When the Fengli Sect transported their planets away, only their two primal qi passages were left behind.

One was located on Tianfeng, which had been in constant turmoil since the Celestial Wind Sect's destruction. The other was on Jinhua. The nearest qi planets to those around the ancient battlefield were actually on the opposite ends of those passages.

After the Celestial Wind Sect was destroyed, the Xinghai Sect rose rapidly on Fengmo. In about fifty years, it completely took over the planet, finally acquiring the basic conditions for its rise.

Over the years, the sect widely recruited disciples and trained celestial soldiers. It attracted a large number of unaffiliated practitioners because it didn't just lack real competitors; it also had many experts anchoring it.

When Wang Sheng first went to join the Xinghai Sect during a recruitment campaign, the sect had hoped to bring in more True Immortal Realm Protectors. However, very few responded.

Now, things had completely changed. The sect could select True Immortals and Primordial Immortals with solid foundations and good character from eleven qi planets. Some were directly invited, while others were subtly encouraged to join. These talents were steadily "absorbed" into the sect in large numbers.

More importantly, the Protectors who had made outstanding contributions, exhibited good character, and showed hope of breaking through to the Heavenly Immortal Realm were granted the position of elder. The disciples of these newly promoted elders were considered inner disciples, their benefits second only to the sect master's direct lineage.

This idea had naturally come from Wang Sheng. If the Xinghai Sect wanted to grow quickly, it had to open up its inner circle and accept a wide range of Daoist heritages.

If they clung only to the Daoist heritage that the Old Man of Xinghai had left behind, they would only be able to secure their footing on Fengmo at most.

Before going into a long period of seclusion, Wang Sheng had made many arrangements.

Most celestial gates rarely paid attention to shaping the mindset of their members. Hence, it usually took a long time for a sect to strengthen its foundation. However, following Wang Sheng's suggestions, the Xinghai Sect improved its welfare, reward systems, and intra-sect activities. Step by step, it strengthened its cohesion and steadily improved its overall environment. After only a few decades of implementation, it had already brought them quite evident results.

The sect's influence had also spread throughout the area surrounding the ancient battlefield. Under Lishang's instructions, the region around the great Buddha statue was declared one of its restricted zones, with many celestial soldiers rotating in shifts to guard it.

The sect had entered a period of rapid expansion, yet Earth's cultivators, who had ventured out, remained in calm conditions.

Those who had arrived with Xi Lian, including the members of the Special Warfare Unit, were only tasked to cultivate.

Wang Sheng provided them with large numbers of alchemical pills, an endless supply of dense primal qi, and even took out ten Three-Essence Enlightenment Pills to reward those who cultivated the hardest and progressed the fastest.

None dared slack off. They seized the resources and pushed themselves to convert everything into their own cultivation.

A hundred years here equated to only a year on Earth. Moreover, since Earth's cultivators were full of drive and patience, they made remarkable progress. Unfortunately, they still could not offer much help. The best they could do right now was continue cultivating on Fengmo.

Even after becoming immortals and reaching the True Immortal Realm, Wang Sheng still treated them as precious assets. Unless there was a real shortage of manpower, he would not send them into battle too early.

He wasn't being too protective of them; this was just his way of maximizing the efficiency of their resources.

The next group of cultivators from Earth was already on the way. This time, Wang Sheng did not plan to send anyone to receive them. He intended to let them arrive at a slower pace, making it easier to form a proper hierarchy of strength later.

Ten enlightenment pills were not a small number. Although Wang Sheng currently had a considerable stock, Earth had far more Daoist cultivators. He naturally prioritized his relatives and friends first, those with the strongest aptitude second.

Wang Sheng wasn't stingy toward the Xinghai Sect, either. He even gave Linyuan a Six-Aperture Dao Comprehension Pellet, allowing him to reach the Heavenly Immortal Realm.

Moreover, he gave the sect thirty Three-Essence Enlightenment Pills. Once they had been distributed, the veterans within the sect who had long been stuck at the peak of the True Immortal Realm finally broke through to the Heavenly Immortal Realm, one after another, over the course of sixty years.

This achievement made Yao Xingzi consider stepping down and using his position to bind the Xinghai Sect more closely to Wang Sheng.

Wang Sheng naturally refused. He was not that proficient yet. Besides, he truly did not care much for fame or status.

By the time Xi Lian and the others emerged from the Realm of Exiled Immortals, the Xinghai Sect had already developed its sphere of influence enough to monitor the eleven qi planets and guard the outer perimeter of the Realm of Exiled Immortals' gate.

With Wang Sheng's approval, Long Liekong and Hu Chang established a broader network by setting up branches of the Xinghai Sect on the celestial bodies located on the far ends of the two primal qi passages.

The celestial body connected to the primal qi passage of Tianfeng was called Guishen. It was over ten times bigger than Earth, with correspondingly stronger gravity. Moreover, it had three times the number of Fengmo's cultivators.

Since it was rich in mineral deposits and produced a wide variety of valuable materials, it had become a gathering spot for the forces of many mid-sized celestial gates.

Amid such chaos, the Xinghai Sect's involvement did not cause much disturbance.

Long Liekong, who had taken charge of the operation, spent two years scouting the planet, selecting a location, seizing a city, and driving out a smaller celestial gate. Finally, he successfully established a Xinghai Sect branch.

Once it had secured its footing, Long Liekong returned to the ancient battlefield to handle other matters.

The sect members left behind to manage the branch proved capable. Three years after its establishment, they had already taken control of a small mining site and begun generating wealth for the sect.

The higher ranks of the Xinghai Sect placed great importance on the Guishen branch. Later on, they sent an elder to oversee it—one who had broken through to the Heavenly Immortal Realm with the help of a Three-Essence Enlightenment Pill.

Things developed steadily for twenty to thirty years. The Xinghai Sect not only secured its footing on Guishen, but it even began to show signs of rising. Gradually, the branch became one of its key sources of income.

Unfortunately, as the saying went, "a towering tree attracts the wind."

In the seventieth year after the Celestial Wind Sect was destroyed, grim news reached the Xinghai Sect. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

A Heavenly Immortal Realm elder had been killed, and their Guishen branch had been flattened. Over a thousand celestial soldiers, dozens of disciples and off-heritage members, and over twenty Protectors had all been wiped out.

There were no survivors.

The news arrived at Fengmo on the very day Wang Sheng came out of his twenty-eight-year-long seclusion.

***

Inside the grand Xinghai palace, hundreds of figures stood in complete silence.

Seated at the head, Yao Xingzi frowned deeply as he stared at the divination disk before him. He had not spoken a word for an entire hour.

Elders and protectors used the palace, which had only been built a little over a decade ago, to discuss matters. No one could have expected that the first major matter that would bring everyone together would be such a tragedy.

There was no raised platform in the hall. High above, the Old Man of Xinghai and the other forefathers' portraits were enshrined. The sect master's seat was just a simple, round-backed chair, with eight wooden chairs on each side. Three were currently empty; they belonged to the two vice sect masters, who were still in seclusion, and the elder who had just been killed.

At the side, Linyuan could not help but ask, "Sect Master, are there any survivors?"

Yao Xingzi slowly shook his head, then closed his eyes and sighed deeply. "Our enemy was ruthless. The divination shows they killed everyone."

A low buzz spread through the hall as the immortals began speaking. Most showed anger, while a few frowned in thought.

"This loss is the greatest we've endured in nearly a hundred years!"

"Why not gather our forces and strike back at once?"

"We received the message through the primal qi passage, which means at least sixteen days have passed before we even heard of the incident. If we go now, we may walk straight into an ambush."

"How could they be wiped out without any warning? If it were a dispute over mineral veins with local celestial gates, there should have been signs beforehand."

"This is quite a complicated matter."

"Could the culprits be surviving members of the Celestial Wind Sect?"

Linyuan cleared his throat softly, causing the hall to quickly fall silent again.

Yao Xingzi picked up the jade pendant and prepared to do another divination.

An elder nearby advised, "Sect Master, there is no need to exhaust yourself. Let me go to Guishen and investigate."

Another elder muttered, "Perhaps we should first inform our two guest elders, Long and Hu, or ask one of the vice sect masters to come out of seclusion."

"But they have only been in seclusion for a few years!" an old woman snapped. "The moment something happens, we immediately run to vice sect masters Lishang and Fei Yu. Have we cultivated all these years for nothing?!"

"We're just being cautious."

Linyuan sighed. "Everyone, there is no need to argue. I also think informing the two vice sect masters is more appropriate. Unfortunately, we do not even know where Long and Hu are on the ancient battlefield. Finding them will take time. Right now, the priority is to uncover what happened and identify our enemies. Only then can we speak of revenge."

The immortals in the hall slowly nodded in agreement.

Yao Xingzi casually tossed the jade pendant onto the divination disk and stroked his beard, murmuring to himself.

In a somewhat heavy tone, someone declared from outside the hall, "I will investigate this matter myself."

The immortals of the Xinghai Sect turned to look. A few of the older members immediately brightened, while the newer Protectors and elders froze for a moment.

The person outside seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. He walked in with his hands behind his back.

A faint Dao Rhythm lingered around him. He donned only a simple cyan Daoist robe and plain, black cloth shoes.

The man was tall, lean, and had refined features. Moreover, he had sharp eyebrows and eyes that gleamed like stars.

He exuded neither aura nor pressure, yet upon closer examination, it seemed as though a peerless sword was sealed within him, ready to break free at any moment. His steps looked ordinary, yet they carried a subtle, unfathomable depth.

Behind him followed a young girl with a delicate and lovely appearance.

Most people present recognized her. She was the "little princess" of the Xinghai Sect, cherished by the sect master and the elders alike.

Wang Xiaomiao.

"Fei Yu! You've come out of seclusion!"

Frowning slightly, Wang Sheng replied, "Mm."

With one step, he covered dozens of zhang, appearing right before Yao Xingzi and the elders. He cupped his hands in greeting, then took his seat.

Xiaomiao did not have such an ability. With her head lowered, she hurried forward and stood behind her brother.

Wang Sheng looked at Yao Xingzi. "Xiaomiao told me a sect branch was destroyed. What exactly happened?"

Yao Xingzi sighed and smiled bitterly. "In a single night, one of our Heavenly Immortals and a thousand of our cultivators were slaughtered. They couldn't even send a message for help or a warning."

"Sect Master, where did this happen?"

"Guishen, the qi star on the other side of Tianfeng's primal qi passage."

Wang Sheng frowned slightly. He tapped lightly against the armrest, then took out a communication talisman and crushed it.

"This does not look like a simple attack. Sect Master, let me handle this. I will make sure those who dared slaughter our members will repay this blood debt in full."

Yao Xingzi nodded. Naturally, he did not oppose Wang Sheng.