Surrounded by the crowd of disciples, Bao Hui and Elder Zhang calmly waited for everyone to gather.
Meanwhile, the disciples quietly chatted among themselves, showing respect to the elders.
At the edge of the crowd, Cang Song's white-haired head peeked out cautiously as he scanned the surroundings, trying to minimize his presence as much as possible.
He analyzed the crowd and, upon spotting Aotian further away, lowered his head even more, hoping not to be seen. But unfortunately for him, even if Aotian didn't happen to notice him, his avatars certainly would.
So, just when Cang Song thought he was about to slip past this unlucky star unnoticed, he saw Long Aotian turn around, look straight at him, smile, and wave.
Cang Song paled in fear. Even so, he forced himself to nod back, wearing a polite smile that looked more like he was about to cry, while his body slowly lowered itself until he vanished among the surrounding disciples.
'Trouble!! That guy is definitely trouble!!' Cang Song was drenched in sweat, mentally scolding himself for his carelessness and promising to be more cautious next time.
The disciples around him looked at him strangely. After all, he was an inner disciple — and here he was suddenly crouching down on the ground, sweating.
…
Rihai, who had noticed Cang Song when Aotian looked at him, couldn't help but find it strange and become curious.
She stepped closer to her partner and motioned with her hand for him to lower himself slightly.
Confused by the sudden action, Aotian tilted his head down a bit, and she cupped her hands around his ear, whispering:
"Tian'er, did you do something to him? Why does he look so scared of you?"
She preferred not to transmit the question via spiritual energy, as it could be easily intercepted by someone with a higher cultivation than hers or Aotian's without their knowledge. Instead, she created a small energy shield in her palm and spoke directly into his ear — a method that made eavesdropping much more difficult without her noticing. She did this because she wasn't sure if it might be a delicate matter.
Aotian was surprised by her method. Though a bit rough, it was effective for preventing stronger individuals from listening in.
Setting that aside, he focused on her question and couldn't help but smile, whispering quietly in return — without using any disguise, as what he was about to say wasn't particularly secret.
"I didn't do anything, but I think he heard my arrogant name and assumed I'm some kind of big shot. So he's scared to get involved."
He whispered into her ear, amused.
Rihai gave Aotian a strange but amused look, thinking he was just joking. After all, could someone really be that cowardly in this world? But then, she slowly remembered the chain of events and how Cang Song started acting strangely right after hearing Aotian's name.
The more she analyzed, the wider her mouth opened in disbelief.
'Do people like that really exist?!' she thought, stunned. But then she froze. 'Wait… Aotian really is a big shot! Doesn't that mean it makes sense for him to be scared?!'
The more she thought about it, the more absurd it all seemed.
"Pff!" Aotian couldn't hold back a laugh at Rihai's stunned expression and the constant shifts in her face.
That snapped Rihai out of her daze, and she stared at him, bewildered.
Aotian was about to tease her again, but through his avatars, he realized that all the disciples had arrived and it was time for the meeting to begin.
"Ahem!" Bao Hui cleared his throat into his hand, releasing a soft wave of aura that immediately captured everyone's attention.
The conversations stopped instantly, and everyone turned respectfully toward him, alert.
"Now that everyone's here, let's begin," Bao Hui said, his voice amplified with spiritual energy so everyone could hear clearly. He then looked at Elder Zhao beside him, signaling for him to speak.
Elder Zhao clasped his hands in respect toward Bao Hui, and upon receiving a nod, stepped forward to address the crowd.
"You were all called here today to receive several announcements from the sect. But first, I'd like to congratulate you for your efforts. Your progress is evident to everyone. Just three months ago, when I gathered you, many of you arrived slowly due to your lack of vitality. Today, we see a completely different scene."
Elder Zhao looked over the group with a satisfied smile.
The older disciples exchanged glances of relief and joy. More than anyone, they knew how much their lives had changed since joining the sect. The gratitude they felt for the Infinite Dao Sect was immeasurable.
Being able to break through to the next cultivation realm was the same as receiving a second life for them, who were already in their twilight years.
And gaining a new life — especially in this cultivation world — was not something easily repaid. They were willing to offer that new life for the sake of the sect, if needed.
Even though the sect was new and they had been there for less than half a year, the level of loyalty was already extremely high.
Elder Zhao, seeing the bright smiles and eyes full of gratitude, nodded in satisfaction.
"Seeing you all like this brings me joy. But I hope you won't be content with only this. The opportunities our sect offers cannot be found anywhere else — and they aren't limited to mere Foundation Establishment."
His expression lost its smile, and his tone became deadly serious.
The disciples also quieted down and nodded solemnly.
Even though not all had reached Foundation Establishment yet, they knew it was just within reach.
During this period, by observing the disciples of a proper Golden Core sect — like the Bamboo Sword Sect — they realized that the resources and especially the cultivation techniques given to them by the Infinite Dao Sect were utterly incomparable to what disciples in a normal Golden Core sect received.
They had no doubt that the Infinite Dao Sect's history went far beyond their imagination — and so did the future that awaited them within it.
"Well, let me begin with the announcements. The sect will begin public instruction in auxiliary cultivation arts, currently limited to forging, formations, alchemy, and talismans. In addition to these, there will be swordsmanship classes and also instruction and guidance in spells. Each will be held on a different day of the week in its respective pavilion, with spell instruction being handled by the Heritage Pavilion."
Elder Zhao explained, and the disciples' eyes were already beginning to shine brightly.
They knew that nothing in the sect was ordinary, so this was not an opportunity they were willing to miss. On the contrary, they were extremely excited.
"Elder Zhao!" Lin Xiaoxue, the brave little girl, jumped up with her hand raised, her braids bouncing up and down. After speaking with Elder Zhao last time — when she asked for marrow cleansing pills — she had discovered he was a very kind elder. That's why she wasn't afraid to speak up. "When does the teaching start?" she asked, her eyes sparkling.
Elder Zhao looked at her with a helpless smile.
"Little girl, can't you calm down? I was just about to say," he replied, exasperated but with a gentle tone.
Lin Xiaoxue quickly covered her mouth with both hands, but the smile in her eyes made it clear she wasn't the least bit sorry.
Rihai also saw the scene and, like the disciples when they first arrived, was surprised by the elder's undisguised humility and kindness. The elders she knew usually only showed kindness in private, with their families. In public, they kept a serious and distant profile to project wisdom and authority.
But ever since arriving in the sect, she had first witnessed an ancestor publicly arguing and hitting an elder — who happened to be his grandson, Elder Bao Hui standing right there — and now she was seeing an incredibly kind and approachable elder before her, without a hint of arrogance.
She wondered if she had simply been lucky to witness such rare scenes back-to-back, or if this was just normal in Aotian's strange sect… to which she now also belonged.
"Classes will begin tomorrow, following the order I mentioned: forging first, then formations, alchemy, talismans, swordsmanship, and finally spells and general techniques. One per day, with one day off before a new cycle begins."
He explained, smiling again at the excited expressions on the disciples' faces, but still offered some words of caution.
"I recommend that you don't try to embrace the whole world and end up wasting valuable time you could invest in your cultivation by trying to learn several arts at once. My advice is to focus on one, or at most two disciplines. Once you've made good progress and can't advance further, then consider trying another, to broaden your horizons."
Elder Zhao's sincere and serious words snapped many disciples out of their illusions. They couldn't help but grow solemn as they realized how close they had come to losing themselves in greed.
But not everyone woke up — some still seemed determined to try everything. There would always be one or two who only learned after being slapped by reality.
Just as Elder Zhao was about to continue, a sweet, childlike voice called out to him again, making him smile in both amusement and helplessness.
"Elder, doesn't the sect also have a beast pavilion? Won't they teach too?" It was Lin Xiaoxue again, the little girl, asking with shining eyes.
Aotian wasn't surprised she knew about the Beast Pavilion. Although it hadn't been active before, the inner elders still had some presence in the sect, and the disciples had ended up hearing and finding out.
"Well, the Beast Pavilion has only just resumed operations and isn't currently planning public lessons, but that brings us to the second point of today's meeting." Zhao shook his head, smiling, and continued.
"Inner disciples may now choose a pavilion to affiliate with, if they wish. There, they will have the opportunity to grow in a more directed manner under the supervision of the responsible elders. Those who wish to join a pavilion should speak with Elder Bao Hui to better understand the process."
He explained, glancing at Bao Hui beside him, who calmly nodded to the crowd, keeping his hands behind his back.
The five inner disciples of the sect couldn't hide their excitement upon hearing this, though some were uncertain about which path to take.
The outer disciples were also thrilled, eagerly awaiting the chance to prove themselves and become inner disciples too — and then choose a pavilion.
"Finally, these are the current maps showing where each pavilion of our sect is located within the Bamboo Sword Sect. Those who wish to redeem techniques and spells using their contribution points can go directly to the Heritage Pavilion."
He concluded, tapping his storage pouch and sending rays of light to the hands of all the disciples. They opened their palms and saw jade slips, quickly understanding the maps were stored within them.
"This time, we came only to deliver these quick announcements and prepare you. The sect is currently optimizing its processes, and soon you'll notice further changes. But in the end, all of this is for the good of the sect."
Elder Zhao smiled and then took a step back, finishing his announcements.
Bao Hui smiled at him, nodded, and stepped forward, taking the floor.
"Before we finish, know that the sect will conduct a new recruitment in about two months, involving all 16 cities. I strongly encourage you to double your efforts in cultivation — whether to seize the chance to become an inner disciple through the upcoming challenge or through recommendation by elders — or simply to ensure you aren't overtaken by the new disciples who will arrive. Do your best."
Bao Hui spoke seriously, gazing at each person there. His heavy aura made all the disciples grow solemn and determined.
Seeing the firm expressions and decisive nods — not surprised, as if they had expected this moment to come — Bao Hui smiled in satisfaction. Then his gaze grew serious again, warning the disciples and making them pay close attention to his next words.
"Well, that's the spirit. Don't let me down, any of you. I believe in your potential. I even bet three low-grade spirit stones that the next batch of disciples won't surpass you — and if I lose, I'll have to tighten my belt. The future of my pockets is in your hands."
He spoke with conviction, delivering his line with unprecedented seriousness.
But his inspiring words… well… nearly made the disciples collapse on the spot. He received countless incredulous stares.
A single thought seemed to echo in the minds of all the disciples:
'What kind of crappy confidence is that if you only dare to bet three low-grade spirit stones?!'