Chapter 1633: Five Years

Five years passed quickly.

In the Five Dragons Sea, White Crane Island was lush with vegetation. Exotic birds and beasts roamed freely, strange flowers and rare herbs grew everywhere, ancient trees were entwined with peculiar vines, and waterfalls cascaded from the sky. Streaks of colorful light darted across the sky. A group of young, beautiful female cultivators soared overhead, riding on mysterious cranes.

In the vast spirit fields, numerous Qi Refining cultivators were busy planting spirit grains and medicinal herbs. On the training grounds, many disciples practiced spells.

Early morning, just as dawn broke. In a small valley surrounded by mountains on three sides, there was a courtyard about an *mu* in size. An old man with white hair and beard, dressed in a green robe, was speaking to a delicate-looking girl in a blue skirt. The old man's face was filled with doting affection.

"Yoyao," the old man said, "today is True Monarch Zixiao's lecture. Don't be late, try to find a good spot, and listen carefully, understand? Also, make friends with other fellow disciples, and don't get into conflicts with anyone..."

The green-robed old man chattered on.

The old man in the green robe was named Mu Xiao, a ninth-level Qi Refining cultivator. The girl in the blue skirt was his granddaughter, Mu Yoyao. Their ancestors were disciples of the Town Sea Sect.

Although the Town Sea Sect's main headquarters had been breached and the sect declared destroyed, its legacy was still significant. Its core elders had been wanted by several major powers, including the Sun Moon Palace, on charges of colluding with the demon race. Mu Xiao's ancestors were indeed Town Sea Sect disciples, but he himself felt little loyalty to the sect now. When the Town Sea Sect was rebuilt, Mu Xiao joined with Mu Yoyao, primarily hoping that Mu Yoyao could advance further on the path of cultivation. Many joined for similar reasons; besides the Cloud Sea Sect disciples who were absorbed into the Town Sea Sect, a large number of rogue cultivators and minor factions also joined, seeking protection under a larger entity.

These newly joined disciples had little sense of belonging to the Town Sea Sect, as it had been destroyed for over a millennium. They had faced hardships and merely hoped to improve their lives through this opportunity. The rebuilt Town Sea Sect started from scratch, but it had the backing of the Green Lotus Wang Family. Without the Wang Family's strong support, few would have been willing to join.

Immortal Violet Moon announced that the Town Sea Sect's destruction was orchestrated by Situ Mei, who colluded with cultivators from the Heavenly Ripple Realm to weaken the South Sea cultivation world. With the truth now uncovered, powers like the Sun Moon Palace returned some territories to the Town Sea Sect, though the majority of these lands were subsequently taken over by the Thousand Swords Sect. The Wang Family already possessed substantial territories and had no particular interest in these smaller islands. However, as the Town Sea Sect currently lacked sufficient personnel, the Wang Family temporarily occupied some islands, intending to return them once the sect had enough manpower.

The Town Sea Sect currently comprised five thousand disciples, a mixed bag of individuals. Among them were twelve Core Formation cultivators, most of whom were rogue cultivators. Some were descendants of the original Town Sea Sect, while others joined as guest elders, all understanding the benefit of belonging to a larger power. Additionally, there were spies from other factions among them.

Rebuilding a sect was no easy feat. Without the Wang Family's assistance, Immortal Violet Moon could easily have been sidelined. Immortal Violet Moon relied on the core disciples of the Cloud Sea Sect as her backbone, which enabled her to maintain control over the Town Sea Sect and prevent any major issues. Fostering a sense of belonging among new disciples was challenging; it required long-term nurturing, fair treatment, and providing most lower-level disciples with hope for advancement.

Immortal Violet Moon had few direct subordinates. Wang Changsheng dispatched Wang Mengbin and others to assist her. Wang Mengbin and his group did not interfere with the Town Sea Sect's management or personnel arrangements; they occasionally gave lectures, which were considered a sect benefit.

Mu Yoyao agreed. With a flick of her hand, a sparkling blue jade shuttle appeared. The shuttle's surface was engraved with exquisite patterns. This was a Flying Sea Shuttle, a flying Dharma artifact, given to every Town Sea Sect disciple as one of their sect benefits. Naturally, Immortal Violet Moon couldn't produce such a large quantity of Flying Sea Shuttles on short notice; they were all manufactured overnight by the Wang Family's Artifact Forging Hall.

The Wang Family invested significant manpower and resources to help rebuild the Town Sea Sect, and this was not merely out of generosity. While the Town Sea Sect was indeed re-established, strictly speaking, it was merely an affiliated power of the Wang Family. Aside from Immortal Violet Moon, all other Nascent Soul cultivators belonged to the Wang Family, and without their assistance, Immortal Violet Moon could not sustain a sect. Every endeavor is difficult at the start. With the Wang Family providing the framework, the Town Sea Sect could develop gradually and eventually become independent, provided it didn't encounter any major crises.

Mu Yoyao leaped onto the Flying Sea Shuttle and activated a spell. The shuttle glowed with dazzling blue light and ascended rapidly into the sky. Along the way, Mu Yoyao encountered many acquaintances.

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Mu Yoyao landed in a thousand-*mu* bluestone plaza. Hundreds of cultivators had gathered there, their robes embroidered with a vast ocean pattern, the symbol of the Town Sea Sect. As Mu Yoyao was only at the Qi Refining stage, she couldn't sit in the front row and had to find a relatively forward position.

"Junior Sister Mu, you're here quite early!"

A handsome young man in a green shirt greeted Mu Yoyao with a smile. This was Wang Li, whose true name was Wang Maoli. He had been dispatched to infiltrate the Qi Refining cultivators and secretly monitor the new disciples. If he discovered any spies from other factions, he was to report directly to Immortal Violet Moon. With the rebuilding of the Town Sea Sect and the influx of numerous rogue cultivators and minor factions, other powers had undoubtedly sent spies.

"Senior Brother Wang, you're even earlier than me!" Mu Yoyao said, somewhat excitedly. "I heard it's Grandmaster Wang's lecture today. Grandmaster Wang is the renowned True Monarch Zixiao, a descendant of the Green Lotus Immortal Couple."

For operational convenience, Wang Mengbin and a few others were invited by Immortal Violet Moon to serve as guest elders. Wang Mengbin spent most of his time cultivating; he was tasked by Wang Changsheng to deter troublemakers for Immortal Violet Moon, not to interfere with the Town Sea Sect's management.

"Indeed!" Wang Maoli's expression was a little excited. "Last year, Sword Venerable Green Lotus visited our sect and lectured on the sword dao. Unfortunately, I was out on a mission and missed that opportunity. I certainly can't miss Grandmaster Wang's lecture this time."

Just then, a thick streak of silver lightning flashed across the sky, its dazzling light illuminating an area a hundred miles wide. As the silver lightning dissipated, it revealed a robust young man in a silver robe. He had rosy lips and white teeth, wore a silver jade crown, and countless silver electric arcs flickered around his body, making him resemble a thunder god. It was Wang Mengbin.

Wang Mengbin was still at the early Nascent Soul stage, but his aura was considerably stronger than before. This was his first lecture. He felt no particular allegiance to the Town Sea Sect; his lecturing to these disciples was merely out of consideration for Immortal Violet Moon. He preferred lecturing to his own clan members.

With a flash of silver light, Wang Mengbin suddenly appeared on the bluestone platform in the center of the bluestone plaza. The Town Sea Sect disciples present immediately rose and, in unison, saluted, saying, "Disciples pay respects to Grandmaster Wang."

"Please be seated," he said. "Today, I will share my insights on magical arts. While magical arts are easy to learn, mastering them is difficult, primarily because cultivation takes considerable time. However, there are no shortcuts on the path of cultivation; diligence and consistent practice are required..."

The disciples listened with utmost concentration, not daring to be distracted for a moment, fearing they might miss something. Had they not joined the Town Sea Sect, they would never have had the opportunity to hear a Nascent Soul cultivator lecture.