In a world overflowing with the purest of Qi, up on the tallest mountain—the Kunlun Mountain—was a single sect. One that had existed since time immemorial and was known as the strongest sect, uncontested: the Azure Dragon Sect.
But unlike usual, today, there was nobody cultivating.
Instead, all disciples and elders had gathered—50,000 of them in total.
On a floating jade platform above the Azure Dragon Sect’s main building, they all lined up neatly, looking forward to their idol: the current Sect Master and the most powerful cultivator to have walked the eleven realms.
"Master Xu Tao, may you succeed in your endeavors!"
"Please pave the path for the first Heaven Immortal Sage to have ever existed!"
"Master Xu... We’ll miss you...!"
Various voices echoed—some cheering him on, some burning with expectations, some emphasizing their longing, and some even crying genuine tears.
But the man himself just stood on the raised platform, staring at the gently rotating clouds and the Mystic Beasts flying in the air. His lips were curled into a thin smile, his gaze filled with care for the "little ones" he was leaving behind.
"It’s been 3,000 years since I became the Sect Master..." he muttered in reminiscence, his voice deep but still with a hint of youth.
His long black hair, tied loosely into a braided ponytail, waved along with the Qi-filled gentle winds. "But now, it’s time for me to step down. Tang Li, from now on, you’ll be in charge of the Sect as its next Master..."
Upon being called, a sturdy-looking man stepped forward, cupping his fists and bowing with genuine respect.
"Yes, Sect Master!" he shouted in a clear, hefty voice. "No... Great Elder!"
"Stop that, you make me look old." The now "previous" Sect Master, Xu Tao, chuckled lightly. "I even shaved my beard just to look younger before you all... Well, with that out of the way, let me give parting gifts to all the cute little disciples here."
He waved his hand—a casual gesture.
But the next moment, Spatial Bags appeared before each of the 50,000 Disciples. They were surprised by the act, but quickly grabbed the items floating before them and bowed down.
"THANK YOU, GREAT ELDER!"
They cheered in unison, sounding like a roar toward the heavens.
Xu Tao smiled, seeing them all bow appreciatively. It must be said that, even if the things he gave the disciples were worth mountains to them, to him, they were nothing but specks of dust.
He only kept a single spatial bag for himself, containing resources he would need—which amounted to more than a thousand times what he gave away.
"Right now, I’ll be going into closed-door cultivation."
He finally announced, sounding calm and solemn.
"I don’t know how long it’ll take me, but I’ll make sure to take the final step to reaching the fabled Divine Heaven Immortal Realm."
His wealth would be useless if left to rot, so aside from a few items he couldn’t part with, he decided to pass everything he owned to his disciples and fellow Elders.
To him, building wealth from nothing wasn’t a challenge. As such, it didn’t pain him to part with most of the treasures he had collected over the past few thousand years.
It was all in consideration of the Sect’s future prosperity.
Right then, a bell rang—its sound clear and reverberating throughout everyone’s body, causing the Qi within them to start moving, revitalizing by itself.
It rang a total of three times—a signal that a great figure of the Sect was about to enter Seclusion.
Xu Tao sighed before stepping up, floating mid-air—flying toward a giant lotus that appeared above everyone without notice. He sat in the very middle of it comfortably, in lotus position, as he gently closed his eyes.
His cultivation had already begun, despite not even reaching his destination yet.
The skies, all sunny and bright earlier, quickly turned dark. Golden Lightning arced, reacting heavily to Xu Tao’s cultivation—as if the heavens themselves were trying to stop him.
"Protect the Great Elder!"
Despite not needing protection, all the elders moved, rushing around the giant lotus and holding their weapons—fighting against the divine lightning trying to strike it down.
"Heh... You kids..." Xu Tao chuckled.
He could understand what was happening even with his eyes closed. They didn’t really need to do it, but it was their choice. He didn’t have the right to stop them anymore, anyway.
Slowly, the lotus moved.
It flew gently through the air, like a cloud drifting with the wind.
His destination was the Starfire Lake, located at the edge of their world. It was the best location for cultivation, as it was rich in all kinds of Qi. The only downside was that it was deadly enough that no normal cultivator could withstand staying there for long.
But Xu Tao wasn’t a "normal cultivator." He was the best there was.
Under the protection of the Azure Dragon Sect’s elders, the giant flying lotus continued on its way, delivering Xu Tao to his destination. It took the lotus years to reach it—an inconspicuous cave sitting in the middle of the Starfire Lake, the size of three seas.
The lotus drifted inside, heading into a darkness that blocked all observation from outside.
The next moment, the angry skies that had raged for a year finally calmed down.
"Block the cave entrance! Make sure nobody can disturb the Great Elder!"
But the work of the Azure Dragon Sect’s elders was just beginning.
They pushed themselves, staying longer than they should in the Starfire Lake, and created a secure environment for Xu Tao. They blocked the cave entrance with a Nine-Yang Seal—something that wouldn’t fail even if the world itself were destroyed.
Xu Tao smiled, sensing that his former disciples were now heading out of the Starfire Sea safely. Battered, true, but still keeping their lives and their cultivations. Nothing more could be hoped for.
He might be hidden from the eyes of heaven for now, but when he approached the Divine Heaven Immortal Stage... he wasn’t sure what would happen.
A Divine Tribulation stronger than any could occur.
Still, disregarding the risk, he cultivated—diligently, continuously, one drop of True Qi after another. Even losing track of the passage of time itself.
Qi built up inside his three Dantians, filling them beyond their usual capacity.
The pain hit Xu Tao hard, but he persisted. Despite his vessels cracking under the intense pressure, he didn’t let up. He gritted his teeth, pulled in more Qi, and cultivated—a trial by fire, per se.
But after he got used to the pain of his soul being torn apart, he slowly started to stabilize. His Qi jumped in strength and quantity, and his soul became so powerful it could be compared to that of the Gods themselves.
Then, Xu Tao opened his eyes—
—after 10,000 years of cultivation.
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