about me to know my element. We were from the same Sect, but I had heard more than once the tales of talented cultivators falling before living up to their potential.

As a Foundation Establishment cultivator, my value was still solid, but not enough to stand out against the countless old men at the same stage.

Speaking of talent and danger…

I glanced at Zun Gon from the corner of my eye.

Where was Hu Jin? I had expected the guy to show up by now, at least as a peak Foundation Establishment cultivator or maybe even Core Formation.

Okay, that might be pushing it. But he was loved by the heavens. Anything was possible.

Yet there was no sign of him.

Had the Four Way Immortal taken care of Hu Jin just like that? It sounded too easy… but maybe I was underestimating immortals. My understanding of them was limited. Practically nonexistent.

“It seems Master Liu Feng is the most talented person in the younger generation,” said one of the elders.

Zun Gon nodded in agreement, and the others followed suit.

Oh… now I saw it.

They wanted to make me a poster boy.

My first instinct was to refuse. That kind of attention brought heat and too many eyes watching your every move. But eventually, the news would get out anyway. Better to squeeze some benefits out of it while I could.

I might not be undefeated at my stage. However, I was still a Foundation Establishment cultivator and a Level Four Array Conjurer. There weren’t many below Core Formation who could threaten me in head-on combat.

So with that in mind, I realized I couldn’t afford to stay in the background anymore.

“I’ll agree to become the new bright face of the Sect, to help draw in new talent,” I said.

The elders smiled politely. Most of them, anyway. A few couldn’t hide the scheming glint in their eyes.

But before they could run too far with the idea, I added the next clause to the contract:

“But I’ll only do so as long as I have full access to all the information, techniques, and resources the Blazing Sun Sect has.”

If I was going to be their poster boy, I wanted to be treated like one.

They exchanged glances. A demand like that wasn’t something they could approve lightly. It required real discussion.

But in the end, not even a handful spoke out against me.

“We agree to your demands, Future Sect Leader,” one of the elders said, bowing his head.

Future Sect Leader, huh?

They wouldn’t be saying that if they knew how I really reached this stage.

With the progress I had been making, I was sure I would've reached the peak of nine-star Qi Gathering around age twenty, or soon after turning twenty-one.

But the time needed to gather enough Qi to form my first pillar would've probably taken me until I was nearly twenty-five. Still decent for someone with my talent… but nowhere near as impressive as the illusion I was projecting now.

Of course, not everyone clearly agreed with the elder who called me "Future Sect Leader." There were quite a few frowns around the room.

There was support too, quiet for now, but unmistakable. A power bloc was forming, one that likely planned to back me in a future struggle for leadership.

Before things could escalate further, Zun Gon clapped his hands, drawing the room's attention.

"With this issue settled, let's move on to another subject that requires immediate attention," Zun Gon said. "The Blazing Sun Sect Leader, Shan Yi, has been presumed dead, and this has resulted in the Sect being demoted from its position as one of the Four Great Sects… in all but name."

Presumed dead. I doubted a man like that would go down so easily.

"It's only a matter of time before the other Sects realize this and take advantage of our weakness," Zun Gon continued.

His words had the desired effect, and an undercurrent of panic rippled through the room, even among Core Formation cultivators.

But I didn't flinch. I kept my gaze locked on Zun Gon.

He scanned the room slowly, clearly analyzing everyone's reactions. When his eyes landed on me, they lingered just a bit longer than on anyone else.

Was he trying to figure out whether I'd bolt the moment things went south?

Oh, I absolutely would.

But he didn't need to know that.

This reminded me of a seminar I once sat through in a company I worked for, back in my previous life. It was about "building company loyalty" or something equally laughable. People often fooled themselves into thinking they loved the company, just because they liked a couple of coworkers.

I liked Xin Ma. I liked Shan Sha. But that didn't mean I liked the Blazing Sun Sect. I was just an employee here. They got value from me, and I got value from them.

In my previous life, I'd made the mistake of working hard and hoping for recognition. Instead, I got used and the only raise I got was ten bucks added to my weekly paycheck.

I wasn't going to make the same mistake again.

"It's only a matter of time before the other Sects discover the truth," Zun Gon said, finally breaking eye contact with me.

That statement caused another wave of panic, but this time, the room fell silent. The tension in the air was thick enough to cut with a blade.

Zun Gon stood tall, looking around the table, making sure every eye was on him.

Then, finally, he said.

"That is why, due to the emergency situation… it has been decided that we must contact the Blazing Sun Immortal."

Immediately, the room exploded into chaos.