After registering, Xu Ning and Miao Yunyi returned to handle the matters of establishing their sect. Since the two sects sought long-term cooperation, they chose adjacent locations.
Once the sect’s formations were in place, Xu Ning arrived at the designated Grand Elder Peak. On the snow-covered summit, he erected a thatched hut and meticulously set up the formations—a process he knew well, executing each step with utmost caution.
Over the following months, the sect required extensive rebuilding, and Xu Ning was swamped with responsibilities. After more than a month of relentless work, he finally found a moment of respite. Half of the stone table and benches in the courtyard lay buried under snow, the flakes still drifting down in a silent cascade.
Xu Ning and Qi Ruifeng brushed the snow from the stone benches and sat.
"Disciple, you’ve worked hard! I’m useless as your master—I can’t even help you much," Qi Ruifeng said apologetically.
Xu Ning shook his head. "Master, don’t blame yourself. You’re now the Supreme Elder of Tiancheng Sect. Of course, we can’t trouble you with trivial matters."
Qi Ruifeng gave a bitter smile. "Supreme Elder? Heh. I’m likely the weakest Supreme Elder among all the sects."
"What does that matter?" Xu Ning replied. "Do you think my junior brother or I would dare deny your position?"
At that, Qi Ruifeng laughed—a genuine, hearty laugh.
"Disciple," he said after a pause, "do you still remember the carpentry knowledge you learned in the mortal world?"
Xu Ning tilted his head slightly. "Carpentry? Are you referring to formation repair techniques?"
Qi Ruifeng nodded eagerly. "Exactly!"
Xu Ning tapped the stone table twice. "Master, do you want me to teach them to Junior Brother?"
Qi Ruifeng hesitated, then sighed. "I… I can’t let go of Tiancheng Sect."
Xu Ning’s expression turned serious. "Master, to be frank, I owe you—and Tiancheng Sect—a great deal. But I’ve never touched the sect’s true inheritance. I’ve only studied the cultivation techniques."
He leaned forward. "What I owe you and the sect is limited to those techniques. You know as well as I do that there’s no such thing as carpentry knowledge capable of repairing a *legendary* formation."
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Qi Ruifeng lowered his head. "Disciple… I overstepped. Forgive me."
Xu Ning exhaled. "Master, everything I’ve done for Tiancheng Sect was to repay your kindness—to ease your worries and let you find peace in your twilight years."
His words were firm. He hadn’t taken the sect’s inheritance precisely to avoid further entanglement. His path lay elsewhere, and he couldn’t afford to be bound eternally to Tiancheng Sect, nor could he risk his life for it time and again.
Qi Ruifeng stiffened, then bowed his head in shame. "You’re right. I won’t mention this again."
Xu Ning softened. "Then, Master, from now on, focus on enjoying your retirement. Leave the sect’s affairs to Junior Brother. Trust him."
Qi Ruifeng nodded. "Very well."
-...
Two Days Later
Su Yufan arrived unannounced, heading straight for Xu Ning’s Great Elder Peak.
Xu Ning, seated on the stone bench, raised an eyebrow. "Shouldn’t the illustrious Saint Su be cultivating instead of visiting my humble sect?"
Su Yufan chuckled and took a seat opposite him. "Brother Ye, I came for a heart-to-heart talk."
Xu Ning smirked. "Shouldn’t that be with the Holy Maiden?"
Su Yufan waved a hand dismissively. "I’m not interested in women."
Xu Ning recoiled so sharply he nearly fell off the bench.
Su Yufan blinked, then hastily clarified, "Brother Ye, don’t misunderstand! I meant I pursue only strength and the Great Dao—not romantic entanglements."
Xu Ning nodded vigorously. "Of course, of course. I believe you, Saint Su."
Yet his gaze remained suspicious.
Su Yufan scowled. "What’s with that look? I’m telling the truth!"
Xu Ning’s mind flashed to the gossipy Saint Son from the Ancient Chen Mountains, who’d once claimed that Saint Sons often developed… *unconventional* preferences under pressure.
Suppressing a shudder, Xu Ning forced another nod. "I believe you."
Su Yufan, exasperated, changed the subject. "Brother Ye, I came to ask—are you truly a Divine-grade Foundation Establishment cultivator?"
Xu Ning nodded. "I am."
Su Yufan shot to his feet. "*How?*"
Reaching the legendary Foundation Establishment stage had cost Su Yufan a century of his lifespan, and even that barely sufficed. The Divine-grade seemed an insurmountable peak.
Xu Ning smiled faintly. "A personal secret, Saint Su. I’d rather not share."
Su Yufan didn’t press further. Instead, he asked, "What are your plans for cultivation beyond Foundation Establishment?"
Their extraordinary foundations granted immense power but demanded equally staggering resources. Foundation Establishment was manageable, but forming a legendary Golden Core would require resources beyond even medium-sized sects’ means. Many cultivators settled for a top-grade Golden Core to conserve resources.
Su Yufan’s dilemma mirrored Xu Ning’s: the path ahead was ruinously expensive.
Xu Ning stroked his chin. "Saint Su, if I’m not mistaken, your Foundation Establishment cost you a century of lifespan, leaving you with roughly four hundred years?"
A cultivator’s lifespan followed strict tiers:
- **Qi Refining:** ~100 years
- **Foundation Establishment:** +400 years (500 total, minus Qi Refining time)
- **Golden Core:** +1,500 years (2,000 total, minus prior consumption)
- **Nascent Soul:** +4,000 years (6,000 total, minus prior consumption)
Su Yufan’s remaining 350 years were alarmingly insufficient for his ambitions.
Su Yufan grimaced. "Closer to three hundred and fifty. And I’ve yet to reach mid-Foundation Establishment."
Xu Ning’s eyes gleamed. "Then we must improve resource *efficiency* to shorten cultivation time."
Su Yufan leaned in. "How?"