Immortal Road.

Chapter 230: Founding a Sect

Tianfu Mountain is located at the junction of the central and western parts of Lu State, on the northern east bank of Lujiang River, deep among the mountains.

Half of the year, the mountains are shrouded in clouds and mist, making it seem like a fairyland. All kinds of exotic flowers and plants bloom in the mountains, and monkeys and squirrels play outside the stream. Whenever people pass by here and look at the beautiful scenery, they think they have come to heaven.

That’s why it’s called “Tianfu Mountain”.

This mountain is blessed with beautiful natural conditions and a natural treasure. There is a mid-grade spiritual vein buried deep underneath, and the concentration of spiritual energy radiates over an area of ​​dozens of miles. It can be called a blessed place for cultivating immortals.

The Dai family once controlled the area for hundreds of years, and discovered a concentrated iron ore and copper mine in the surrounding area.

As for the post-war division of the Lin Chamber of Commerce, it was Yang Jia Zhenren who, out of consideration for all parties, packaged Lingshan and the two small mineral veins surrounding it and directly gave them to them, so as to avoid giving it to others at their doorstep and making everyone uncomfortable.

Lin Shan and his companions travelled a thousand miles on a flying boat and arrived in less than a day.

When they arrived, they found that the monks from the Dai family who were originally stationed here had all run away, and took away all the property, leaving behind an empty mountain for them. Lin Shan didn't feel anything about this.

This time they robbed enough things at the Dai family headquarters. Everyone's storage bag was bulging. It could be said that they were full, so they didn't care about this little money.

Everyone immediately followed the instructions, took out a large amount of spiritual materials, and started to build infrastructure in the mountains.

Among the students recruited by the Lin Chamber of Commerce in Wangyue City, there was actually a civil engineer who graduated from an academy. For the first time, he found that the major he studied was useful outside. He did surveying, laying out lines, driving piles and digging holes, and did his work very well.

Mu Yan brought a group of Mu family members back to Pengpi County for a while to move the Mu family's assets, young and old, here. As for the family's original micro spiritual vein, they found a suitable buyer to transfer it.

The gang of evil brothers from the East China Sea were sent to two mining veins outside the mountain, and they restarted the mining business after the Dai family left.

Of course, these people are all his direct subordinates, and they cannot always do such dirty and tiring work, so opening the gates to recruit disciples must be put on the agenda as soon as possible.

Therefore, it is urgent to establish a new school of thought.

Half a month later, Tianfu Mountain looked brand new.

Large halls were built on the top of the mountain, and there were also planned infrastructure such as various Taoist temples, altars, ancestral halls, Dharma pavilions, and lecture halls.

The treasure house was also an empty shell. The Sutra Pavilion was filled with many codes stolen from the Dai family. The alchemy room also had alchemy furnaces stolen from the Dai family. The weapon refining workshop also had assembly lines and tools stolen from the Dai family.
The Black Skull Demon Lord himself was a master of formations. He installed inscriptions and prohibitions on all the buildings, and at the same time, he built a simple formation on the outskirts of Lingshan and the two mineral veins.

A number of cultivation caves were opened up by his subordinates on the mountainside, and spiritual fields and orchards were also simply built at the foot of the mountain.

……

Hundreds of people gathered in the main hall to discuss the establishment of a sect.

As for the name of the newly established sect, Lin Shan had already thought of it, so there was no need for everyone to work together.

"Searching for ancient teachings".

No one had any objection to this. After all, Lin Shan was the boss, and we all followed him to eat meat and drink soup. We listened to whatever the boss said.

Lin Shan did not pick the name randomly; this one is full of his original intention and profound meaning.

The original idea of ​​establishing power was to find ancient charm for himself, so there is nothing wrong with naming it "Xun Gu". Of course, internally, it means letting his subordinates help him "find antiques", and externally, it means "tracing the path of ancient sages".

It's quite satisfactory.

As for why it is not called "Xungusong", "Xungusha", "Xungumen" and so on, the suffix should be "jiao".

That was because Lin Shan had an ambition to become bigger and stronger.

Of course, the “becoming bigger and stronger” here is definitely not for the purpose of engaging in pyramid schemes or brainwashing, but because the suffix also has its own rules.

"Teaching" represents an idea, a conceptual force that is the culmination of all ideas.

"School", "Faction", "Clan", "House", "Cave". Strictly speaking, these are just branches of the "religion".

For example, Taoism is the mainstream sect of longevity in the universe. Other sects such as Buddhism, magic, witchcraft, Confucianism, astrology, and various other cults are all branches of the immortal civilization system.

The Zixiao Sect and Qianyun Pavilion in the Song Dynasty both belong to Taoism, the Beast Taming Valley is half Taoist and half witchcraft, the Black Lotus Sect is half demonic and half evil, the Blood River Hall and the Hundred Ghosts Gate both belong to the Demon Sect, but they are temporarily divided into the two major camps of good and evil.

Lin Shan's establishment of a new religion in the Confucian country of Lu would not cause any waves, as long as you do not engage in doctrinal beliefs like Buddhism, the Black Lotus Sect, and the Joy Sect, no matter what you name it, people will at most treat it as a topic of conversation after tea and just laugh it off.

Essentially, you are still a small sect, far from being able to be called a “religion”, so there is nothing to be afraid of.

After the name is determined, the next step is the ceremony of establishing the clan.

When establishing a school, one naturally has to invite many like-minded people. Firstly, this helps to establish a good reputation, and secondly, it helps to spread the name, making it easier to recruit disciples in the future.

At the founding ceremony of the Xun Gu Sect, nearly one-third of the forces in the western part of Lu State attended to congratulate.

Mainly in the Lujiang River Basin, the Lujiang League is now the only dominant force, consisting of 72 forces. The Xun Gu Sect replaced the original Lin Chamber of Commerce and inherited the seat of elders in the league, and everyone gave it face.

Other forces had heard about Elder Hei Ku's attainments close to that of a "formation master" through the war against Dai, so they came to pay him respects, hoping to take the opportunity to establish relationships and build friendships.

The founding ceremony lasted for nearly seven days. The leaders and elders of various sects and families, both large and small, came with their disciples to watch the ceremony, and there was a constant flow of banquets during the ceremony.

The predecessor, Lin’s Chamber of Commerce, was at least engaged in seafood and aquatic products. Not to mention other ingredients, there was definitely enough seafood.

As the glasses clinked, everyone was polite to each other, flattering each other, and having a great time, as if they were a family.

The overlord of the Lujiang League, the Yang family, gave enough face and specially sent a Jindan-stage elder with generous gifts, saying that the Yang family wanted to establish in-depth cooperation with the Xun Gu Sect and provide technology for mining and processing and refining.

The Yang family is also a mining giant in the world of cultivation, and is willing to bring the Xun Gu Sect along to eat meat, which Lin Shan and the Black Skull Demon Lord readily accept.

The four ancestors of the four great families in Wangyue City also came together and expressed their willingness to strongly support the Lin Chamber of Commerce under the Xun Gu Sect and give them the green light in Wangyue City. Lin Shan and the Black Skull Demon Lord expressed their gratitude repeatedly.

The four sects of Lunan, including Lingyun Sect, Xianhe Sect, Zhaoshen Fort, and Liuyang Sect, and the four great Jindan-stage masters all visited together. While presenting generous gifts, they were willing to help and support the Xungu Sect and often held offline disciple exchange meetings. Lin Shan and the Black Skull Demon Lord were also polite to them.

The masters of these four sects seemed enthusiastic on the surface, but they were actually extremely jealous. The Xun Gu Sect was just a newborn sect, yet it directly obtained a blessed land with medium-grade spiritual veins like the Tianfu Mountain. One should know that their own sects were just small spiritual mountains.

However, with the "achievements in formations" that the Black Ku Demon Lord had demonstrated before, and the backing of the behemoth Lujiang League, the Xun Gu Sect could barely hold on.

There were also many other large and small forces that came to pay their respects, some of which had Golden Core Real People behind them, but they were not as familiar with the allies of the Lujiang League, so they only sent their Foundation Establishment cultivators to come, as a show of support and goodwill.

It is worth mentioning that Master Zhankong, a famous formation master in the Lujiang River Basin, also came in person with his disciples, saying that he wanted to help the Xun Gu Sect build a mountain protection formation. Lin Shan and the Black Skull Demon Lord repeatedly declined, but the old guy insisted that he would not charge any fees.

It's rare to come across free labor. As the saying goes, don't hit a smiling person, so the two of them can only accept the other person's kindness.

After everyone arrived, the ceremony was held.

Lin Shan became the first leader of the Xun Gu Sect, with the Black Skull Demon Lord as the elder and deputy leader. There were several halls under him, and several potential subordinates temporarily took on the position of "acting hall master". They would be given a proper title after they broke through the foundation-building stage.

Everyone was fine with it. Although the guests who came to watch the ceremony were a little surprised as to why the leader was not Hei Ku Sanren but the young man Lin Shan, they knew that it was an internal affair and outsiders were not in a position to ask too many questions.

After the initiation ceremony, all forces withdrew.

Before leaving, Yang family's Jindan Zhenren deliberately stayed behind and conspired with the two leaders of Xun Gu Sect for half an hour before leaving.

Next, the ancestors of the four great families in Wangyue City also stayed to conspire with the two leaders for half an hour before leaving.

Then, the leader of Lingyun Sect stayed alone and talked in secret for half an hour before leaving.
The leader of the Xianhe Sect.
Each of these people wants to win over the Xun Gu Sect, simply because the current situation within the alliance is delicate.

Since the Lujiang League destroyed the Dai family, its influence has greatly increased and its reputation has spread far and wide.

But in fact this is just the surface. In fact, there are undercurrents inside, because the Yang family can no longer dominate the market alone.

The Yang family had suffered heavy losses after losing two Jindan masters in a row. If it weren’t for the fact that the Yang family ancestor, who was in the late Jindan stage, was still alive, they might have fallen from the status of a giant in cultivation.

Now, the strength of the Yang family has declined, but the annexation of the Dai family has led to an increase in power. When the strength is not enough to control power resources, there will be a feeling of emptiness and hollowness, which gives other people in the alliance an opportunity to take advantage.

Master Yang had previously made good use of the distribution of interests, and this time he was looking for an alliance because he was attracted by the Black Skull Demon Lord's strength and attainments in formations.

The four great families in Wangyue City and the four sects in Lunan also want to unite to fight for power.

However, Lin Shan and the Black Skull Demon Lord were only dealing with it temporarily. Although they appeared to be responding enthusiastically, they were actually not interested in it.

Lin Shan needs to prepare to break through the Jindan stage and the Hundan stage, and the Black Skull Demon Lord also needs to prepare to refine his own magic weapon. These will have to be put off until later.

……

After seeing off all the people who came to congratulate them, Xun Gu Sect was officially established, and disciples were recruited, and the news was announced to the world.

Many people in the western part of Lu heard the news and tried to come here to try their luck with immortality.

The Xun Gu Sect is a sect that has Jindan-stage cultivators in charge, and it also has mid-grade spiritual veins. Now that it has just been established, it is time to recruit new members, and the majority of casual cultivators in the world of cultivation are eager to join.

In just less than a month, thousands of people had gathered around Tianfu Mountain!

One fifth of them are independent cultivators, and the majority of the rest are powerful people in the mortal world. When they heard that there was an immortal sect recruiting disciples here, they hurriedly sent their children here to give it a try.

On the Lu River in the west, boats of all sizes were connected one after another, filling the river surface. Tents were erected on the east, south and north sides, and people came and went, looking forward to their arrival.

There are still a steady stream of people coming from the outside world.

Lin Shan and the Black Skull Demon Lord did not expect to attract so many people at once, so they had to raise the threshold for recruiting people.

He personally appointed the former elders of the Lin Chamber of Commerce, Lu Xiuming, as the main person in charge and Wu Hanqiao as his deputy, and strictly controlled the recruitment of disciples, requiring them to have a good family background and meet the qualifications.

If one is a casual cultivator, he must be an outstanding student endorsed by one of the top ten academies in Lu State.

If you are a mortal, one of your spiritual root qualifications must be above grade C.

These two conditions directly eliminate 90% of the people. Most of them return home disappointed, secretly lamenting that they have missed the opportunity. Some people blame their parents for not giving them good spiritual roots, and some people regret not studying hard and getting into a good university.

The various expressions of the crowd did not cause any ripples for cultivators like Lin Shan and the Black Skull Demon Lord.

Finally, after careful selection, we recruited more than a hundred people and finally filled the mountain gate.

That's not bad.

After all, most of the cultivators who are truly qualified and capable have certainly been recruited by other sects and families, and the rest are all mediocre, otherwise it would not be the turn of the Xun Gu Sect to take advantage of them.

Especially the geniuses with B-grade spiritual roots or above, except for Mu Yan and Wu Hanqiao who were originally under his command, there was no one else!

Lin Shan had anticipated this. Anyway, he established the Xun Gu Sect just to collect ancient charm for himself. He just wanted to be a hands-off boss and leave the management of the sect to the Black Skull Demon Lord and his subordinates. He was only thinking about immortality and seeking the truth.

However, speaking of ancient rhyme, he couldn't help but glance at Master Zhan Kong who was busy setting up the formation at the foot of the mountain outside.

This old fellow, along with his disciples, worked tirelessly in Tianfu Mountain for nearly a month. He was so diligent and conscientious that he didn't even work so hard when he was running his own old nest!
Lin Shan sat on the throne of the leader in the main hall, thought for a moment, and ordered someone to invite Master Zhan Kong.

After a while, Master Zhankong walked into the hall panting.

"Greetings, Master Lin. I still have a few days to complete the mountain protection formation. Is there something important that you called me over now?"

Master Zhan Kong stood in front of the palace and bowed slightly. If the ancestors of the four great families in Wangyue City saw this scene, their jaws would definitely drop in shock.

A master of formations is neither humble nor arrogant towards Jindan-stage cultivators, so why is he so respectful to the leader of a new sect who is in the foundation-building stage?

Lin Shan was not arrogant, but quickly stood up and invited Master Zhankong to sit next to him. After exchanging some greetings, he got down to business.

"There is no rush for the mountain protection formation. The Xun Gu Sect is just a new sect and has not provoked any hostile enemies. I think it is safe and sound. Master, there is no need to rush the deadline."

Master Zhankong smiled like a chrysanthemum: "Master Lin is too polite. When the Dai family attacked, I always accepted your kindness. It is my duty to do some small things for you. It is my duty."

Lin Shan clapped his hands and sighed: "Master is really a gentleman. It's just a drop of water for me, but today you repay me with a spring. Compared with me, I am really ashamed!"

Master Zhankong waved his hands quickly, "No, no, Master Lin is helpful, generous and open-minded. He didn't care about my rude behavior that day. He is worthy of being the leader of a sect. His broad mind and generosity are impressive."

Lin Shan smiled modestly: "Hey, Master, you are truly a man of extraordinary self-cultivation. I was just taking a ride with you that day. Now you are repaying me with a favor. I am very grateful for this!"

Master Zhankong quickly explained, "No, no, no, this is as it should be. I also want to establish a good relationship with Xun Gu Sect. After all, when we first met, I felt that Sect Leader Lin had great ambitions and was as bold as a tiger. Now, in just a short month, he has established a sect in Tianfu Mountain and is famous in the Lujiang area in western Shandong. It is true that heroes emerge from the young!"

……

The two of them praised each other's business, and they became more and more interested in each other, and they couldn't wait to discuss it in detail by candlelight.

After all, Master Zhankong was asking for help, and he had never taken the initiative. After his mouth was dry and his tongue was parched, he had no choice but to explain his origins, with an embarrassed look on his face:

"I think this visit to the mountain cannot be hidden from Master Lin's discerning eyes. In fact, there is another reason, but it is difficult to say it."

Lin Shan waved his sleeves indifferently: "Then there is no need to say anything, let's continue with the topic just now."

Master Zhankong: “.”

"Ahem, Master Lin, you must be joking. Ever since I saw Elder Hei Ku break the formation that day, I have been yearning for it, but I have never had a chance to talk about it, so I often feel worried and have trouble falling asleep."

Lin Shan curled his lips secretly. They are all cultivators in the Foundation Establishment Stage, and I have never heard of anyone still sleeping. Are you kidding me?

But on the surface he still seemed to be listening.

Master Zhan Kong laughed dryly: "The art of formation is broad and profound. It is extremely difficult to make further progress. Without the support of the seniors, I am afraid that I will waste my whole life and can only stop moving forward."

"I am old, and my only wish in this life is to make a breakthrough in the art of formations, so I can only do my best to beg for mercy to enter the leader's sight."

“If you can say a few good words in front of Elder Hei Ku, I will be grateful!”

As he spoke, the old man actually began to choke up with tears!

Lin Shan pretended to be embarrassed and uneasy, and hurriedly comforted him:

"Master, what are you talking about? If you have any requests, just tell me directly. Why bother yourself? People who don't know would think that I have been using you like a beast of burden for the past month. You are clearly putting me in an unjust position!"

Master Zhankong sobbed on the surface, secretly cursing this kid for being so cunning. He kept silent about speaking well of him, but instead started to talk about other things. He had no choice but to speak out his true thoughts:
"It is because of my inconsiderateness that the leader has to worry about me. In fact, this trip to help build the mountain protection formation is just a token of my loyalty. I am an old man with no talent, but I am willing to join the Xun Gu Sect and serve the leader. I hope you will accept me!"

Unexpectedly, a formation master came to surrender on his own initiative. Instead of being excited, Lin Shan became hesitant.

"Master, you are such a noble man, how can you condescend to work for me? This is really embarrassing for me! You must not do this!"

Master Zhan Kong was stunned. It was the first time he saw someone pushing him out the door!

He had no choice but to lower his status again.

"Master Lin, you are too polite. I am just a commoner. How dare I show off my status? I just want to be a disciple of Elder Hei Ku and listen to his teachings sooner or later."

Lin Shan still didn't give in: "How can this be possible? Elder Hei Ku is just a master of formations, how can he be qualified to teach you!"

Master Zhankong felt uncomfortable and thought it was really hard to talk to this kid, but he had to bear it since he had something to ask of him:

"Master, you are too kind. Compared with Elder Hei Ku, my attainments in formations are like fireflies compared to the bright moon. It is totally insignificant! Please accept me!"

Master Zhan Kong almost knelt down!

I am a master of formations, and I came to you to surrender, but you are still making excuses. Is there something wrong with your brain?
Lin Shan looked embarrassed at this time, and hurried down to support the old man:

"Master, you are being too unfair. If you join my sect, how can you be an ordinary disciple? How will the world see me?"

Master Zhankong quickly offered a suggestion: "Then I dare to ask for the position of hall master first?"

Lin Shan shook his head.

Master Zhankong smiled apologetically and said, "Then it's fine to give me the position of helmsman. I'm not picky."

Lin Shan still shook his head.

Master Zhankong was a little agitated: "Then give me the status of a deacon, I can accept it"

Lin Shan still shook his head.

Master Zhankong was furious, his heart felt like it was on fire, and he felt that it was really fucking difficult to talk to this guy:
"Then why don't I just be a disciple?"

Lin Shan turned around suddenly and said something shocking!

"No, I will give the position of leader to you!"

"Pfft!"

Master Zhan Kong was so frightened that he knelt down immediately!
"Master Lin, you must not do that. I sincerely surrender to you and have absolutely no intention of usurping your throne!"

Lin Shan said sincerely, "I have thought about it, Xun Gu Sect is just a small sect, how can it accommodate a person like Master? The position of the hall master is really an insult to you, and I will also be scolded by everyone in the Lu Kingdom's cultivation world behind my back.

In this case, why not simply abdicate and give up the throne of leader, which is more worthy of your status!"

Master Zhankong burst into tears and cried loudly while holding onto Lin Shan's trouser legs:

"Master Lin is upright and honest, he is truly an open-minded gentleman. I am not even a fraction of his quality, how could I usurp the throne? I am here to pay my respects to you only to seek a place to make a living, please do not be suspicious!"

Lin Shan said righteously, "A scholar can be killed but not humiliated. Master, you are the most respected person in the world. Since you have joined my sect, you must not lower yourself to me. I would rather die than obey you!"

Master Zhankong felt that he was almost out of breath. As people get older, they are more likely to have heart attacks and cerebral infarctions. He was afraid that if he continued like this, he would be so angry at this kid that he would suddenly die. He had no choice but to directly point it out:

"Master Lin, what will it take for you to take me in? Please tell me clearly!"

Unexpectedly, this time Lin Shan did not beat around the bush and came straight to the point:
"I am very interested in the incense and vows in the master's hand. I wonder if you can give it up?"

(End of this chapter)