Within My Sect, All Realms Unite

As everyone climbed back onto the ship, their movements were slow and heavy, the exhaustion from the battle finally settling into their bodies. Han Leu could no longer continue, his condition clearly unstable, so he sat down without saying a word, leaving the control of the ship for now.

Lin Xiaotian turned toward Chu Yue and spoke calmly, "Miss Chu, could you help us once more before we depart?" Hearing this, she paused for a brief moment, then casually tossed a space ring toward him before stepping forward without hesitation.

"I’ll come with you for now, Sect Master," she said simply, her tone steady, yet her gaze lingered slightly as if trying to understand something deeper.

"I really want to see just how extraordinary this man and his sect are," she thought inwardly, "he has already surprised me far too many times."

Lin Xiaotian caught the ring and quickly scanned its contents, and the moment he did, his expression almost shifted before he forced it back under control. The amount of spirit stones inside was ridiculous, far beyond what he had expected from a single exchange.

For a brief moment, he thought of that great patron they had dealt with during the forest venture, and the conclusion formed naturally in his mind. These sects were not just wealthy, they were drowning in resources.

Without wasting time, he moved toward the core compartment and began pouring spirit stones into it one after another without hesitation. The energy lines within the ship lit up gradually as the fuel source stabilized, responding to the sudden influx.

With Chu Yue assisting from the side, the ship slowly rose, adjusting its direction before gaining steady altitude. Once it stabilized, the tension in everyone’s bodies eased slightly as they finally allowed themselves to rest.

Lin Xiaotian leaned back slightly, watching the clouds shift below them as the ship moved forward. "Fuck," he muttered inwardly, "flying this thing without a Golden Core is way too expensive."

Just as that thought crossed his mind, Han Leu quietly appeared beside him and sat down, his gaze fixed on the endless stretch of clouds ahead. After a moment of silence, he spoke in a low voice.

"Sect Master, I’m confused." Lin Xiaotian turned slightly Calmly looking at Han Leu

"You could have killed those beasts in a single strike, and you could have easily caught that worm as well," Han Leu continued slowly. "So why don’t you use your true power outside the sect?"

For a brief moment, Lin Xiaotian did not respond. On the surface, he looked calm, even faintly amused, but inside his thoughts were already moving rapidly. "So... it’s finally time to use that story," he thought, a faint sense of satisfaction rising. "Sooner or later, I had to say it anyway."

He let out a quiet breath and then asked instead, "How much do you know about our sect?"

Han Leu frowned slightly. "I’ve never even heard its name before, Sect Master," he admitted honestly. "Even now, I don’t know much about it."

Lin Xiaotian nodded slowly, as if that answer was expected. "Then listen carefully," he said, his tone calm but carrying a certain weight.

"Our sect... was once the most illustrious one in ancient times." He paused briefly, letting the weight of those words settle before continuing. "All realms bowed before it, not out of respect, but because they had no choice."

His gaze shifted toward the horizon, calm and steady, as if none of this was worth exaggerating. "And not just this small continent," he added quietly, "even the Dao itself once acknowledged its existence."

"Our sect spanned across countless realms when it was first built, and no one truly knows when that beginning was," he continued, his tone unchanged. "The only thing recorded is that it existed before the current heavens were fully established."

"The power of our sect was such that even the premier sects of this continent together would not equal a single outer branch," he said calmly. "And many so-called peak experts would not even qualify to step inside the gates."

"If an inner disciple descended into a realm, the Dao of that realm itself would lower itself," he added, his voice steady. "Let alone the elders, who did not need to act for things to change."

A brief silence followed as the wind passed quietly between them. "But that era did not last forever," Lin Xiaotian said, his expression not changing as he continued. "Something struck the universe itself, something that even the heavens could not ignore."

"Our sect stood at the front and led the resistance," he said calmly, as if stating a simple fact. "The war lasted for millenniums, and in the end... we won."

His eyes did not shift. "But victory was not the end," he continued quietly. "We were betrayed from within and attacked again from outside at the same time."

"The ones we protected turned against us," he said, his tone still steady. "And the enemy we had already defeated returned when we were at our weakest."

A faint pause followed. "In the end, even the will of the universe itself moved against us," Lin Xiaotian said calmly. "What remained of the sect was suppressed, scattered, and erased from most records."

He finally turned his head slightly toward Han Leu. "Even now, as the last inheritor, I cannot freely display my true power," he added quietly. "The moment I do, the Dao and the will of the universe will notice."

His lips curved faintly. "So what you see from me... is only what is allowed."

Then Lin Xiaotian stood up slowly, his robe shifting slightly as his gaze turned sharp and steady, no longer distant but filled with intent. His voice came out calm, yet carried a weight that pressed on everyone present without needing to rise.

"But now it is time for this sect to rise again and stand against everything that once suppressed it," he said firmly. "Time to defy the heavens once more and walk a path that others would not even dare to think about."

He stepped forward slightly, his eyes settling directly on Han Leu as his tone remained steady and unwavering. "I ask you today, are you willing to walk beside me and stand against the heavens itself, Elder Han?"

For a brief moment, there was complete silence as the weight of those words settled into the air around them. Then Han Leu stood up without hesitation and dropped to one knee, his movements steady despite his exhausted state.

"Where you walk, I will follow, Sect Master, even if that path leads against the heavens themselves." he said firmly, without the slightest trace of doubt in his voice.

At the same moment, all the disciples behind him moved together and knelt down in a unified formation, their actions instinctive as if this decision had already been made long ago. Their posture was steady, and not a single one of them hesitated.

A chant slowly rose from them, low at first but growing steady as it repeated again and again without breaking. "Defy the heavens... defy the heavens... defy the heavens..."

Lin Xiaotian raised his hand slightly, and the chant stopped almost instantly as silence returned just as quickly. He looked at them for a brief moment before speaking again, his tone calm but carrying authority.

"Stand up," he said simply, and they obeyed without delay, rising back to their feet in perfect coordination.

His gaze shifted to Han Leu first as he spoke in a steady and unquestionable tone. "From this moment onward, you will serve as the First Elder of this sect and stand at its front."

Han Leu lowered his head slightly in acknowledgment, accepting the position without a single unnecessary word.

Lin Xiaotian then turned toward the disciples, his gaze moving across them one by one before stopping at Yan Feng. His expression remained calm, but his voice carried a quiet firmness as he spoke.

"You will stand as the First Senior Brother and lead the others in both cultivation and responsibility within the sect."

He shifted his gaze without pause, his tone remaining even and controlled as he continued assigning positions. "Xiaoshan will stand as the Second, and Miao Tianhe will take the position of the Third." 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

His eyes moved again, steady and without hesitation, as he continued speaking with the same calm authority. "Miao-Miao will stand as the Fourth, while Li Qingyun and Miao Han will take the Fifth and Sixth positions respectively."

He looked at all of them once more, his expression calm yet firm as his words carried a clear meaning behind them. "These positions are not given for status or advantage, but for the responsibilities that come with them."

"I chose all of you because I believe you are capable of carrying that weight," he continued, his tone steady. "Do not prove that judgment wrong."

Silence followed his words as none of them spoke, yet every single one of them lowered their heads again in acknowledgment. There were no grand replies, no loud declarations, only a quiet understanding that settled among them.

Lin Xiaotian turned away slowly, his robe shifting lightly as he looked forward once more, his expression returning to calm.

What he did not know was how close the story he had just told was to the truth.