Chapter 103
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Chapter 103: Establishing a Sect
A month later, in a fairy city near the border of Zhongzhou, Xu Fan and the others gathered one after another.
In a grand hall with three courtyards, everyone assembled together.
“Let’s hear about the situation in your areas,” Xu Fan asked.
“Master, the place I went to is already controlled by an eighth-level sect. The smaller sects I visited are struggling, as their resources are controlled by the larger sects.”
“The smaller sects have no chance to rise,” Xu Yuexian said first.
“I advise against choosing a place where there are powerful Transformation Stage beasts,” Li Xingci stated lightly.
“There are few people and no resources; I don’t recommend this place,” Wang Xiangchi said.
“The environment is too desolate; I wouldn’t advise it,” Wang Yulun added.
“The situation is similar for me,” Xu Fan said, especially since the protagonist must avoid certain pitfalls.
At that moment, everyone turned their gaze to Xu Gang, their eyes filled with anticipation.
Xu Gang took out a law disk-like magical tool and placed it on the table, channeling spiritual energy into it.
A massive map appeared before them, showcasing the area and highlighting suitable places for establishing a sect.
“The Ten Thousand-Mile Giant Lake is impressive, but the name is a little small,” Xu Fan remarked, noting that the scale on the map was likely at least a million miles.
“Xu Gang, where did you get this?” Xu Fan couldn’t believe his disciple created something like this.
“It’s from a Nascent Soul elder stationed at the Elder Council, who is in charge of the area along the shores of this Ten Thousand-Mile Giant Lake,” Xu Gang explained.
“That elder promised that if we register our sect there, we would receive a twenty percent tax reduction.” Xu Gang continued.
At this point, Xu Fan turned his attention to his wife.
“Little Xi, can you tell us about the advantages and disadvantages of that place?”
Typically, a man’s shortcomings in character make him more inclined to find a woman with related strengths as a partner.
“The only resource there is the large spirit iron ore at the lakebed, along with the income from the spirit fields by the lake. If we really want to take root there, we must protect the people from beast disturbances, which will greatly help us recruit disciples locally.”
“Moreover, the most powerful beasts in the Ten Thousand-Mile Giant Lake are at the Nascent Soul stage. If any beasts above the Nascent Soul stage are discovered, we can report them to the Elder Council, and they will send someone to exterminate them.”
Little Xi spoke for half an hour, nearly analyzing the place thoroughly. If this were high school in her past life, she would definitely get a full score in politics.
“There’s a large spirit iron mine at the lakebed, but the mining difficulty is high,” Xu Fan murmured while looking at the map.
“Little Xi, is the tax reduction that the Nascent Soul elder mentioned permanent?” Xu Fan asked, as the Elder Council’s tax was quite straightforward, taking one-tenth of the annual profits. A twenty percent reduction meant two percent, which would add up over time.
“Registering does freeze the spirit stones and involves signing a contract for one hundred thousand years, providing us with a permanent reduction,” Little Xi replied.
Xu Fan continued to focus on the floating virtual map, actually shifting his attention to the islands on the Giant Lake, then looking at the surrounding area.
Finally, Xu Fan waved his hand, transporting everyone into the Mystical World.
They stood in midair, and below them lay the Ten Thousand-Mile Giant Lake and its surroundings.
The more Xu Fan looked, the more satisfied he became. This place perfectly aligned with his criteria—it wasn’t lacking in resources, the teleportation network was fairly good, and most importantly, it was very low-profile, making it hard for ordinary cultivators or sects to notice.
Additionally, one crucial factor was that it was far, far away from the Sword King Sect.
A place that was useless to most but regrettable to discard; yet for Xu Fan, it was just right.
Xu Fan dismissed the Mystical World and addressed everyone, “I’ve decided our sect will be based here.”
The largest island in the Ten Thousand-Mile Giant Lake was roughly the size of a province from his past life.
“Good,” the others agreed, knowing that with their current strength, they didn’t have many better options.
Nansen Fairy City, located in the central continent’s northeast corner of Sky Blue Zhao, was about 50,000 miles south of the Ten Thousand-Mile Giant Lake.
The Elder Council, situated near the lake, was jokingly referred to by Xu Fan as the “Investment Management Office.”
As soon as Xu Fan and his group arrived, they were greeted with overwhelming enthusiasm by the Elder Council, as if they were long-lost relatives.
The Nascent Soul Stage cultivator personally served them tea.
“Taoist friends, your arrival here shows you’ve made a firm decision.”
“I see none of you have reached the Nascent Soul Stage yet. Once you complete the registration and pay the spirit stones, I’ll bring a Transformation Stage elder to eliminate all the beasts above the Golden Core Stage in the Ten Thousand-Mile Giant Lake.”
Xu Fan couldn’t help but wonder if the Nascent Soul cultivator was working on commission, given his eagerness.
“Thank you for your concern, but I can handle this small issue myself.”
“Can we proceed with the sect registration and contract signing now?” Xu Fan asked, having already scouted the Ten Thousand-Mile Giant Lake beforehand.
“Of course.”
After paying the ten million spirit stones for registration, Xu Fan signed the contract with the Nascent Soul elder. As soon as the contract was sealed, Xu Fan felt a subtle chain-like bond form within his soul.
“Alright, the Ten Thousand-Mile Giant Lake is now your sect’s headquarters. You just need to submit your sect’s name within a year.”
“One more important thing: the defense of the lake’s shores will be your responsibility after five years.”
“Additionally, you’ll need to recruit 100 disciples within three years.”
“The rest of the details are all in this jade slip. Take your time going through it.”
After handing Xu Fan the jade slip, the Nascent Soul cultivator concluded the process.
For the first time in thousands of years, the largest island in the Ten Thousand-Mile Giant Lake welcomed its first group of cultivators.
The giant island was covered in towering forests, with distant mountains rising on the horizon.
“This will be our territory from now on.”
Xu Fan led the group toward the mountains on the island. In the cultivation world, it was an unspoken rule to establish sects on mountaintops. If no mountain was available, a floating island would be created to serve as the sect’s base.
Some traditions just seemed to become universal in the cultivation world, for reasons no one could quite explain.
At the peak of the tallest mountain, Xu Fan surveyed the surroundings before patting Li Xingci on the shoulder. “It’s your time to shine. I’ll turn this place into the sacred land you’ve envisioned.”
Li Xingci, dressed in pristine white like a noble figure, nodded. A grand painting materialized in mid-air, depicting a breathtaking, fairyland-like sacred site.
The sect in the painting was built into the mountains, with the main structure centered around the giant peak beneath them. It included all the necessary buildings for a fully functional sect.
The Heart of the Puppet, standing behind Xu Fan, scanned the painting in the air.
“Master, I designed this for a capacity of 10,000 people. Does that work for you?”
“If not, I can make adjustments,” Li Xingci added.
“No need to change it. Let’s go with this,” Xu Fan replied.
