Chapter 388 - 383: The Sect Leader Has Succeeded in Nascent Soul Formation

The Four Principles Sect.

Above the Sect, two Core Formation Celestial Phenomena created a fascinating contrast.

Sect Leader Zong Li had been away, traveling the world, for twenty years now.

Li Fei was managing the Sect in his stead, and everything was proceeding smoothly.

Externally, they had powerful allies in the Zouma Gang and the Shengxia Sect, as well as some subtle support from the Qingxu Commerce Association. Thanks to this, the Four Principles Sect had yet to encounter any insurmountable problems.

Internally, she had practically raised the current generation of disciples herself. To them, she was both a mentor and a mother.

The Sect’s disciples mostly regarded Du Youqian with a sense of distant admiration, worship, and awe.

But toward Li Fei, their feelings were of respect and affection, like a child’s love for their parents.

Although they could be a bit rebellious at times, they never outright disobeyed her.

This made managing the Sect incredibly easy for Li Fei.

For her, almost everything was going well—she just missed Brother Zong often.

It wasn’t that she was worried.

Brother Zong was a Golden Core Middle Stage expert, and he possessed powerful methods capable of killing even a Nascent Soul Master. With the world so vast, where could he not go!

Besides, in her heart, Brother Zong was like a god, omnipotent.

So she never worried about Du Youqian’s safety. It was truly just that she missed him.

She was already over ninety years old.

As a Foundation Establishment Cultivator with no hope of ever reaching Core Formation, her lifespan was destined to be short.

’I’m not afraid of death. I just hope I can help Brother Zong manage the Sect well before I die.’

’And I hope... that I can become a little more important in Brother Zong’s heart.’

Meanwhile, the Sect’s many disciples had spent the last twenty years training diligently. The most talented among them were already preparing for Core Formation.

The two currently undergoing the process were especially promising. Both possessed an Upper Grade Spirit Root, had cultivated diligently, and were not swayed by worldly distractions. They were considered to have a high chance of success, at least thirty percent.

The results would be known in another six months to a year.

However, it was precisely because the Sect’s most outstanding disciples were undergoing or about to undergo Core Formation that Li Fei had a new worry.

The Sect’s resources were starting to run thin.

If this batch of disciples all had a twenty to thirty percent success rate, then in ten years, the Four Principles Sect would have at least two Core Formation Masters.

’Where will we get the resources for their continued Cultivation? How will we forge Treasures for them and help them cultivate Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques?’

’Fifty years from now, the Four Principles Sect might have five or six Core Formation Masters. What then?’

Even if they made great contributions to the Sect, they wouldn’t be able to redeem anything suitable from the Sect’s treasury with their Contribution Points.

If the Sect couldn’t provide a good environment for Cultivation, forcing disciples to risk their lives to earn resources outside, it would be difficult for them to feel a sense of belonging.

In the future, it could even lead to the Sect falling apart.

’Perhaps I should listen to Kang Yinghe’s advice and impose stricter controls on disciples obtaining Core Formation Spiritual Objects and Core Formation Secret Techniques, to reduce the number of disciples attempting Core Formation?’

According to Kang Yinghe, the Shengxia Sect’s Cultivation Techniques were actually quite good. If they freely supplied Core Formation Spiritual Objects, they could potentially have double or even triple the number of Core Formation Masters.

But the sect couldn’t afford to support that many Core Formation Masters, so they had no choice but to restrict a large number of less-talented disciples to the Foundation Establishment Stage.

Every disciple permitted to attempt Core Formation had either made major contributions to the Sect or was exceptionally talented, with hopes of achieving Nascent Soul Formation.

A single cultivator who reached Nascent Soul Formation was enough to elevate the entire Sect to a new level, allowing it to expand its territory, acquire more resources, and create a virtuous cycle.

Although achieving Nascent Soul Formation in the Endless Desert Western Domain was a very risky affair.

This was because a Nascent Soul Master native to the Endless Desert Western Domain usually lacked a powerful background or a group of Nascent Soul friends. They were easily targeted by outside Demon Cultivators or the Demon Race. One day, they might just be ambushed and have their Nascent Soul stolen to be used in alchemy or to enhance a Demon Artifact.

However, with proper planning, it wasn’t impossible to overcome these difficulties.

’If the Four Principles Sect can’t find new sources of resources to develop, we’ll have no choice but to follow the Shengxia Sect’s path.’

Knowing that Core Formation was hopeless for her, Li Fei rarely spent time on her own Cultivation, dedicating most of her energy to managing the Sect.

If one were to give a simple assessment of the Four Principles Sect under her management...

...then while one couldn’t say it was "thriving," one could at least say it was "well-ordered."

One day, while Li Fei was handling official business, a steward came in, beaming, to report, "Sect Leader Li, the Sect Leader has returned!"

The Jade Scroll in Li Fei’s hand fell to the floor. She scrambled to her feet and asked, "Where is Brother Zong?"

"The Sect Leader had just entered the Western Domain when he was spotted by people from the Qingxu Commerce Association, who invited him to a banquet. He sent this Jade Slip to put our minds at ease."

"Where is the Jade Slip? Let me see it, quickly!"

The steward produced the Jade Slip, and Li Fei snatched it impatiently, closing her eyes to probe it with her Divine Sense.

"That’s right, this is Brother Zong’s aura..." Li Fei murmured, her face flushed with excitement.

The steward lowered his head.

Who in the Sect didn’t know that Li Fei was not only unwaveringly loyal to the Sect Leader, but also deeply in love with him?

It was just that matters of the heart between a man and a woman were not for outsiders to comment on.

Many found it heartbreaking to see Li Fei’s unrequited love come to nothing, but there was nothing they could say.

After all, the Sect Leader was famously aloof when it came to women—the dark history between Du Youqian and Wei Wei from long ago had long since been buried under the sands of time.

The contents of the slip were actually quite brief.

Li Fei read it quickly, then read it again, and still finding it hard to believe, read it a third time.

Finished, she nodded, put away the slip, and smiled at the steward. "The Sect Leader is attending to some social obligations and an auction, but he’ll be back soon."

The steward, also growing excited, said, "Then I’ll go make arrangements for a welcome banquet for the Sect Leader."

"Forget the welcome banquet."

The steward was stunned. ’Did the Sect Leader write something in the slip to make you angry?’ he wondered.

’Could it be... we’re about to get a Sect Leader’s wife?’

But the broad smile on Li Fei’s face proved how absurd his guess was.

Without keeping him in suspense, Li Fei announced, "Go and take stock of our inventory. We are to spare no expense and hold a Nascent Soul Ceremony for the Sect Leader."

The steward started to doubt his own ears.

"A Nascent Soul... Ceremony?"

"Yes!" Li Fei nodded. "The Sect Leader has successfully achieved Nascent Soul Formation!"

~~~~~~~~~

The news that "Zong Li," the Sect Leader of the Four Principles Sect, had successfully achieved Nascent Soul Formation spread like wildfire, flying into every major and minor power in the Western Domain.

Suddenly, those who were arguing no longer felt like arguing, and those who were negotiating no longer felt like negotiating.

Even the Zouma Gang, who was in the middle of a war with another first-rate power, paused to watch for further developments.

Everyone’s first thought was: ’Is this real?’

It had been over a thousand years since a native cultivator had advanced to the Nascent Soul realm in the Endless Desert Western Domain.

Even if there were Nascent Soul cultivators present, they were representatives of outside powers, able to receive resources provided by those factions.

And over the past millennium, those potential Nascent Soul candidates had either been poached by outside powers, or... they choked to death while drinking water, starved to death during seclusion, were crushed to death by a random Treasure while walking, or fell into an Evil Pool and were refined to death...

How they died didn’t matter. The point was, they were all dead.

As for "Zong Li," although everyone acknowledged he had the combat power to injure a Nascent Soul, they weren’t optimistic about his chances of achieving Nascent Soul Formation himself.

After all, how many years had it been since he reached Golden Core Middle Stage?

’Achieve Nascent Soul Formation my ass!’

But unexpectedly, he just went out for a stroll, and in a mere twenty years, he successfully formed his Nascent Soul.

This left some of the old-guard Golden Core cultivators in the Western Domain at a complete loss for words.

"Twenty years? It takes me more than twenty years just to seclude myself to cultivate a single Secret Technique or comprehend a Divine Ability!"

"Forget twenty years! I reached Golden Core Perfection two hundred years ago, and I’m still at Golden Core Perfection now. Even if you gave me a Nascent Soul Pill, I wouldn’t dare attempt the breakthrough! I know my own limits. Even with a Nascent Soul Pill, my chance of success is only twenty percent."

"But isn’t it said that a Nascent Soul Pill increases the success rate by twenty percent, and a normal Nascent Soul Spiritual Object increases it by ten percent?"

"Exactly. Without the Nascent Soul Pill, my chance of success is zero."

Everyone was buzzing with discussion about Du Youqian’s successful Nascent Soul Formation.

Some even suspected it was all a hoax.

Although they couldn’t imagine what the purpose of such a hoax would be.

But a Golden Core Middle Stage cultivator disappearing for twenty years and returning as a Nascent Soul Master? Was that possible? No, it was impossible.

Therefore, it had to be a hoax.

Even after Du Youqian returned to the Four Principles Sect, accepted the congratulations of his disciples, and sent out invitations for his Nascent Soul Ceremony, many still held a skeptical attitude, preparing to expose the fraud.

But the truly intelligent were already pondering a different matter: a Nascent Soul Master had appeared in the Endless Desert Western Domain, and that was enough to shatter the balance of power.

The Western Domain once had many first-rate powers, and they determined the division of territory, the distribution of power, and the ownership of resources.

But from now on, everything had changed.

The Four Principles Sect would become the sole super-power, standing above all the other first-rate powers.

This new power structure would inevitably lead to a redistribution of territory and resources.

And in the future, when the new generation of Core Formation Masters nurtured by the Four Principles Sect began to make their mark, and perhaps even a new Nascent Soul Master appeared, the landscape of the Endless Desert Western Domain would be permanently altered.

Many people did not want to see such a change.

In darkened rooms, some plotted in secret.

Thousands of miles away, others discussed.

Plotting how to eliminate the one and only Nascent Soul of the Endless Desert Western Domain.

Discussing how to snuff out the one who would inevitably change the game.