"I am the Sect Leader of the Qingcheng Sword Sect, appointed by the Court. On behalf of the Qingcheng Sword Sect, I am willing to cede our Daoist Temple!"

Yu Zhengnan walked to Yun Hao’s side, his expression serene. He steadied him with a firm hand, his sharp gaze fixed on the group before them.

"Pragmatic, I see."

The white-bearded Daoist gave Yu Zhengnan an appreciative glance and said with a faint smile, "Since ancient times, the Qingcheng Sect has been divided into the Taoist Sect and the Sword Sect, though the split was never as distinct as it is elsewhere. I imagine you’ve figured out who we are by now."

"With our return, the two branches will naturally merge into one sect. This is something the Court has tacitly approved."

Daoist Yu listened in silence. He chanted, "Boundless Celestial Venerable," and shook his head grimly. "Speak no more of merging the sects. We will cede this mountain. We only ask that you masters allow us to descend."

"Oh? Do you have any idea how momentous the return of the Qingcheng Sect will be? Miss this opportunity, and trying to merge later will not be so simple."

"Please, Masters, for the sake of our shared lineage, allow us to descend the mountain."

Yu Zhengnan gave a slight bow, his face impassive.

"So be it. You can’t force something that’s not meant to be. Do as you wish, but the ancient artifacts and texts on this mountain must remain."

"This... Fine!"

After a brief moment of hesitation, Yu Zhengnan agreed.

"Senior Brother!"

Yun Hao was frantic.

Yu Zhengnan shook his head, tugged on his robes, and started to lead him out of the main hall.

Outside, disciples who had heard the commotion had already gathered.

Yu Zhengnan looked down at the disciples on the steps below and announced in a clear voice, "Today, the original Qingcheng Sect has returned. My Qingcheng Sword Sect will no longer occupy this blessed mountain. Any disciple willing to follow me, gather at the main gate in ten minutes to descend the mountain with me."

With that, Yu Zhengnan and Yun Hao went straight to their quarters to pack their belongings.

The disciples who had rushed over looked at one another, unsure of what to do.

Just then, the white-bearded Daoist stepped out and announced loudly:

"The Court has already consented to our return! For those of you willing to stay, the Qingcheng Sect will treat you as our own and bestow upon you Peak Martial Arts!"

After he spoke, he held out one hand, palm facing up. A radiant glow rose from his palm, suddenly flaring to reveal a coiling Fire Dragon that illuminated the entire Daoist Temple, making it as bright as day.

"This..."

The disciples were aghast. ’What kind of Martial Arts is this? The dragon is so lifelike... It’s incredible!’

’It’s simply unimaginable!’

"We are willing to stay!"

A small group of disciples, their eyes burning with fervor, lowered their heads and pledged to stay.

A flicker of conflict showed in the eyes of the remaining disciples. After a moment of hesitation, the majority turned and left the plaza.

「Ten minutes later.」

Outside the main gate, Yu Zhengnan looked at the twenty-odd disciples behind him, who were carrying bags of all sizes. A faint smile touched his lips.

"Good. Very good."

"Let’s go!"

Yu Zhengnan strode toward the path leading down the mountain.

Most of these were core disciples who had survived the Demon’s attack on the mountain and had personally received instruction from Zhao Rui.

As for the young disciples the Court had forced into the sect, none had followed, save for a youth named Du Xin.

The Shouzhuo Little Daoist looked back at the familiar mountain gate with a sorrowful expression, tears welling in his eyes.

’He couldn’t understand. It was their home, so why did they have to give it up?’

’Doesn’t the Court care?’

’Don’t the Patrols care?’

’Junior Elder, where are you? They’ve taken over our home!’

The lingering glow of the setting sun washed over the mountain path, stretching the shadows of the Daoists long behind them.

「Meanwhile.」

In the heart of the Central Plains, numerous major sects—Kongtong, Shaolin, Mount Emei, Huashan, Taishan, and others—were all experiencing something strange: the sudden appearance of large groups of Martial Artists claiming to be their "fellow disciples."

Not only were these individuals’ Martial Arts profound and unfathomable, but they were also intimately familiar with their respective sects’ legacies from centuries ago. In terms of generational seniority, they even ranked several generations above the current veteran Elders of each sect.

Not only did these people have an unimpeachable lineage, but they were also recognized by the Court. Even the sect mergers had been given tacit approval.

Many sects, though reluctant, felt they had no choice but to merge, whether due to intimidation from the newcomers’ power or other considerations.

Others, like Mount Emei and Kongtong, which had long, unbroken lineages and had been in contact with these returning branches for some time, did not object. In fact, they welcomed the merger with open arms.

Shaolin, however, was an exception.

Perhaps because they had a historical precedent for schisms.

This time, Shaolin split once more.

One faction of Monks refused the merger. Led by Instructor Elder Zen Master Huinan, they traveled to Fujian to join the Fujian Shaolin.

In addition to the famous major sects, some smaller sects and Martial Dao families long thought lost to time also saw their people return.

These included the likes of the Tang Sect and the Mixed Yuan Qi Sect.

With the entire populace now practicing martial arts, coupled with this sudden upheaval among the sects, the landscape of the Martial Arts World was irrevocably altered.

...

「A military camp on the frontier.」

Zhao Rui received a message from Yu Zhengnan, his brow furrowing slightly.

Knowing what little he did about Gui Xu, he naturally understood the origins of these people.

They were all descendants of the Central Plains sects that had entered Gui Xu over five hundred years ago.

’When it comes to legitimate lineage, they’re the ones who truly hold authority,’ he thought. ’After all, they are the genuine members of the Qingcheng Sect.’

’But, as Yu Zhengnan had said, the current Qingcheng Sword Sect was rebuilt from ruins only a few decades ago.’

’Though they shared a common origin, they were now two distinct sects.’

’As the man in charge of the Qingcheng Sword Sect, Yu Zhengnan didn’t have the power to resist a takeover by the original Qingcheng Sect, but he also couldn’t let the Sword Sect disappear under his leadership.’

’Therefore, abandoning their mountain home—sacrificing the land to save the people—was the only thing he could do.’

’As for the path ahead, they could only take it one step at a time.’

’Even Yu Zhengnan himself didn’t know if he had made the right decision.’

After finishing the message, Zhao Rui fell silent.

’To be honest, he was quite fond of Qingcheng Mountain. It was... well, he just felt a connection to the place.’

’He truly hadn’t expected a situation like this to arise.’