The name "Mystic Path" was taken from *Mystic Path Decoded*. Of course, it also expressed his feelings about the future and his own path of cultivation.

Yang An had never been talented at naming things, so he simply used what was on hand.

Perhaps one day he could earn the title of Mystic Path True Master or Mystic Path Immortal. That would be excellent.

The three people below still hadn't processed Yang An's words. They remained stunned and at a loss.

Elder Life Crane had died suddenly. For Wen Yin and Zhou Quan, this was more of a good thing than not.

But they had been his disciples, after all, so they couldn't help but feel a little wistful.

There was a time when Elder Life Crane had been an invincible figure in their minds, but now he was dead, his path extinguished.

Though Yang An hadn't said it, they both understood.

Elder Life Crane's death was inextricably linked to Yang An.

Otherwise, Yang An wouldn't be the one announcing it.

This was what shocked them even more.

Of everyone present, Wen Yin had joined the sect the earliest. Only she truly understood just how terrifying Elder Life Crane had been.

From the moment she joined, no matter who faced Elder Life Crane, there was only one outcome.

Challengers were many, but they all ended up as piles of dry bones—if their bones were even left behind.

Like Wild Forbidden and You Hong'Er before them, and Fu Ming as well.

But now, someone had finally done it—something no one before had ever accomplished.

They already knew Yang An was strong. He had solved every problem on their journey here from Han State.

But they never expected him to be so strong that even Elder Life Crane would die by his hand.

"Senior… Sect Leader!"

Wen Yin almost blurted out "Senior Brother" but quickly corrected herself.

Seeing her flustered state, Yang An smiled lightly, thinking to himself, 'Wen Yin is getting cuter and cuter.'

"You can just keep calling me Senior Brother."

"From today onward, Wen Yin is an Elder of the Mystic Path Sect, responsible for all its internal affairs."

'Hm... basically the Sect Leader's secretary,' Yang An added silently in his heart.

With Wen Yin to help him, he could focus on his cultivation without being bothered by trivial matters.

'As for Zhou Quan...'

Yang An considered. 'His Cultivation Level is too low right now. He's not much different from a new disciple and won't be of much help to the Mystic Path Sect.'

'He can just stay a disciple.'

For now, he didn't plan to change the Life Crane Sect's original rules. He needed to observe for a while first.

The old man must have had his reasons for doing things this way.

Having been in the sect this long, Yang An had pieced a few things together.

The reason for this Raising Gu-style rule must be related to their Cultivation Technique. Everyone inherited the same lineage, but only the strongest could obtain the technique's secrets.

He would have to explore this further before making a decision; it couldn't be settled right away.

"From now on, Zhou Quan will be the head disciple of the Mystic Path Sect. As for you…"

Yang An looked at Zhou Quan, then at the disciple next to him.

It was that socially awkward one who looked like a strong gust of wind could blow him over.

'Just as I thought. When only one of three can survive, the one who makes it is bound to be a cunning schemer.'

This kind of screening process made it clear at a glance who was the most suitable to survive.

"What's your name?"

"I… my name is… Chen Fu."

The sallow-faced Chen Fu stammered in reply, never daring to raise his eyes to look at Yang An.

"Good name. From now on, you will be the second disciple of my Mystic Path Sect. Remember to address me as Master,"

Yang An said, a doubt lingering in his mind.

'Chen Fu… a good name,' he mused. 'But I wonder what it truly implies. Cunning? Or surrender? It's probably the former.'

Below, Zhou Quan was silent. In the blink of an eye, he'd dropped an entire generation in seniority. Who could possibly stomach that?

'One moment I was calling him Senior Brother, and now I'm his disciple.'

A huge wave of disappointment washed over him.

But he was self-aware enough to understand why. Why could Wen Yin become an Elder while he could only remain a disciple?

The fundamental reason was his abysmal Cultivation Level. He was still only at the Middle Stage of Fake Food.

So, despite his frustration, he obediently accepted the command.

"Sect Leader!"

"Master!"

The three of them bowed to Yang An in unison, officially confirming his new status.

From now on, Yang An was the Sect Leader of the Mystic Path Sect!

Just then, however, Yang An suddenly realized a problem.

'The old man is gone, but what about the Cultivation Technique Scroll?'

'Without the Cultivation Technique Scroll, and with the Earth Spirit Stele still sealed and dormant, I can't open it for my disciples' visualization. How am I supposed to pass on the teachings?'

Fu Ming had once said there was only a single Cultivation Technique Scroll, with no copies.

For disciples to obtain the Cultivation Technique, their only options were to kill the senior brother ahead of them and take theirs, or to earn the right to visualize the Earth Spirit Stele.

But now the Cultivation Technique Scroll was gone, along with the old man.

'Should I try to create a new Cultivation Technique Scroll based on the parts of the technique I've already mastered?'

'It seems like the only option, but I have no idea if it'll work.'

Besides the problem of passing on the Cultivation Technique, he also needed to take a trip to Jinzhu City to get the Golden Thread Sect Seal.

Originally, this matter had nothing to do with him, but now that he was the Sect Leader of the Mystic Path Sect, it concerned him greatly.

To establish a firm foothold within the Golden Thread Pavilion's sphere of influence, he had to obtain the Golden Thread Sect Seal.

It was equivalent to setting up a stall; you needed recognition from the relevant authorities and the corresponding permits.

After dismissing Zhou Quan and Chen Fu, Yang An had Wen Yin stay behind.

He wanted to know one thing.

"After the Mountain Gate was rebuilt, was the Ascension Cave rebuilt as well? Did the old man bring everything from the old Life Crane Sect?"

Wen Yin had been in the sect the whole time, so she might know something.

But to Yang An's disappointment, Wen Yin shook her head.

"The Ascension Cave cannot be built by human hands, so it was not constructed. As for the rest, I do not know."

After the Mountain Gate was rebuilt, Elder Life Crane didn't stay in the sect for long. She didn't know if he had brought all the original resources with him.

Yang An nodded helplessly. 'That old man didn't trust anyone, so he must have hidden things. I'll have to go check myself.'

After instructing Wen Yin to look after the sect, Yang An quickly left the Heavenly Respect Pavilion and went to search for the Ascension Cave.

His Extreme Day Divine Aspect Technique had been obtained from the Ascension Cave.

This had been the old man's treasure trove. Without his permission, no disciple could enter.

He could do without other things, but if the Magical Artifacts and Techniques in the Ascension Cave were gone, then the Mystic Path Sect would be utterly destitute and have to start from scratch.

Following his memory, Yang An quickly found the original location of the Ascension Cave. It was a flat piece of ground with nothing on it.

But the previous Ascension Cave was also like this, just a cavern with no entrance or exit.

Yang An released his perception, sending it deep underground. After searching for a while, he indeed discovered a hollow-like cave tens of meters below the surface.

'It's really here!'

'That bastard Life Crane… he didn't make a sound, but he sure hid it deep!'

He had been lucky enough to enter the Ascension Cave once, but only because the old man had given Fu Ming the Decree for it, which could open the entrance.

'Now I don't have the Decree, and the Ascension Cave is deep underground. How am I supposed to get in?'

"You little punk, what are you doing?! Get your hands off me! Believe it or not, I'll bite you!"

He had subconsciously stroked the Bow Lady, wondering if he should just use one arrow to blast through the earth and rock between the surface and the Ascension Cave.

'Since there's so much earth and rock in the way, I might as well just blast it open.'

But he had only stroked it a few times before he was strongly condemned by the Bow Lady, as if he had unintentionally touched some forbidden place.

Sullenly withdrawing his hand, Yang An suddenly thought of something, his eyes lighting up.

He searched in his Meat Burial Talisman and quickly found an arm-length scroll, which he took out.

Micro Realm Painting Object: Created by Jiu Hu Immortal. A Storage Magical Artifact born from a Sealing Technique. It can seal a small area of space, linking it to the painting to store any item, which can then be retrieved by reaching into it.

Status: None!

This was a Magical Artifact he had obtained from Ding Chong Daoist's Wuwei Peak back when he was in Han State on a mission.

'Speaking of Ding Chong Daoist… I left Han State before I could get my revenge on him. I wonder if I'll ever get the chance to run into him again.'

This Magical Artifact could seal a location, connect it to the scroll, and allow one to enter through the scroll.

It was perfect for the current situation.

Yang An immediately channeled his Mana into the Micro Realm Painting Object, activating the Seal left inside it.

The scroll unfurled. Controlled by Yang An, several streams of black mist spewed from it and seeped into the ground below.

Soon, the black mist had penetrated tens of meters underground, reaching the location of the cavern and spreading out beneath the earth.

The ink-like black mist was connected to the scroll, and it rapidly sketched an image within the scroll.

In just over ten seconds, the sealing was successfully completed.

At this moment, the scroll, which had been blank, now had many black lines on it, as if depicting a pitch-black cave entrance.

Both deep and dark.

A joyful expression appeared on Yang An's face. 'Success!'

Soon, under his control, the countless black lines on the Magical Artifact seemed to come to life, growing larger and larger.

The lines had already appeared outside the scroll, rapidly forming a pitch-black void. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

This was the entrance to the Ascension Cave!

Yang An extended his perception inside, confirming that it was connected to the Ascension Cave and that the old man hadn't left any traps behind. Only then did he put away the scroll and step through the entrance.

What entered his eyes was a familiar scene. The cavern was dark and not very large, but it was crammed with stone statues.

Each statue was taller than a person, with a rich expression, looking lifelike.

And along the edges and in the corners of the cavern were many chests containing information about these statues, as well as many Magical Artifacts.

'The old man really did move all the old Life Crane Sect's assets here.'

Seeing these things, Yang An breathed a sigh of relief. The Life Crane Sect was, after all, a Sect with a deep foundation, and he really didn't want to start from scratch and struggle all over again.

The last time he entered this place, he had been meek and timid, but now Yang An had nothing to fear.

He was a Great Cultivator now, after all. What was there to fear from these inanimate objects?

His gaze quickly swept through the numerous statues, and before long, he saw a familiar one.

It was the statue that held the "Sacrificial Dao Yin Thunder" Technique!