Gou Zai Fei Men made up myths

"Understood! Understood!" Cold sweat poured down Hei Yunsha's forehead in an instant as he hurriedly assured him.

"Sect Leader Shen, rest assured! From this day forward, no one in Black Wind Stronghold will dare to show the slightest disrespect to the Azure Cloud Sect! Anyone who disobeys will be struck by lightning!"

"Very well." Shen Mo nodded, a peaceful smile returning to his face. "Then I will accept these gifts on behalf of the sect. Chief Black has come from afar, why don't you come into the hall for a cup of tea?"

"No, no!" Hei Yunsha dared not linger any longer and quickly waved his hand to take his leave. "There are still some trivial matters to attend to at the stronghold, so I won't disturb Sect Leader Shen's peaceful cultivation any longer! Farewell! Farewell!"

After saying that, he fled down the mountain with his men as if they were escaping, like a frightened bird, without even daring to look back.

As the Black Wind Stronghold members disappeared at the end of the mountain path, the plaza fell silent. All the disciples were still immersed in the stark contrast of the scene they had just witnessed, unable to process what had transpired.

After a long silence, Shi Tie scratched his head and asked in a muffled voice, "Sect Leader... this... this is... over? The debt... doesn't need to be repaid? And... you got so many good things for free?"

Shen Mo turned around and looked at the disciples who still had blank and incredulous expressions. Finally, a genuine smile appeared on his lips.

"It's over," he said softly, his gaze sweeping over the three boxes of gifts before finally settling on the distant blue sky.

"But... this is just the beginning."

......

The Black Cloud Stronghold's debts and hidden dangers were resolved in such a bizarre way, giving the Qingyun Sect a significant buffer period for development.

The sect disciples were overjoyed, and even Shen Mo felt at ease and began his seclusion.

More than half a month has passed in the blink of an eye.

What changes have occurred in the world below the mountain? Have those covetous forces lost their patience?

"System," Shen Mo murmured to himself, "Assess the sect's current overall strength and potential risks."

[Instruction received. Evaluating...]

[Sect Strength: Low (Overall cultivation level is early stage of Qi Refining, lacking high-end combat power).]

Sect cohesion: extremely high. Resource reserves: low (slightly improved, but far from self-sufficient).

External attention: Extremely high (ongoing).

Potential risk: High (the likelihood of attention turning into malice increases over time).

Recommendation: Continue to enhance the strength of core disciples, establish a stable source of revenue as soon as possible, and handle external relationships carefully.

"As expected... it's still not enough." Shen Mo sighed softly. Although the situation had been stabilized for the time being, the foundation was still weak.

Once the outside world loses patience, or the lie of "Nascent Soul Sword Intent" is exposed, the Qingyun Sect will face annihilation.

"It has to be...faster." Shen Mo clenched his fist, a determined glint in his eyes. He turned and walked back to the secluded stone chamber. Every minute, every second was incredibly precious.

......

Unbeknownst to him, at that very moment, an uninvited guest was quietly arriving at the foot of Qingyun Mountain.

This person was wearing a faded blue Taoist robe, with an ordinary face and a restrained aura, looking like a down-on-his-luck wandering cultivator.

But when he looked up at the simple mountain gate of Qingyun Mountain, a glint of shrewdness flashed in his seemingly cloudy eyes, which was completely inconsistent with his appearance.

"This Qingyun Sect... is quite interesting." He muttered to himself, a cryptic smile playing on his lips, before taking a step and heading up the mountain.

......

At the mountain peak, beside the Enlightenment Cave behind the main hall.

Shi Tie, shirtless with his bronze skin steaming with heat, was practicing the "Giant Spirit Shaking Mountain Technique" with loud "haha" sounds.

Each punch he threw was accompanied by a sharp whooshing sound, and his blood and qi surged, clearly indicating that his cultivation had improved again.

Zhang Daniu, watching from the side, was extremely envious. While imitating the moves, he asked in a muffled voice:

"Brother Tiezi, tell me... what's our sect leader's cultivation level now? Is he... almost at the Foundation Establishment stage?"

"Go away! How dare you guess the sect leader's cultivation level?" Shi Tie exhaled, wiping away sweat, but a proud smile graced his face.

"Anyway, I knew that following the sect leader was always the right thing to do! Didn't you see? Even Golden Core cultivators have to treat our sect leader with utmost respect!"

"That's right!" Zhang Daniu nodded vigorously, his eyes filled with admiration. "Our sect leader must be a god descended from heaven! Maybe... our Qingyun Patriarch is a star lord from the heavens!"

Similar conversations were taking place quietly in various corners of the sect. Shen Mo's "feat" in Yunmengze, through word of mouth and amplification, had shaped him into an almost "deified" figure.

In the hearts of these young disciples, the sect leader was almost omnipotent.

Inside the side hall, Su Xiao and Zhao Qingyan sat facing each other, studying the incomplete scroll of "The Flowing Cloud Escape Technique." Sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating their earnest profiles.

"Senior Sister Su," Zhao Qingyan looked up, her eyes sparkling with excitement, "If this 'Mist Transformation' technique can be perfectly combined with my 'Minor Concealment Array,' I'm afraid... even a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator would have a hard time seeing through our movements for a while!"

Su Xiao smiled slightly and put down the jade slip: "Qingyan, your talent in formations is truly astonishing. However..."

She paused slightly, gazing at the misty mountains outside the window, and said softly, "These are ultimately external things and techniques. My senior brother, the sect leader, often says that the essence of cultivation lies in improving one's own cultivation level."

"If it weren't for the sect leader's solid foundation and extraordinary spiritual sense, even with the Heaven-Reaching Formation, I'm afraid... he wouldn't have been able to lead us out unscathed in such a dangerous situation as Yunmeng Marsh."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Qingyan's excitement subsided slightly, and she nodded thoughtfully, "Senior sister is right. I was a little... carried away."

She recalled the insignificance and powerlessness she felt when facing the pressure of the Golden Core cultivator that day, and the pride she felt from her minor success in the formation vanished instantly.