However, by now, the original conflict within True Martial Sect has already been resolved. Indeed, Taoist Qingxu has thoroughly suppressed all dissidence within the Sect, and with Qingyang Zi's return to True Martial Sect at the sixth level of the Spirit Realm, no one will have any doubts about him anymore.
Everything requires prior planning. The existence of the Taoist Academy is rather significant for Pei Xuanjing. Beside serving as the force that helps Pei Xuanjing push many things forward and the spark igniting all of it, the Academy is fundamentally important in maintaining the contribution point system today.
The Taoist Academy is no longer what it used to be. The current system of the Academy is vast, and its thorough operation requires sufficient capability. It's not a job that everyone can handle.
If Qingyang Zi chooses to return to True Martial Sect, Pei Xuanjing, if he doesn't want to handle these affairs personally, needs to look ahead and select a successor for Qingyang Zi. It's not necessarily about furthering the development of the Academy, but at least maintaining its current progression.
"Regarding this matter, I need to discuss with my fellow senior disciple before I can return an answer to the Academy head," Qingyang Zi contemplated for a moment and replied slowly.
Upon hearing Pei Xuanjing's query, he initially thought that Pei Xuanjing felt that he had held the position of the Vice-Principal of the Academy for too long and thus wanted him to give up his position.
However, Qingyang Zi quickly grasped the real intention of the other party. After all, he also bears the identity of an elder in the True Martial Sect.
Being a vice-principal of the Taoist Academy, he was well-versed in various situations in Heaven and Earth. He knew that a turbulent era was coming. All forces would inevitably rise at this opportunity. If they missed this chance, they would lose the opportunity to emerge, and their original strength might decline due to this.
Thus, in order to be powerful in the future, all forces would fight wholeheartedly at this time. Obviously, the True Martial Sect would not stand aloof.
As part of True Martial Sect, if the Sect needs him in such circumstances, he would naturally not refuse.
In such a scenario, Pei Xuanjing would definitely need to prepare; otherwise, his sudden departure would bring a lot of trouble to Pei Xuanjing.
"Naturally, it should be so. Wait until you return from the cultivation in the Small Thousand Worlds, then go back to the True Martial Sect and discuss with Taoist Qingxu before making a decision," Pei Xuanjing nodded in response.
Actually, he was quite satisfied with Qingyang Zi's answer. After all, Qingyang Zi was from True Martial Sect. Even if he held a high position in the Academy, if he decisively rejected when the Sect needed him and couldn't abandon his position, even if it was beneficial to Pei Xuanjing, he would feel uncomfortable.
But now, he was pleased with Qingyang Zi's answer. After discussing with Taoist Qingxu, whichever the result maybe, Pei Xuanjing wouldn't mind.
The two discussed for a long time. Qingyang Zi explained to Pei Xuanjing that he had long been prepared for this day, so he had deliberately observed and nurtured some people over the years. Hence, even if he suddenly left, there would be someone able to take his place and keep the Academy developing steadily.
Pei Xuanjing was satisfied with this. With his strength and realm, he didn't care who would be in charge of the Taoist Academy next, as long as it didn't affect his plans or broke his rules, he could accept it.
Of course, if possible, letting Qingyang Zi continue to be in charge would be more in line with his heart's desire.
In the following time, Pei Xuanjing and Qingyang Zi got to know the specific situation of the Academy. Although Pei Xuanjing could monitor the specific conditions of Taoist Academies in all parts of Heaven and Earth anytime if he wanted to.
However, Pei Xuanjing didn't want to do that at the moment, not only because it was a waste of time, but also because his mind and power were restrained at this moment and he couldn't freely deploy his incarnations frivolously.
After suppressing the Taixu Venerable, Pei Xuanjing sealed him in the Longevity World, using the formation to immerse Taixu Venerable's origin to facilitate the evolution of the Longevity World. After all, the origin of a powerful person who has stepped into the ninth layer of the Spirit Realm is immensely powerful—a massive replenishment for the newly opened Small Thousand World of Longevity World, which can bring about earth-shaking changes.
Although Pei Xuanjing had the power to suppress the Taixu Venerable before, he actually took advantage of the situation. He borrowed the power of the Divine Position and the help of the Longevity World to suppress the Taixu Venerable.
A supreme power in the ninth layer of the Spirit Realm is a supreme person who has reached the peak in cultivation and is exploring the Immortal Path, attempting to transform into a true immortal with immortality. Even if they leave Heaven and Earth, they can survive in boundless chaos. Their vitality far exceeds imagination.
Even if Pei Xuanjing suppressed the Taixu Venerable, it was very difficult to completely strip the other's essence and use it as the nutrient for the Longevity World's transformation—at least before Pei Xuanjing broke through to the ninth realm of the Spirit Realm. It could only be worn down over a long period of time.
However, after Pei Xuanjing's breakthrough, this was no longer a problem. His breakthrough was a great reciprocation for the Longevity World, which accelerated the refining speed of Taixu Venerable unknown many times over.
Therefore, most of Pei Xuanjing's incarnation powers were in the Longevity World at this moment. Temporarily converging with the Longevity World, he tried his best to suppress, deprive, and snatch the original source of Taixu Venerable.
At this moment, the one who stayed in the World of Great Ming was just one of Pei Xuanjing's several incarnations, a small part of his primordial god power. Even so, Pei Xuanjing's power was still not inferior to any of the supreme beings.
Remember the last projection incarnation simulation in the Immortal Sect World. Pei Xuanjing's gain wasn't just the opportunity to break through the ninth level of the Spirit Realm and enter the strongest realm. He also completed his plan for his Divine Court. Having sat on the throne of the Divine Court for hundreds of years, Pei Xuanjing was nourished by all beings. This, coupled with his later retreat to understand the Heaven's Dao, kept perfecting and making up for his Jade Purity True Monarch's divine position authority, which has now become close to perfection.
One could say, Pei Xuanjing's Jade Purity True Monarch's divine position is now on par with the strongest at the ninth level of the Spirit Realm. If he was willing to lend the Sanbao Jade Ruyi to some cultivators, as long as they could bear the terrifying pressure, they could unleash the power equal to the strongest with the help of Sanbao Jade Ruyi.
After talking about the Taoist Academy with Qingyang Zi, Pei Xuanjing's incarnation quietly vanished, just as quietly as he appeared.
Beyond the territories of the Great Ming Divine Dynasty, after the revival of Heaven and Earth, the world seemed to have expanded several times over. The territories under the jurisdiction of the Great Ming Divine Dynasty were already incredibly vast, but areas several times larger still existed beyond their boundary.
These were places beyond the reach of the Great Ming Divine Dynasty, and it was not the Dynasty that called the shots here. This was the foundation of countless sects and ancient countries. Aside from the few local forces of the Great Ming with actual power, the remaining forces were many that returned from the Sky Wasteland.
Although Pei Xuanjing's decree still existed here, preventing average cultivators from attacking mortals, the law of the jungle that prevailed in the Sky Wasteland continued. Here, the rule of power was more effective than any reasoning.
At the Shenxiao Sect's station, Pang Hong, the vice head of the Sect, suddenly opened his eyes, witnessing a hazy figure growing solid before him.
"Master!" Pang Hong greeted respectfully.
After the revival of Heaven and Earth, many forces from the Sky Wasteland returned. They did not encroach on the territory of the Great Ming Divine Dynasty, but those regions outside the Dynasty were divided among them, serving as their footholds after returning to their ancestral lands.
Indeed, this was a hunting ground for numerous forces from the Sky Wasteland, and many native forces of the Daming World could not compete. But this did not mean the Shenxiao Sect couldn't.
With Pei Xuanjing, the strongest, taking charge, even if the Shenxiao Sect only had a few cultivators at the Sixth Level of the Spirit Realm besides Pei Xuanjing, the territory they occupied was not inferior to those top-tier forces. And no force had voiced opposition to this situation.
The Shenxiao Sect's main forces had been stationed here over the years, continuously consolidating their new stronghold. Pang Hong, as the vice head, also spent most of the time here, cultivating and managing Shenxiao Sect's affairs on the side.
After Pei Xuanjing achieved the Strongest Realm, Pang Hong once expressed his wish to return to Shenxiao Mountain through a message, but Pei Xuanjing dismissed the idea, saying that he would be the one to come.
"You've performed better than I had anticipated." Pei Xuanjing voiced his satisfaction to Pang Hong.
The moment his incarnation arrived, his vast Primordial God Power allowed him to fully understand everything at the Shenxiao Sect's station. The number and strength of the Shenxiao Sect's disciples here were stronger than he had anticipated.
Even if the continuous expansion and strengthening of the Shenxiao Sect over the years could be attributed to Pei Xuanjing's support, the tight-knit and ever-prospering operation of the immense Shenxiao Sect had a strong correlation with Pang Hong's diligent work.
"It is my duty!" Upon hearing Pei Xuanjing's praise, Pang Hong showed no signs of complacency.
Pei Xuanjing chuckled without further comment. Over the years, he had come to understand the character of his disciple quite well.
"Over the years, have you encountered any problems that you need me to solve?" Pei Xuanjing inquired.
No matter how you looked at it, he was still the head of Shenxiao Sect. Although he didn't handle day-to-day affairs, he should at least make inquiries since he was here.
"The sect has been developing smoothly in recent years. Although there have been some issues, Elder Deer has taken care of them. For everything else, there is no need to trouble you, Master." Pang Hong shook his head.
Having a Strongest Realm cultivator at the Ninth Level of the Spirit Realm as a chief, no one usually dared to cause trouble.
Even though various ancient countries and sects have started to claim territories, everyone still intentionally showed restraint during the expansion. Even though there were disputes, they were manageable.
After all, every force and cultivator clearly understood that the major event at present was the two realms merging plan set by the many strongest individuals. No one would act rashly at this time, going against the will of the strongest.
Within this grand scheme, even if Shenxiao Sect had some conflicts with other forces, the presence of Elder Deer, a powerful cultivator at the Eighth Level of the Spirit Realm, was sufficient to deal with a lot of matters.
"If that's the case, it's good," Pei Xuanjing nodded.
He inquired not to bully others with his power, but if anyone or any cultivator was being unreasonable and trying to cause trouble at this time, he would definitely not sit idly by.
"However, over these years, you seem to be a bit distracted. You've put too much focus on affairs, neglecting your cultivation," Pei Xuanjing frowned, remarking upon seeing Pang Hong's strength.
Pang Hong is currently in the Fifth Level of the Spirit Realm. It's indeed exceptional for a person his age to reach this level, even among disciples from major forces. However, Pei Xuanjing wasn't exactly satisfied. Resources received by Pang Hong were by no means comparable to others, even those geniuses from top-tier forces could not match the resources and cultivation he had received.
The affairs of Shenxiao Sect were important, but they were not as important as his own cultivation. Pei Xuanjing did entrust the affairs of Shenxiao Sect to Pang Hong and allowed him to handle them, but he didn't expect Pang Hong to pour all his energy into these affairs, thus neglecting his own cultivation.
"Yes, I shall bear Master's teachings in mind," came Pang Hong's reply.
As far as Pang Hong was concerned, whatever his master said was right; there was nothing debatable about it.
"Good!" Pei Xuanjing nodded. "At times, you can delegate tasks to others. There is no need for you to handle everything yourself and thereby neglect cultivation."
He advised Pang Hong accordingly.
However, while talking, Pei Xuanjing suddenly noticed something. A hint of surprise flashed in his eyes as he asked, "Have you been cultivating the Nine Revolutions Divine Sky Skill and trying to condense a Golden Core?"
Initially, upon coming in, he only noticed that Pang Hong's cultivation level was the Fifth Level of Spirit Realm. He thought that Shenxiao Sect's affairs had delayed Pang Hong's cultivation, thus he began counseling him.
During the counseling process, Pei Xuanjing used his Primordial God Power to probe Pang Hong's cultivation progress, checking his foundation and future cultivation path.
He wasn't bothered until he probed, but what he found left Pei Xuanjing extremely surprised. He had sensed the running trajectory of the Nine Revolutions Divine Sky Skill and traces of a failed Golden Core condensation attempt within Pang Hong.
Pei Xuanjing himself had tried countless times to condense a Golden Core while attempting to create the Golden Core Dao, combining essence, energy, and spirit.
Although it was a cursory glance, he strongly believed his judgment. Therefore, he raised the question to Pang Hong.
"Yes, I am currently trying to focus on cultivating the Nine Revolutions Divine Sky Skill and wish to form the Golden Core," Pang Hong confessed.
As Pei Xuanjing's disciple, currently the freshly promoted top powerhouse's only disciple, the resources he receives for his cultivation are beyond comparison even to the most elite forces borne out of supreme clans.
Pang Hong was initially an ordinary man, or rather a dull-witted mortal. However, his greatest fortune was encountering Pei Xuanjing. With such a mentor, his prospects surpassed many others.
Starting his practices as a mortal martial artist, Pang Hong's aptitudes improved when he broke through the Mortal Realm at the Third-grade level, changing his fate. Although it fell short compared to the exceptional individuals, it was above average.
If that was all there was to it, even if Pang Hong had broken through the Spirit Realm, his original aptitude wouldn't have allowed him to advance much further.
But he had a good mentor. When Pang Hong broke through to the Spirit Realm, his mentor did everything possible to improve his aptitude. As Pei Xuanjing's strength increased, he poured immense efforts into nurturing his disciple, thus affording him an aptitude unexcelled among some geniuses.
After all, enhancing one's cultivation aptitude is extremely difficult, even for the strongest. If it wasn't for the fact that Pei Xuanjing only had one disciple, he wouldn't have expended so much effort on this.
What truly caused Pang Hong's aptitude to transform was the time he entered the Longevity World for cultivation when Pei Xuanjing opened up the Small Thousand World.
Generally, when people enter the Longevity World for cultivation, they can only reach enlightenment through their abilities, gaining some opportunities from the Longevity World. However, when Pang Hong entered, Pei Xuanjing personally helped him undergo transformation, even sacrificing some of the World Origin of the Longevity World to greatly elevate Pang Hong's aptitude to the top.
It can be said that after Pei Xuanjing's hard work training him, now that Pang Hong has stepped into the Seventh Level of the Spiritual Realm, his path has been unobstructed, and the Spirit Realm Eightfold is also a possibility. As for the Nine Realms of Spirit, the Strongest Realm, Pei Xuanjing could do nothing to help. It was all up to his own fate now.
Even so, with his luck and opportunities, if word got out, countless cultivators would be envious, wishing they could be in his stead. Even the top geniuses of the top forces, who receive extensive training from their sect, would not receive such a cost-no-object advancement. After all, they have other competitors with whom they must share.
Even the prodigies among the top forces, who haven't yet truly stepped into the Eightfold Spirit Realm, dare not claim they could easily reach this step.
However, for Pang Hong, his goal was not that. If this was his previous situation, with his aptitude, he could only go this far, and he would not have great ambitions.
But now that his aptitude is sufficient to support him in going to higher places, Pang Hong naturally doesn't want to stand still.
"Previously, I couldn't keep up with my mentor's pace, and could only silently watch his back, doing what I could to help him. But now that I have this chance to reach the peak, I need to seize it and not let this opportunity pass," Pang Hong thought.
To him, from the moment he was accepted by Pei Xuanjing, he was determined to repay his mentor, doing all he could to lighten his mentor's worries.
He originally thought that with his aptitude, he could reach where he was today; he couldn't fight side by side with his mentor to face enemies, but he could handle some other matters to relieve his mentor's worries.
Now that he has the chance to reach the peak, he definitely wants to follow in the footsteps of his mentor Pei Xuanjing, never to rest.
With such thoughts in his mind, he made a decision: to change his cultivation to the Nine Revolutions Divine Sky Skill, to embark on the path of the Golden Core Dao, to become even stronger, to do more for his mentor.
Because he has been trying to cultivate the Nine Revolutions Divine Sky Skill and form the Golden Core over the years, his cultivation has slowed down, and he has not yet reached the level that Pei Xuanjing anticipated.
This is quite understandable. After all, he is not Pei Xuanjing, without the aid of a simulator. Even though Pei Xuanjing's Nine Revolutions Divine Sky Skill has been perfected and the process of exploration has been skipped, it is still not easy to focus on cultivating the Golden Core Dao.
The Golden Core Dao is now a major path in heaven and earth, especially after Pei Xuanjing, the strongest powerhouse, pursued the Golden Core Dao, drawing the pursuit of countless people.
However, even though Pei Xuanjing has generously made the Nine Revolutions Divine Sky Skill available to all cultivators in the Taoist Academy's contribution system to attempt cultivation, over these years, there have been very few practitioners who have made any advances.
The balance of essence, energy, and spirit, the interdependence and joint progress, indeed provide strong combat power, but they also make the practice incredibly slow. Even if many cultivators from the Taoist School have a solid foundation, attempting to focus on it is very difficult.
Nevertheless, although this delayed his cultivation and Pei Xuanjing misunderstood him as not devoting himself to practice, Pang Hong made no attempt to explain.
"Oh, why do this?", sighed Pei Xuanjing, shaking his head.
The power of the Golden Core Dao goes without saying, but this potent Dao is difficult to cultivate. He himself went through countless attempts and errors initially. Even if he had the aid of a simulator, even with enough theory to form a Golden Core would be difficult, let alone Pang Hong.
Pang Hong originally cultivated the orthodox direct inheritance method of the Shenxiao Sect, which was derived from all the martial arts books Pei Xuanjing obtained from the Shenxiao Sect. Although it only reaches the eighth level of the Spirit Realm, if Pang Hong could reach this step in the future and refine the Innate Divine Thunder with the help of Pei Xuanjing, he might have the chance to step into the strongest realm.
It can be said that Pei Xuanjing has already paved the way for Pang Hong, and this path is much easier than cultivating the Golden Core Dao.
"But I still want to cultivate the Golden Core Dao," Pang Hong insisted.
He understood his master's intention, but as a direct disciple of his master, he wanted to follow his master's path and inherit his master's mantle.
"Very well, let me let you try, if you fail, just give up!" Pei Xuanjing thought for a moment and said.
His disciple was so determined, how could he stop him? After all, what he simply thinks is good for him may not be the best.
No matter what, let him try, even if he fails, with Pei Xuanjing around, it won't affect anything and there's plenty of opportunity for compensation.
"Thank you, master, for allowing me," Pang Hong said excitedly.
Pei Xuanjing smiled and said, "Well, since that's the case, you should delegate your duties to others first, and follow me to a place where it's most conducive to your cultivation."
He was thinking about the Small Thousand World he opened up. In that world, his control would greatly exceed what he has now, and he would be able to help him. Even if it fails, there is a chance to make up for it.
"I understand," Pang Hong nodded in agreement.
Next, Pang Hong immediately handed over some of his duties and followed Pei Xuanjing into the Longevity World.