Lu Kangnian sat alone in the empty hall, his thoughts racing. The Daxia Sword Sect appeared to be flourishing, but if that prosperity wasn’t properly managed, it could prove nothing more than a fleeting flash of brilliance. Lu Kangnian had to exercise extreme caution in every decision he made.

Rising slowly to his feet, he infused his voice with vital force and sent it reverberating for hundreds of li. “All disciples of the Daxia Sword Sect, gather at the square in one incense stick’s time!”

Buzz!

Countless people were jolted awake from their cultivation. Many soared into the air and rushed toward the square. Lu Kangnian flashed there ahead of them, his expression grave as the disciples streamed in.

He knew well that the cultivators who had been away from the sect for hundreds or even thousands of years were the most troublesome. They had strength, but their ties to the sect had long since worn thin.

In fact, Lu Kangnian felt that many of them had returned purely for the Daxia Sword Sect’s resources. It wasn’t an unreasonable assumption. Most of them had never even met him, nor had they lived through everything the sect had endured. How could there be any sense of belonging?

Gradually, apart from Li Guanqi and his group, almost everyone had arrived. Even Duantai Yiting and Han Chengxian had come early, putting on no airs at all. Li Guanqi clearly had them spooked. If they didn’t adjust their attitude, things would only get harder for them.

They had never expected anyone like Li Guanqi to emerge from this generation of disciples. Not only was he absurdly powerful, but he also had a vicious temper and no regard for age or seniority.

This time, Lu Kangnian alone stood on the high platform. All the former elders and peak masters were gathered below. A faint murmur filled the air; over the past two days, many had already gotten acquainted.

Lu Kangnian pressed his hands down slightly, and the noise gradually faded across the square. A faint pressure radiated from him, sword qi seeming to linger in the air.

His voice resonated like a great bell. “Today, I will announce several matters.”

The square fell into complete silence.

His sharp gaze slowly swept across the crowd as he said in a low voice, “Now that the Daxia Sword Sect has expanded, disputes are inevitable. Without rules, there can be no order.”

Many people pricked up their ears at that. Anyone with eyes could see how powerful the Daxia Sword Sect had become, especially with its ever-open cultivation grounds. For cultivators who had been wandering outside for hundreds of years, it was an irresistible temptation.

But the current peak masters weren’t particularly strong. Even Li Nanting had not yet broken through to the Divine Transformation Realm. Quite a few people were eyeing the positions of the elders and peak masters.

“The positions of the seven peak masters of the Daxia Sword Sect will not change!” Lu Kangnian said in a deep voice.

Many expressions subtly changed.

A man named Huo Gang stepped forward. He had once left the sect to join a clan. Cupping his hands toward Lu Kangnian, he said, “I am Huo Gang, former master of Heavenly Metal Peak, early Illusory Refinement Realm.”

Gasps rippled through the crowd.

“Good heavens... any random one of them is an Illusory Refinement Realm expert?”

“In the past, having a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator in the entire Northern Territory was already incredible. The Daxia Sword Sect has truly risen!”

“The former master of Heavenly Metal Peak? Huo Gang... I remember now. He’s the 34th generation peak master!”

“He left the sect over seven hundred years ago, right? And now he’s already in the Illusory Refinement Realm...”

Lu Kangnian stood with hands clasped behind his back, gazing down at him. “Oh? And what do you wish to say?”

Huo Gang’s expression remained cold and composed. “The capable should hold the position. Many within the sect share the same view. Peak masters hold positions of great importance, and having Nascent Soul Realm cultivators serve in those roles is somewhat inappropriate. The sect is also rising rapidly. This is precisely the time when strong leaders are needed.”

Lu Kangnian chuckled coldly. He stepped to the edge of the high platform and leaned forward slightly. “So?”

Huo Gang frowned at Lu Kangnian’s indifferent expression. “So? We need the strong to replace the seven peak masters!”

As soon as he spoke, Lu Kangnian noticed many expressions shifting across the crowd. Many of them, it seemed, shared the same thought. After all, status and position determined how many resources one would receive within the Daxia Sword Sect.

Lu Kangnian straightened up and looked calmly at the crowd. “I see... many of you share the same view. ‘The capable should hold the position’? By ‘capable,’ you mean strength and cultivation realm, don’t you? Then let me make this clear. The ‘capability’ I recognize is exactly what the sect teachings uphold. Character matters more than strength or cultivation realm!”

His voice remained calm yet firm. “The positions of the seven peak masters will not change. At least, not in the near future. And let me make this official: the Daxia Sword Sect has grown stronger since your return, but it remains the same sect it has always been.

If you want resources, you need to contribute to the sect. The sect can now provide significantly more resources and rewards than in the past. All returning members will be reassigned to the original seven peaks, each as a disciple. Elder positions may be available, but everything will depend on your contributions to the sect!”

His meaning was clear: anyone who contributed to the sect would receive resources, but the sect would not support freeloaders or hand high positions to returnees who had done nothing to earn them. Put simply, everyone was equal. Want resources? Earn them by contributing to the sect.

Lu Kangnian stood tall like a sword, watching the murmuring crowd below. “Those who can accept this are welcome to stay. Daily cultivation resources will be distributed as usual. Those who cannot accept our terms may leave now. Return your sect jade slips on the way out, and from this day on, we’ll have nothing more to do with each other.”

The crowd stirred.

Soon after, a Nascent Soul Realm elder soared into the air, cupped his hands toward Lu Kangnian, and tossed out a purple sect jade slip before leaving. Once one moved, others followed. More rose into the air, returned their jade slips, and departed.

The crowd grew restless, and more people began to leave.

Still, some hadn’t moved a step. These were people who had already grown weary of wandering in the outside world. Now that the sect was flourishing, they were naturally unwilling to leave. And no matter what decisions the sect made, their situation would still be far better than before.