“There are numerous responsibilities a sect must undertake in order to maintain itself. A sect runs on four things: disciples, the elders, resources, and administration.”

  “The disciples will carry out easier tasks and noncritical resources, and are the fresh blood who will succeed the older generations.”

  “The elders are responsible for guiding the disciples and protecting our disciples and sect.”

  “Resources are critical to allow everyone to peacefully cultivate and break through.”

  “And finally, administration. One of the most important and underrepresented roles, responsible for helping a sect run smoothly.”

  “If a sect was imagined as a body, the sect master would be the head, the elders the torso, the disciples the hands and legs, administration is the heart, and resources are the blood pumped everywhere.”

  “The Divine Demon Sect, which was newly established, was critically short of disciples and resources.”

  “Resources were easy to come by. Our decision to move to a location near Lotus and Demon God Sect gave us many targets for looting.”

  “Remembering our past allegiance to the Demon God Sect, we initially decided to attack Lotus for their rich lands.”

  “The initial Lotus parties went smoothly, but were quickly abandoned when Benyurem moved to retaliate.”

  The young man paused.

  “I have already shown you children once. Why not a second time?”

  The corners of his mouth curved slightly.

  It would be a good experience for the kids to see a battle of this scale, even if they had not reached the stage yet.

  Another watery screen appeared again.

  Four figures began to blur into existence.

  Nyato, Sou Ne, a young man, and Thaiboi stood in the air, attacking a shimmering barrier.

  Nyato, Thaiboi, and the young man stood slightly aways, guiding their swords to attack the barrier.

  Thaiboi’s swords were like the biting cold wind of a blizzard, freezing the very air before the barriers. They were a relentless force that could instantly cause frostbite should any cultivator weaker than the Incarnation stage get near it.

  The young man’s swords were a whirlwind of flames, crashing against the barrier like waves on a beach.

  Unlike the other two, Nyato’s blades had no obvious effects. However, if one peered closely, the blades seemed to distort and twist. Some blades became three, and some blades immediately arrived before the barrier from the moment Nyato released them.

  - “Wow! What method is the sect master using, it looks so strong!”

  - “Idiot! This is the sect master’s famed Infinity River method! One of the strongest techniques in the sect!”

  - “Wow, sect master is so handsome! I need to go change my underwear now-”

  Next to the barrier, Sou Ne was fiercely punching at it. His body was covered in a golden sheen that was a clear indication of the invincibility method. With each swing of his fists, his golden blades crashed into the barrier, making it shimmer with each impact.

  “When you watch this, remember these attacks are only 70% of their power.”

  The young man said.

  The disciples widened their eyes. Such unimaginable strength, and it was only 70% of their power?

  Suddenly, a man arrived from inside the barrier and stopped at its edge.

  Nyato narrowed his eyes, then spoke a single word, his distaste clear.

  “Benyurem.”

  Benyurem smiled widely.

  “Nyato! Sou Ne! It’s been a long time, hasn’t it?”

  Sou Ne frowned.

  “If you have only come here to speak niceties and false words, Benyurem, leave!”

  Benyurem shook his head.

  At this moment, an infinite pressure was released from his body.

  Everyone paled.

  This was not a pressure an Incarnation cultivator could release.

  Benyurem had advanced to the Voidbreak stage!

  The young man felt his back burst into sweat.

  None of the gathered Divine Demon Sect members had advanced to the Voidbreak stage. It was one thing for Noctem to have Voidbreak cultivators, but they didn’t expect Benyurem to advance so quickly!

  Nyato quickly shouted.

  “Retreat!”

  Benyurem frowned.

  “You think you have the right to escape without consequences? Take this! Tonitrus Lightning!”

  With a wave of his fan, a purple lightning bolt flashed towards Sou Ne.

  Sou Ne’s eyes widened. With a roar, he summoned all his life-saving treasures. His Invincibility Dao burst to life, forming a golden body behind him twenty zhang tall. His swords twirled into motion, and followed him as he used Buddha’s Palm.

  Crash!

  He was sent flying three thousand meters and demolished a nearby mountain.

  The young man watched this with shock in his eyes.

  Sou Ne, who no one could beat, was sent flying with a single stroke!

  Benyurem’s eyes twisted in delight. He slowly shifted his eyes over to Thaiboi.

  “Hehe. You’re next!”

  Benyurem’s face had turned into a rictus of laughter. It was perfect, everything was coming together! After centuries of being impeded by these ants, he could finally get rid of them all in one swoop!

  Only one thing made it not so sweet. He inwardly frowned. He didn’t know one of their names!

  “You. What’s your name?”

  The young man pointed to himself.

  In annoyance, Benyurem shot a purple lightning bolt at the young man.

  His eyes widened.

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  “Yin-Yang Transformation!”

  He gathered his swords and thrust ahead of him in the brief moment he had, before he disappeared from the sky.

  Boom!

  A sound wave rippled in the sky as a valley caved in.

  Thaiboi’s eyes widened for a fraction.

  He responded in a dignified manner.

  “Divine Demon Sect’s Thaiboi greets Demon Benyurem.”

  Benyurem ignored the cutting insult.

  “Hmph! This honored one will remember your name after you die.”

  A purple lightning bolt rushed towards him.

  With cold, firm eyes, Thaiboi directed his swords like a relentless blizzard. It held for a brief moment before it was crushed.

  Nyato’s eyes dilated. He had taken the time to prepare his measures, and he fully released them now. With a flash, five Nyatos appeared in the air. Each had their own set of relics which they quickly used to attack the purple lightning bolt. Using the mysteries of time, they managed to avoid the lightning bolt by leaving the present and taking refuge briefly in the past. Time blades relentlessly rushed against the purple lightning bolt, being crushed and renewed with each moment.

  Every time the lightning bolt crashed through a Nyato, the original Nyato coughed a handful of blood. By the time it reached him and Thaiboi, his face had grown pale.

  Boom!

  They crashed into the ground together.

  The four members of Divine Demon Sect were utterly horrified.

  Sou Ne knew what he had to do.

  “Retreat! I’ll hold him off!”

  Sou Ne roared.

  The three cultivators quickly heeded him and began to flee. The young man slightly lagged behind in fear for Sou Ne.

  “Indestructible Vajra Body!”

  Sou Ne cried out.

  He burned his blood in each moment, as his body began to gleam a pure white. Holding his palm like a knife, he swept it at Benyurem.

  “Asura’s!”

  “Slash!”

  Benyurem’s eyes dilated. He felt a warning from his intuition. This attack could actually hurt him!

  He shouted.

  “Taming Dragons Shield!”

  A magnificent blue shield inscribed with flying dragons came to life around him.

  Boom!

  The Asura’s Slash crashed into the shield.

  A thick cloud of smoke erupted.

  Sou Ne’s Indestructible Vajra Body faded away. Exhausted, he plummeted to the ground, ready to die when Benyurem recovered.

  The young man quickly flew to grab his body, then retreated with Nyato and Thaiboi.

  After another moment, the cloud of smoke disappeared.

  Benyurem emerged with narrowed eyes.

  “So there is merit in two cultivation paths… If Sou Ne had only followed a single cultivation path, I’m afraid even I wouldn’t be able to be on par with him! He needs to be eliminated as soon as possible!”

  The watery screen dissipated.

  “We were grievously injured in this attack. Thaiboi and I were nearly crippled, and Nyato and Sou Ne received injuries that needed several decades to recover.”

  “But this attack was a hidden blessing for the Divine Demon Sect. After battling Benyurem and experiencing the power of the Voidbreak stage, Sou Ne had an epiphany and broke through. With pride, we were able to stand as a first rate power again, no longer the traitors who abandoned their own sect.”

  “Yet, we knew we had gotten lucky. Benyurem was still able to kill any one of us in a single one on one battle. So, we switched our sights to a new target. The Demon God Sect.”

  “But elder! Didn’t you come from the Demon God Sect? Surely, what they did wasn’t enough to be attacked.” A disciple asked.

  A cold glint flashed through the young man’s eyes, then he answered the question with a laugh.

  “Of course what they did was not wrong! The problem lay with the very sect, not any of the people inside. I am grateful that the Demon God Sect took me in from a rogue taoist, giving me the chance to reach for the heavens. Truly. But there is only so much space to go around. We knew that there would not be any resistance from the Demon God Sect. Over decades, we destroyed the Demon God Sect’s barrier. But unlike Lotus, we did not stoop so low as to wantonly slaughter all the mortals and cultivators before us. We merely looted the valuables and left.”

  “During this time, we began to frantically recruit cultivators. Of course, we did not recruit any cultivators. Late Incarnation stage cultivators were the bottom line to recruitment. With our newfound fame, numerous cultivators gathered from all walks of life to join us.”

  “Despite our momentum, we knew we had to be careful not to recruit any leeches. Thus, we devised a test. Sou Ne created several projections of himself, in various stages. Laolord, who still needed to recover from the siege, was given the responsibility to oversee these tests. So long as a cultivator could last for a minute against Sou Ne’s projection in the same cultivation realm, they could become an outer sect member. Should they be able to last a minute against Sou Ne’s projection in the realm above, they instantly became an inner sect disciple.”

  “Setting up this test was quite interesting! We all knew that Sou Ne was the strongest cultivator of the five of us, but we were never truly aware of the chasm in strength. Taking this opportunity to duel him, we found that he was truly unparalleled in his cultivation.”

  The man smiled.

  “This was the moment the seed of doubt was sown into Sect Master Nyato. Of course, he has already overcome this inner demon, otherwise he would not be the sect master of today. But back then, as young men who’s blood still burned bright as the sun, who could be confident and secure in leading when your subordinate is many times stronger than you?”

  “These duels set a cheerful precedent as well. From now on, for many elders and inner sect disciples, how long you could last against Sou Ne in a duel was an accurate representation of your strength.”

  “After the Demon God Sect was forced to flee, we began to attack Lotus again. By now, Nyato and I had each advanced to the Voidbreak stage. Even though we had inadequate relics, the newfound power gave us the confidence to flee Benyurem and keep our lives. Slowly, we decimated the barriers of the Lotus Sect. This process proceeded even faster when Benyurem decided one day to flee to another world, to a super sect called Infinity.”

  “Lotus quickly crumbled against our onslaught. Even though many of their cultivators counterattacked us, they were too weak without their elder Benyurem to hurt us. Nothing could stop our Lotus parties.”

  “With this, we truly managed to solidify our standing as the top sect in the mortal world. Noctem still stood above us as before; by now, a large majority of their inner sect had reached the Voidbreak stage. Dark, who had survived the tribulation, had entered the stage first. But they were no longer focused on impeding us. They had their sights set somewhere higher: the giant super sect Infinity.”

  “Thanks to our spies hidden within Noctem, we learned of a startling development. Noctem was in talks with Infinity to merge with them. We immediately stifled this news and made it confidential. But thanks to this, we could be fully confident in expanding in the spiritual world as well, with no potential backlash.”

  “By then, centuries had passed since the Divine Demon Sect had been established. Countless cultivators had flocked under our banners, seeking refuge in the rapidly growing sect.”

  “Many cultivators from the Demon God Sect like Eugen joined us. Countless cultivators from Lotus came to our side. From my former companion, Mavis, to Shadow Orchid and Destiny. Rogue taoists gathered in flocks to apply and enter the golden sect of the cultivation world, for Noctem was simply too far away from them, even for us. An especially notable genius from the rogue cultivators was Kronikkash.”

  “Elder Kronikkash? I thought he joined in the founding of the Divine Demon Sect!” A disciple said.

  The young man conjured a spiritual hand and smacked the disciple’s head.

  “Foolish!”

  “Kronikkash is a true genius, a Heavenly Talent only found once a millennia! In two centuries, he has already become a pinnacle of our sect! Do you think I wouldn’t have mentioned it already if he was there?!”

  “After defeating Lotus, we set our sights on Noctem. Yet, we knew that we had to grow stronger before we attacked them. When we celebrated Sou Ne becoming a Voidbreak cultivator, half of their sect had already reached that stage. However, many of them had left for another world to join the Infinity sect. Benyurem, in fact, was one of the slower ones to leave this world. The world became desolate, for a while.”

  “After gathering much of the world’s fortune, life had grown smooth. Everyone settled down and either went on adventures or secluded themselves to further their cultivation. One of the brightest points of this peace was when our sect leader finally married. Choosing to marry Laolord, he forged a deep bond with Sou Ne.”

  “What about you, elder? How come you haven’t married yet?”

  The young man smacked the offending disciple.

  “It is not your place to ask about that? And no, I did marry! End of the story! Shoo, all of you!”

  A weak spiritual breeze forced the disciples onto their feet and out of the courtyard.

  The disciples began to chatter as they left.

  “What do you think about that elder? His storytelling is pretty good!”

  “Yeah, but I’m more shocked that Elder Kronikkash had only cultivated for two centuries! If only I was a genius like him!”

  “Hmph! As if!”

  “Hey, do you think the elder really got married? He seems like a cold guy.”

  “Shhh! Didn’t your parents tell you? The elder got married to LingWen, it’s just that they’re both cultivation nuts to the point that they barely see each other once a decade!”

  A wry smile crossed the young man’s face as he settled under the maple tree once more.

  “If they knew… I wonder?”

  A complicated emotion flitted through his eyes.

  He gazed at the darkening sky as the stars began to shine.

  “If they knew that this elder nearly fled himself, except for his own weakness, would they still respect me?”

  His smile turned serene.

  “No matter. I have already settled now. Such thoughts are merely fuel for heart demons. No more. I have decided, I shall fight the heavens here, and if it is fated, my cold body shall lay here in this great sect.”

  The courtyard was not particularly large, nor glamorous. If one stood in the clouds and looked down, it would look like just one immortal palace floating among myriad palaces. Only one thing served to identify the courtyard, other than the young man in it. A signboard hung on it, reading: “Chasing Sky”. And under the signboard, an even smaller sign read: “Cookies for those in need”.