Upon the arrival of the Heavenly God Palace. Moments later, the Ying Clan and the Mani Temple also arrived, completing the assembly of the five major sects invited by Teng Qingshan.

"Palace Master Pei, and esteemed guests, I shall first proceed to pay respects to Heaven and Earth," Teng Qingshan said, offering a slight bow before momentarily separating himself from the surrounding Void Realm experts.

Before the main hall of the Xingyi Sect, over two thousand people stood in neat formation on the square. Leading them was Teng Qingshan, with his three chief disciples—Teng Shou, Yang Dong, and Xue Xin—standing directly behind him. Following these three were ninety-eight third-generation disciples, and indeed, everyone from the entire Teng Family Village.

From the day Teng Qingshan founded the Xingyi Sect, every soul in Teng Family Village had become a member of the sect.

"Let the music commence!" Teng Qingshan commanded with a clear, cool shout.

Instantly, the profound sound of a massive bell rang out across the square. Each successive chime felt like a blow to the heart, vibrating through the very spirit. The entire plaza seemed to tremble. After the conclusion of the eighty-one successive chimes, the drums and music immediately began, filling the square with a cascade of sound.

After a long while, the percussion ceased.

"Offerings," Teng Qingshan called out sharply.

Immediately, a line of bare-chested, powerfully built men, nearly uniform in height and wearing red strips of cloth around their foreheads, came forward. They carried enormous platters containing either a whole roasted ox or a whole roasted sheep, alongside various fruits, pastries, and an abundance of other sacrifices—a total of eighty-one men bearing these offerings forward.

Teng Qingshan accepted three long joss sticks from the attendant Master of Rites and boomed, "Kneel!"

Rumble~~~

The more than two thousand people dropped to their knees in perfect synchronization, all holding their breath in reverence, their gazes fixed upon the massive cauldron cast before them. Even the haughty Pei San of the Heavenly God Palace and his contingent fell silent. Though the square was packed with people, not a single extraneous sound could be heard.

"Heaven above, today…" The attendant beside Teng Qingshan held the sacrificial ode to Heaven and began to read aloud, his voice echoing throughout the space.

Teng Qingshan held the joss sticks, gazing at the great cauldron, his ears attuned to the recitation.

After a long interval—

The attendant finished reading completely.

"Offer incense," the attendant commanded.

Everyone remained kneeling, save for Teng Qingshan, who rose alone. He walked respectfully to the cauldron and carefully inserted the three long joss sticks into the molten metal.

Then, Teng Qingshan retreated and knelt once more.

"Bow!"

At Teng Qingshan’s order, the multitude bowed low.

Following the solemn ritual of three deep bows and nine prostrations, the numerous offerings were then carried to the specially prepared furnace and entirely incinerated, symbolizing that Heaven and Earth had consumed the gifts. Finally—music played once more. When the drums and melodies subsided, the grand ceremony concluded.

"Qingshan, after offering sacrifice and announcing your intent to the heavens, your Xingyi Sect is now formally established," Pei San said with a smile.

Teng Qingshan smiled faintly, shaking his head inwardly.

Influenced by his past life, he placed little stock in sacrifices or deities. Yet, here on the Nine Provinces Continent, even those as proud as Pei San adhered strictly to the rites during the ceremony. Almost every person on the continent placed profound importance on such rituals. Therefore, Teng Qingshan had to follow the protocol and complete every step.

On the day of its establishment, the entire Xingyi Sect grounds were filled with guests attending the grand ceremony to congratulate the sect on its formal founding.

Once the initial toasts were done, the representatives of the five major sects retired to a quiet parlor. These five included 'Pei San' of the Heavenly God Palace, 'Ying Haitong' of the Ying Clan, 'Wu Luo' of the Snow Eagle Sect, 'Fan Kong' of the Mani Temple, and Teng Qingshan himself! Although Zhuge Yuanhong was the Sect Master of the Guiyuan Sect, the vast Guiyuan Sect currently lacked a single Void Realm expert, making it logically impossible for them to govern an entire province.

In the eyes of the great sects, Teng Qingshan was the true leader and pillar supporting the Guiyuan Sect.

"Brother Qingshan, you must know why we are here," Ying Haitong said with a wry smile. "By disseminating the secret manual for the Tiger Form Fist—you have truly… By doing this, hundreds of millions of common people across the land will obtain this set of boxing techniques. Once they achieve proficiency, the vast majority will likely flock to your Xingyi Sect. Over time, the entire Nine Provinces Continent will become your exclusive recruiting ground. What do you expect the rest of us major sects to do about this?"

"This is a situation we are facing for the first time as well," chuckled the black-robed elder from the Snow Eagle Sect. Such a feat was something only Teng Qingshan could accomplish; no one else possessed the means to do it.

"Qingshan, speak plainly. What do you intend to do?" Pei San inquired with a light smile.

The white-browed old monk, 'Fan Kong,' also looked toward Teng Qingshan.

The intentions of these four factions were quite clear: They were not fools, and they could not simply stand by and watch Teng Qingshan proceed unchecked. Although they could not overtly prevent the masses from secretly studying internal arts, they certainly had ways to mitigate the impact, perhaps even uniting to suppress the Xingyi Sect.

"Esteemed sirs," Teng Qingshan said, smiling and shaking his head, "My Xingyi Sect currently has scarce personnel. We pose absolutely no threat to any of you."

"But you will pose a threat in the future," Pei San replied smoothly.

Teng Qingshan nodded. "I have absolute confidence in my lineage of internal arts. However—as the founding master of the Xingyi Sect, I can swear an oath: my Xingyi Sect will never contend for dominance over the world. We shall remain confined within the five prefectures of Yangzhou. Beyond these five prefectures, the Xingyi Sect will not claim an inch more of territory."

"Not contend for supremacy?" The leaders of the four major powers were startled.

Renouncing supremacy was often a declaration made by those who knew they could not achieve it, like the Myriad Manifestation Gate, which was not inherently strong and thus chose this path. Perhaps over long ages they had accumulated strength, but to permanently forgo ambition would invite the collective wrath of the world should they ever attempt to change course.

But the Xingyi Sect was different! Teng Qingshan possessed boundless potential; in the future, he might well become another Supreme Expert capable of unifying the world. Even if he never reached the heights of Emperor Yu, achieving the stature of the Northeast King, 'Hong Tian,' would not be difficult. Why would Teng Qingshan shut down this path now?

"Five prefectures are sufficient," Teng Qingshan smiled. "Sirs, rest assured, the vow of 'no world domination' will be enshrined as the very first rule in my Xingyi Sect's regulations! Furthermore, I will soon proclaim this to the entire world, ensuring everyone knows. Sirs, with this assurance, should you all be relieved?"

"Moreover, the cultivation of my internal arts is extremely rigorous; it is rare for one in a hundred to succeed," Teng Qingshan added, shaking his head. "Even if the boxing methods spread, it will have no impact on the foundation of your major sects."

Pei San, Ying Haitong, and the others exchanged glances, revealing slight smiles. A requirement so stringent that barely one in a hundred could succeed… In their estimation, the number of internal arts practitioners on the Nine Provinces Continent would be far fewer than those practicing Daoism or Buddhism. This meant no threat to their foundations. Coupled with the Xingyi Sect’s public declaration to the world of non-aggression, they would be akin to the Myriad Manifestation Gate—thus posing no real danger. After all, once such a vow was made public, no one would dare defy it without inviting the condemnation of the entire world, and causing internal instability within their own ranks.

Hmph, how could they know my true thoughts? Teng Qingshan mused secretly. My internal arts are fundamentally different from the Buddhist or Daoist schools. Once one achieves even minor success, even minor mastery, their physical strength alone will reach three to four thousand catties! As for the meridians, minor mastery in internal arts means that even if not completely opened, parts of the channels will be cleared. Upon transitioning to internal energy secret manuals, they can quickly cultivate a substantial foundation of internal energy.

It was like when he and Teng Qinghu practiced the Raging Bull Mighty Art. Even though Qinghu only achieved minor mastery in internal arts, he could still attain minor mastery in the Raging Bull Mighty Art.

Physical strength of several thousand catties, combined with internal energy of several thousand catties! This allows for an explosive output of nearly ten thousand catties—the level of a First-Rate Martial Artist! Teng Qingshan thought to himself. That was the inherent advantage of internal arts: the perfect synergy between bodily power and internal energy.

Minor mastery in internal arts equates to the level of a First-Rate Martial Artist, but with higher attainment, where most meridians are opened, like with the Raging Bull Mighty Art*, which can be cultivated to the seventh or eighth layer in one go! The combination of physical strength and internal energy could easily yield an explosive output of tens of thousands of catties,* Teng Qingshan was supremely confident. In a few decades, from the two to three hundred million people in Yangzhou alone, I can cultivate millions of internal arts masters! Millions of internal arts masters, with the lowest tier being Second-Rate Martial Artists, and the majority being First-Rate Martial Artists.

In other words, the Xingyi Sect can effortlessly amass an army of over one hundred thousand First-Rate Martial Artists, Teng Qingshan had already accounted for this possibility.

However, Teng Qingshan was clear on one point: If the internal arts lineage becomes too powerful, it will lead to internal fragmentation! Just as Daoism splintered into countless schools, if my internal arts lineage harbors ambitions, it too will fracture into various sects. Therefore, the best approach is to preemptively sever the Xingyi Sect’s ambition for world domination. Without the desire for conquest, yet possessing overwhelming strength, my Xingyi Sect will naturally evolve into a transcendent, hallowed sanctuary!

Because they harbor no ambition for supremacy, even ambitious individuals within the Xingyi Sect would be unable to leverage the sect’s power. This was due to three factors: First, the founder's legacy. Second, the public declaration made to the world. Third, the entire sect universally accepted this principle. By then, the Xingyi Sect's power would be unrivaled across the world, becoming a sacred entity surpassing all other sects in the Nine Provinces. Though they would not conquer the world, no other force would dare challenge them!

However, all of this requires time, and a large number of internal arts secret manuals, Teng Qingshan reflected. The road ahead was long, and everything depended on the pioneering efforts of him, the founding patriarch.

As the Xingyi Sect revealed itself to the world on the Nine Provinces Continent, deep within the distant Southern Savage Lands—

"Hahahaha, it is done! It is finally done!"

A hoarse voice rang out. A man clad in gray robes, his face marred by ferocious scars, shot south like a streak of light. Having endured the death of his son, the annihilation of his sect, and his own disfigurement, Gu Yong had finally achieved enlightenment, breaking through the last barrier to reach the Void Realm.

The speed of a Void Realm expert was astonishing.

After an unknown period of time…

Whoosh!

With a scarred face and only a pair of chillingly cold eyes, Gu Yong gazed far ahead at the forest. Within the woods, especially among the colossal trees, he saw countless dwellings—houses constructed among the branches. The sounds of various conversations rose and fell from different points. The number of these wild people here was unprecedentedly vast. Furthermore, every person here stood nearly ten feet tall, resembling giants, with a few exceptional individuals towering even higher.

"This is it. I have finally arrived!" Gu Yong murmured to himself.