Descending from the clouds, Tang Jie saw a majestic mountain.

This mountain was called the Reception Mount, and it was where the Seven Absolutions Sect received guests. Any guest coming to visit the Seven Absolutions Sect would have to come to this mountain first, or else they would be considered an intruder.

Landing at the base of the mountain, Tang Jie made his way up the mountain.

A disciple was waiting to receive him. He bowed to Tang Jie and said, “Guest, please state your status and origin and who you have come to see.”

Tang Jie casually replied, “Tang Jie of the Basking Moon Sect. I was invited by your honored sect. As for who I want to see, I suppose that would be your sect master, Ji Qingfeng.”

The disciple was alarmed to hear Tang Jie’s name, pointing a finger at him. “You… you’re Tang Jie?”

Tang Jie smiled and nodded.

Twelve fireworks were launched into the air, signaling that an important guest had arrived.

The only important guest that the Seven Absolutions Sect was expecting at the moment was Tang Jie, so the entire sect was thrown into a frenzy.

Several people soon appeared in the distance. They were led by a man with a long beard and a purple face, a book in hand, his body exuding an extraordinary aura. There were two people behind him. The one on the left was a big-eared and fat man wearing a short gown, thus exposing his large belly. He held a shabby fan in his hand and carried a large wine gourd on his back. All in all, he was like a fusion of Iron Crutch Li and Han Zhongli. The man on the right had a dark and cold face, as if someone owed him money, and he held a hammer in his hand.

(TN: Iron Crutch Li and Han Zhongli are members of the Eight Immortals of Chinese mythology. Iron Crutch Li is usually depicted carrying a large gourd, while Han Zhongli is depicted as being bare-chested and holding a large feather fan.)

As the three of them arrived, the fatty carrying the gourd laughed. “Little Brother Tang, you’re finally here. This old drunkard was waiting for ages.”

Tang Jie knew who these people were the moment he saw them. He bowed and said, “Tang Jie pays respects to Scholar Zhu, Wine Immortal Lu, and Grandmaster Tie!”

“Eh!?” The fatty waved his hands in annoyance. “‘Wine Immortal’? I’m just a drunkard, Drunkard Lu. Don’t go trying to stick gold onto this Lu Duanchang’s face. I don’t like it!”

Tang Jie couldn’t help but chuckle.

These three were luminaries of the Seven Absolutions Sect, masters of the talisman, pill, and tool halls respectively. Scholar Zhu was a master talisman maker, and when fighting with him, one had to watch out for his endless talismans. Although he was only at Soul Transformation, he could throw out so many talismans that his casting speed was comparable to a Violet Palace expert’s ability to cast with a thought. He was the only Soul Transformation cultivator who was also capable of making Divine Connection talismans. If one didn’t consider the cost, Scholar Zhu was completely capable of challenging an Infant Tending expert.

The explosive effect of his numerous talismans meant that nobody would challenge him to a duel. While the other major sects had their own talisman experts, none of them could compare to him.

As for Wine Immortal Lu, he was the best pill refiner of the Seven Absolutions Sect, and Xu Miaoran had once asked for his instruction. This man was a lover of fine alcohol, and this was how Xu Miaoran had won his services, particularly because Wine Immortal Lu had developed a fondness for blood wine, which could only be imported from the Blood River Domain. As a result, he had developed a close relationship with Xu Miaoran, and for this reason, he was very polite to Tang Jie. Besides that, the resources under Tang Jie’s control were exactly what he needed the most as a pill refiner.

Tie Lian, on the other hand, was a grandmaster forger, and he was much stiffer than the frank and open Wine Immortal, always going around with a rigid and unfriendly face. But he was a master at forging tools. Alas, his specialty was useless in front of Tang Jie, who was basically his bane. No matter how fine the treasures he forged were, the Sovereign Blade could destroy them all.

These three together with the Seven Absolutions Sect’s formation grandmaster, Hong Shenji, were known as the Four Absolutes. The fact that they were masters in the auxiliary fields meant that they were weaker than the average Chief-level cultivator, but their status was equal.

It was a sign of how important Tang Jie was that three of the Four Absolutes had come to welcome Tang Jie.

Tang Jie could only say, “I can finally fulfill the agreement of yesteryear. Please forgive me for my lateness.”

“It’s fine,” Scholar Zhu said. “Although you failed to come, we understood that it was not your will. First you were trapped in Nadir Hill, and then you had to go to Blood River, and finally, you fell into Verdant Cloud. Just coming back was hard enough.”

Tang Jie smiled. “It seems like the Seven Absolutions Sect knows a lot about me.”

Scholar Zhu profoundly said, “A hundred years is not too long, but neither is it too short. No information can be kept a secret forever. Such as… the Martial Lord.”

Tang Jie was shocked to learn that the Seven Absolutions Sect had also guessed at his connection to the Martial Lord.

Of course, they might not have guessed it like Ling Xiao. Instead, they had probably gotten it from their mortal foe, Godhead Palace.

Over the years, Godhead Palace had realized that getting the treasures of the Martial Lord was basically impossible, so they no longer kept as tight a lid on the secret. Given that the two sects were opposed to each other, the Seven Absolutions Sect undoubtedly had numerous spies in Godhead Palace, so it was not strange at all for them to have gotten their hands on this information.

In truth, the Seven Absolutions Sect didn’t have much interest in the Martial Lord. What mattered was that they had to destroy anything Godhead Palace wanted to get its hands on. After that deal they made with Tang Jie, Tang Jie had grown stronger by leaps and bounds, and it was thanks to Tang Jie that Godhead Palace was grievously wounded. That battle to hunt down and encircle Tang Jie had been costly and resulted in devastating losses, and even though they had even sent in He Changan, they had come away with nothing. On the contrary, the Seven Absolutions Sect had seized this chance to attack and expand its borders.

This was why the Seven Absolutions Sect was very friendly to Tang Jie.

As for Mei Huaping… well, that was just an interlude. Nobody would bring him up at this time.

The two of them happily chatted as they flew to the Ethereal Summit.

On the mountain, two lines of disciples were waiting to greet him, cranes were weaving white clouds, peacocks were flaunting their rainbow feathers, white deer had their heads lowered in respect, and old turtles were raising up their heads in pride.

Several dozen female cultivators in brightly colored clothes spread out fresh flowers, creating a path of petals that led to the headquarters of the Seven Absolutions Sect, the Brocade Harp Palace.

Tang Jie was dumbfounded by the sight. “Such ceremony leaves this Tang Jie rather flustered.”

Scholar Zhu smiled. “There’s no need to be polite. Putting aside the Martial Lord’s hidden realm, the battle in Nadir Hill one hundred years ago is enough for you to be welcomed as a hero by my Seven Absolutions Sect.”

Tang Jie was speechless to these words.

The grudges among the six major sects had long ago become intractable. The Seven Absolutions Sect and Godhead Palace got along like water and fire, and the worse off Godhead Palace was, the happier they were. Otherwise, Godhead Palace wouldn’t have gone looking for Xu Muyang after discovering the Martial Lord’s legacy. After all, Hong Shenji was widely known as the number one formation master in the world.

For the Seven Absolutions Sect, whether it was Tang Jie’s status as Young Lord of Basking Moon, his strength, the Martial Lord’s hidden realm, or his battle with Godhead Palace, any one of them was worth their respect, let alone all four at once.

Tang Jie was escorted along the path of petals to the Brocade Harp Palace, where five people stood. He immediately knew these to be the five True Lords of the Seven Absolutions Sect, and he bowed. “Basking Moon Disciple Tang Jie pays respects to Sect Master Ji, True Lord Shen, True Lord Li, True Lord Yuan, and True Lord Du.”

The five nodded. The man at their head was none other than the Sect Master of the Seven Absolutions Sect, Ji Qingfeng.

He smiled at Tang Jie and said, “When I invited you, you were still a student, and in the blink of an eye, you are now the Young Lord. The talent sent down from the heavens favors not only my Seven Absolutions Sect, but also the Basking Moon Sect. Wonderful, wonderful.”

“Sect Master is too humble. How could Tang Jie compare to the talents of the Seven Absolutions Sect? This untalented one once had the fortune to spar with Great Brother Wang Juemie and still cannot forget his divine might,” Tang Jie replied. “Right, how is he doing now?”

Ji Qingfeng replied, “He also finds it hard to forget you. When he heard that you were coming, he embarked on the Lifeless Path.”

What?

Tang Jie was stunned.

The Lifeless Path was not actually a path, but a mantra, a choice.

The Seven Absolutions Sect had seven secret arts: the Wuji Diagram, the Animitta Music, the Heavenly Demon Revolution, the Dao Seeking Yellow Springs, the Exalted Dharma Manifest, the Horn Dragon Demon Body, and the Vajra Battle Will. Each one had its own divine might.

Wang Juemie cultivated the Horn Dragon Demon Body and Vajra Battle Will.

But of these seven secret arts, the most mysterious was the Dao Seeking Yellow Springs Scripture.

This was a Ghost Dao art that primarily cultivated the soul. Once one cultivated it, one’s soul could roam the Yellow Springs, entering the Nether River. In other words, it let the soul enter the Nether Domain while maintaining a sliver of the will so that one did not become a ghost. As both souls and ghosts were ethereal bodies, one who cultivated this art could hunt down ghosts as a soul and swiftly strengthen the Divine Soul. It could be considered a cultivation shortcut.

In the past, Mu Yi had cultivated the Heavenly Demon Revolution Scripture, drawing a demon soul into his body. After that, he had switched to the Dao Seeking Yellow Springs Scripture, which he used to battle with that demon soul in the Nether Domain and thus survive. But because he had used his own body as a channel, the ghost energy had intruded into and damaged his body. In the end, Wang Juemie had saved his life.

But this was not the Lifeless Path.

There were two ways of cultivating the Dao Seeking Yellow Springs Scripture.

The first was to have the soul enter the Nether Domain.

The other was to have one’s actual body go in.

This choice was called the Lifeless Path.

The efficiency of cultivating the Dao Seeking Yellow Springs Scripture was a thousand times better by sending in the true body rather than the soul. Whether it was hunting ghosts to strengthen the soul, absorbing spiritual plants to nurture the body, or linking with the Nether Domain and comprehending the Dao of Reincarnation, they were all of huge benefit to a cultivator. One could say that entering the Nether Domain meant being able to enjoy a vast fortune that no one else could have a share of.

But the living were forbidden to enter the Nether Domain.

Even Tang Jie, who had so dearly wanted to go home, didn’t dare to try going back through the Nether Domain.

Anyone who took this path grew stronger, or they died!

This was the Lifeless Path!

Alas, not in the history of this art had a single person who had gone into the Nether Domain returned. So dangerous was this place that even the Titan who had created the art ultimately fell in the Nether Domain.

He had never expected Wang Juemie to choose this path.

“He did this to…” Tang Jie couldn’t continue.

“To defeat you,” Ji Qingfeng supplied. “Juemie is my disciple, so I understand him best. He’s always been a fighter, never willing to admit defeat, and through his struggles, he’s always managed to come out victorious. After he learned about your feats, he knew that he was no match for you, so he chose this path, trying to make up for his lack of flexibility through this method.”

“Then why did Sect Master not stop him?” Tang Jie asked.

“Why should I stop him?” Ji Qingfeng smiled. “This was his choice, and I have no need to object.”

“But what if he dies?”

“Then he dies. Do you think the Seven Absolutions Sect has not lost many geniuses in its long history? Tang Jie, you should understand that a major sect doesn’t need those lower-tier disciples, but those of the upper echelon, the strong! If Juemie cannot become one of the strong, what does it matter that he’s a genius?” Ji Qingfeng casually replied. “Since he dares to go, I will let him go. The path of cultivation is that of the pounding waves washing away the weak grains of sand and leaving only the strong. I’ve already prepared myself to lose a most extraordinary disciple. For the six major sects, one Violet Palace or Immortal Platform cultivator is worth ten million elites. The reason we have so many disciples, other than having them serve us, is that this is the basic number needed to foster Titans. The Great Stellar Chiliocosm is home to trillions of sects, and all of them take this path.”

Tang Jie could only sigh.

Was this the perspective of a sect master?

Whether it was the value Ling Xiao placed on the Cloud Ancestor’s ascendance or Ji Qingfeng’s respect for Wang Juemie’s choice, their reverence for the strong was on full display. It was no wonder Godhead Palace had cared so much about the Martial Lord’s hidden realm.

At that moment, he suddenly felt endless admiration for Wang Juemie’s courage in taking the Lifeless Path, and he sincerely hoped that Wang Juemie would succeed.

He said, “The Dao Seeking Yellow Springs Scripture, right? I might be able to help a little.”

——————————————

Author’s Note: Someone commented that Wang Juemie’s improvement doesn’t make sense, so let me explain. Firstly, when Wang Juemie was first introduced, he was already of a higher cultivation level than Tang Jie, so the two didn’t have the same starting point. Secondly, the Seven Absolutions Sect poured all its resources into raising Wang Juemie, so Tang Jie didn’t necessarily have more. Thirdly, I’ve never said that Wang Juemie was able to beat a Violet Palace. On the contrary, I said very clearly that Wang Juemie has the strength to draw against a Violet Palace, but he is dearly lacking when it comes to variation. You have to understand that Violet Palace experts can cast arts with a thought. Tang Jie also had more strength than a Violet Palace and lacked in variation, so he also fought to a draw. Meanwhile, Wang Juemie can only draw with an Infant Tending Violet Palace, and the variation of his moves can’t even compare to Tang Jie. Given that he’s weaker than Tang Jie in both aspects, how could he possibly compare? It’s impossible for Wang Juemie to beat an Infant Tending expert, and there is no problem with saying that he can only draw with an Infant Tending in a contest of strength.

Finally, let me explain the formation. A reader believes that it doesn’t make sense for me to say that all of the resources Tang Jie has obtained can’t even make one corner of the Seven Absolutions Sect’s great formation. I don’t think so. How can several thousand years of accumulation be the same as a single burst?

No matter how big your annual bonus is, can it compare to the salary you accumulated over the entire year? And this is only a difference of ten times, not even considering that this is a major sect saving for thousands of years. You really think robbing a few warehouses can make up for it? Whose warehouse can compare to a thousand years of production? Can robbing your local granary feed you for two thousand years?

Thus, there’s nothing strange about it. This was always designed to be the special property of formations.

In my eyes, this is the real foundation of a sect. It doesn’t come from nothing, but is truly the result of thousands of years of accumulation.