As the massive gates of the Eternal Sect groaned open, a figure stepped forward whose presence alone commanded the air. A powerful Golden Core peak aura surged from him like an invisible tide, washing over the waiting crowd and forcing an instinctive, reverent silence. Yue Hua, sensing a level of power that eclipsed her own, led her five elders and thousands of disciples in a deep bow, their voices rising in a unified greeting as they hailed the man as an "Elder" of the sect. The sheer weight of his spiritual pressure made their hearts race,
confirming their belief that only a high-ranking official could possess such profound strength.
However, the figure quickly waved his hand in visible embarrassment, correcting them with a humble tone that sent a shockwave through the assembly: "No, no. I don't deserve the title of Elder; I am just a simple steward of the sect." He relayed the Sect Master's command to bring them to the main hall for the ongoing meeting, but his words felt like a shattering explosion in the minds of the Serene Willow members. The realization that a "simple steward" possessed a peak Golden Core cultivation—surpassing even Yue Hua's level 4 status—left them drenched in cold sweat. Confusion and awe warred within them as they struggled to reconcile this display of power with their understanding of the Eternal Sect as a mere 9th-tier entity.
Following the steward deeper into the heart of the sect, the Serene Willow group was immediately rendered speechless by the sights that met their eyes. The landscape was a testament to a foundation so profound and ancient that it felt as if they were stepping into a forgotten era of legends. The eerie silence of the grounds—a result of every single member being gathered in the meeting room—only amplified their growing sense of fear. Each building and formation they passed radiated a level of power that shattered their previous assumptions, leaving them to realize that the Eternal Sect's true depth was something far beyond their limited comprehension.
Upon reaching the base of the main peak, the group began the long ascent up the celestial stairs, guided by the steward whose calm demeanor stood in stark contrast to their inner turmoil. Along the way, Yue Hua and the elders pressed the steward with hurried, anxious questions, but the humble answers they received only served to deepen their dread. Every inch of the mountain path was infused with such high-grade spiritual energy and sophisticated arrays that the elders felt their hands tremble; the more they learned, the more they feared the sheer scale of the power that had been hiding in plain sight.
The journey finally brought them to the summit, where they stood breathless outside the towering gates of the grand main hall. The atmospheric pressure at this height was immense, thick with the concentrated essence of the law that seemed to weigh down on their very souls. Standing before the obsidian gates, the thousands of Serene Willow disciples were silenced by the overwhelming majesty and the aura of "horror" that leaked from the hall's interior. They stood on the threshold, huddled together in a mix of reverence and terror, waiting for the final step that would bring them face-to-face with the master of this impossible realm.
The steward bowed low toward the massive obsidian gates, his voice clear as he announced the arrival of the Serene Willow Sect. From within the deep, cosmic silence of the hall, Huai's voice rang out—a gentle command that carried the weight of an ancient deity, booming with a resonance that vibrated through their very marrow: "Come in." As the doors parted, Yue Hua and her followers stepped into a nightmare of beauty. The obsidian floors revealed an endless star-field beneath their feet, and above, the very laws of space and time seemed to weave together in a chaotic dance of galaxies and nebulae that left the newcomers physically reeling from the sheer grandeur of the site.
The true shock, however, came from the rows of silent figures flanking the path to the throne. The Serene Willow group found themselves walking through a corridor of titans; the oppressive, world-shaking auras of Void Refinement and Soul Transformation masters pressed down on them like the gravity of a collapsing star. Even the hundreds of Nascent Soul and Golden Core experts standing in the wings possessed a depth of Qi that made the five elders feel like flickering candles next to a raging sun. Their bodies began to tremble uncontrollably as they realized that the "steward" who led them was merely the tip of a terrifying iceberg—a foundation so deep it could crush their entire region with a single thought.
At the end of the hall, bathed in the soft, iridescent light of the cosmic phenomena, sat Shen Huai. His otherworldly appearance—the deep blue robes with golden inscriptions, the glowing red mark on his brow, and the silver and golden chains chiming softly in his long black hair—exuded an aura of unknown mystery that defied mortal comprehension. Overwhelmed by the sight of him sitting like a progenitor at the apex of the universe, the thousands of Serene Willow disciples and their elders collapsed into a unified, thunderous kowtow. "Greetings, Sect Master!" they cried out, their voices cracking with reverence as they officially announced their total submission, offering their lives and legacies to the eternal sovereign of the nine peaks.
Huai nodded then said, " Yue Hua , from now on I'm appointing you as the vice peak master of the wood peak."
He gave a Cultivation ring to her as he gave to the elders of the sect ,
Yue hua accepted the ring but when she saw what's was inside she said to huai hurriedly, " Sect leader maybe you gave me the wrong Cultivation ring."
The whole hall rang in huge laughter , even personal disciples and inner , outer disciples laughed without restraint.
At this time Mu Qing said , " yue hua , don't worry about it it's really yours , sect master gave you the right Cultivation ring."
Huai also looked at Yue hua and nodded with a smile . Yue hua become so happy that if she could jump she would. You should know there are atleast a amount of low tier 8th grade sect's treasure in inside the ring.
Then huai looked at the 5 elders and said , " elder Mu ran , shui lian , liu feng , qing Zhu and yan song you will also join the wood peak as the inner elders of the sect ." Then he waved his hand and 5 other cultivation rings carried by wind landed on their hands .
When they saw what was inside they felt why yue hua acted like that , there was a whole 9th tier higher level sect's treasure in each cultivation rings but seeing the before reaction they all bowed towards huai and said , " thank you sect master."
Huai just waved his hand as his acknowledgement. Then looked at the rest stewards of the serene willow sect and the near 500 inner disciples and near 1000 outer sect disciples of the serene willow sect.
Huai said to them , " all stewards of the serene willow sect will join the ranks of my sect's steward ranks, all inner disciples of serene willow sect will join the ranks of wood peak inner disciples ranks .and for the outer sect disciples you can choose which peak to join but as a outer disciples first."
Their sect also have exams each year by which they can join the inner disciples as a inner disciple , so every outer sect disciples felt happy that their new sect master is really magnanimous.
Then huai waved his hand and each steward , inner disciples and outer sect disciples of the serene willow sect get a cultivation ring .
In steward's and inner disciple's rings , there were the whole treasures of 9th tier low grade sect's treasure and for outer disciples they had the same amount that huai gave to the Eternal Sect outer disciples.
Everyone checked their ring and saw what was inside , by just seeing this evryone bowed towards huai and said loudly, " thankyou for showing us your grace Sect leader."
Huai nodded then said to Mu Qing, " elder , from now on they'll be under your jurisdiction. They didn't have the foundation of our sect yet let them enter The Eternal Time Tower for a week . And arrange their courtyards."
Mu Qing nodded and said , " As you say , Sect leader."
Huai nodded at him then said out loud , "now that you just get out of the cultivation tower , consolidate your realm for a week or two in your own coartyards ."
" The meeting is adjourned" just by saying this he vanished from the throne .
Evryone looked at the direction where he vanished and started discussing the things that happened in the sect , the eternal sect members accepted the new members with open arms started discussing the matters that happened before they arrive . Everyone was happy in their own way...
The dispersal from the Eternal Hall was a river of white and jade robes, moving with a grace that only high-level cultivation could provide. Yue Hua and the five elders were led to palatial manors on the Wood Peak, where the spiritual density was so high that it manifested as a gentle, restorative dew. For the first time, the Stewards and Inner Disciples stepped into their private, fortified courtyards—sanctuaries of moon-white stone designed to isolate them from all worldly distractions. Even the Outer Disciples found their individual rooms to be marvels of architecture, each equipped with "Spirit-Anchor Arrays" that hummed a lullaby of concentrated energy. For the former Serene Willow members, this was not just a change of residence, but a total elevation of their existence.
While the "old" members of the sect—those who had recently completed their grueling refinement—settled into the centers of their new courtyards for deep consolidation, a different movement occurred at the Time Tower. Under the silent gaze of the Void Refinement Hall Masters, the newly joined Serene Willow disciples filed into the tower's shimmering portal. As the doors sealed, they began a journey where years of meditation would be compressed into mere hours of external time. Outside, the atmosphere was one of intense, static power; thousands of cultivators sat in "Sun-and-Moon" meditation, stabilizing their surging realms and turning their raw Qi into a solid, diamond-like foundation.
By the time the midnight moon reached its zenith, the Eternal Sect had fallen into a silence so deep it felt sacred. There was no mundane chatter or wasted movement—only the faint, rhythmic pulse of the mountains breathing in synchronization with the cultivators. The nine peaks shimmered with a low, ambient glow from the spirit arrays, looking like a grounded galaxy nestled within the Emerald Mist . This was a peace born of absolute strength; beneath the tranquil surface, the sect was hardening and tempering itself. In this stillness, the barrier between the disciples and the Dao grew thin, marking the quiet, terrifying birth of a powerhouse that would soon shake the foundations of the entire Red Lotus Galaxy.