Sect Master's Seal

The wind stirred.

Nan Zhi was the first to sense the change in the wind, silently cursing herself for being so possessed by momentary recklessness.

Though a thousand years had passed, all disciples of the Three Sects had perished, and the True Immortals in the hall had passed into meditation, who knew if they had left behind any hidden contingencies?

She immediately retreated several zhang as eighty-one formation stones encircled her body, faintly shimmering with light.

The entire grand hall began to tremble. From the open floor in the dead center, a scaled-down sandbox map floated up, depicting none other than the towers and pavilions of the Three Sects.

The sandbox was extraordinarily exquisite. Within a hundred-li radius, the contours of every mountain range and the flow of every river were visible, alongside fluttering birds and sprinting demon beasts; all living beings were clearly delineated.

—A spiritual light spanned across it, representing the mountain-guarding formation laid down by the Three Sects. Even after a thousand years, it continued to operate as usual.

Nan Zhi had no intention of delving into the anomaly of this grand hall. Decisive as always, she turned to flee, but an exceedingly soft sigh drifted through the air:

[You have come.]

Her scalp tingled with numbness as she saw the thirteen immortal corpses suddenly move!

Regardless of male or female, they turned their bodies in unison, their hollow gazes falling upon her—as if seeing Nan Zhi clearly across time and space.

Countless murmuring whispers rose like sleep-talk, rustling like projections left behind by space and time, or perhaps the last remnants of words left by these powerhouses before their deaths.

[She has come.]

[She has come.]

[It is her.]

[The wait is over...]

[Our Dao is not alone; humanity endures forever.]

[The North Province... still stands.]

[Humanity shall not perish.]

[Little girl, from now on... it all depends on you.]

Thirteen hazy remnant souls rose from the crowns of the immortal corpses, taking on their living appearances and casting a warm, smiling final glance at Nan Zhi.

Then, right before her eyes, they all dissolved into ashes—

In place of the lotus altar, a speck of gentle, bright light slowly ascended, turning into a palm-sized jade seal that flew straight into Nan Zhi's embrace.

With a soft whoosh, upon the entire wall housing the disciples' life lamps, a lotus lamp gradually manifested, outlining its contours bit by bit—

【Nan Zhi】

The lamp reignited, and the fragrance of lotus blossoms diffused through the air.

The lamp looked ancient, as if it had existed for thousands or tens of thousands of years.

A feeling of joy radiated from the small seal.

It was like reminiscence, yet also like wild ecstasy, mingled with an indescribable sense of intimacy!

This jade seal had actually begun to develop spiritual sentience!

Before Nan Zhi could react, the spiritual power within her dantian drained away, voraciously devoured by the jade seal. In a single breath, the spiritual energy in her body was completely sucked dry, sending her crashing headfirst to the ground!

Startled, Nan Zhi swallowed two whole bottles of pills in succession to barely hold on, but the spiritual energy in her dantian continued to drain away relentlessly.

Like someone starved to the brink of death, it frantically devoured the spiritual energy inside Nan Zhi's body!

No, this item had been depleted for too long. Having suddenly sensed spiritual energy, it wanted to turn the tables and consume Nan Zhi!

Within her divine sense, the newborn artifact spirit rampaged wildly, craving spiritual energy and swallowing everything in its path.

If this went on, she would suffer qi deviation and become crippled!

“Cough, cough—I knew there was no such thing as a free lunch in this world.”

Nan Zhi violently spat out a mouthful of blood, slowly wiping away the crimson stain from her lips, and let out a smirk:

“Since you want to devour your master, let's test it out and see who is master and who is servant.”

She immediately sat cross-legged in meditation, holding the seal in her left hand and suspending the Nether Cold Fire above her right. Circulating the spiritual energy within her body, she began cultivating the 《Five Elements Heaven-Mending Manual》—

The flame was no larger than a bean; its inner core glowed a chilly white, while its outer flame was a ruthless ocean-deep azure. Even slightly nearing it brought an onslaught of piercing chill.

A visible layer of frost spread upward from the tips of Nan Zhi's right fingers. Before long, she became a half-frozen “Snow Monster.”

“Hah—”

Even Nan Zhi's eyelashes turned as white as feathers, and every breath she exhaled carried flecks of crushed ice.

The jade seal seemed to sense something amiss, releasing flickers of spiritual light to beg for mercy. But Nan Zhi showed no leniency, calmly circulating her cultivation method and focusing all her attention on refining the Nether Cold Fire!

One day.

Ten days.

Half a month.

A whole month passed, yet Nan Zhi remained seated where she was, covered in snow like an ice sculpture, utterly silent and still.

The entire Unnamed Sect sank once more into deathly silence.

If a high-level cultivator were watching, they would certainly marvel in wonder.

The Sect Master's Seal and the Nether Cold Fire.

Without the Nether Cold Fire to suppress it, Nan Zhi would have been drained into a dried corpse in an instant.

Without the Sect Master's Seal to protect her body, Nan Zhi might have been burned to nothingness in a matter of moments.

Neither could have been missing; it was truly an incredible stroke of serendipity.

One could only say she was blessed with profound fortune.

...

“Chirp, chirp!”

“Chirp, chirp, chirp!”

“Tweet, tweet, tweet!”

No one knew how much time had passed when fiery-red birds fluttered outside the long-silent grand hall, foraging and playing among the skeletons.

The sudden sound of fracturing ice startled the flock of birds into flight. The wind stirred by their beating wings swept up swirls of golden-yellow fallen leaves.

In the main hall of the Unnamed Sect, an ice sculpture slowly cracked open, and Nan Zhi snapped her eyes open.

【Ding!】

【Congratulations, Cultivator, on leveling up!】

【Cultivator: Nan Zhi】

【Level: Level 59】

【Cultivation: Foundation Establishment Level 7】

...

【Cultivated Methods: 《Small Huanzhen Manual》 (Great Perfection), 《Moon-Worshiping Breathing Method》 (Tier 3 Mid Stage), 《Great Huanzhen Manual》 (Tier 2 Mid Stage), 《Great Dao Deduction Record》 (Tier 1 Early Stage), 《Great Freedom External Incarnation Art》 (Tier 1 Late Stage), 《Five Elements Heaven-Mending Manual》 (Tier 1 Early Stage)】

【Ding!】

【Unnamed Sect Master's Seal (?): When equipped, faction Favorability +200, all attributes within faction increase by 50%, Charm within faction increases by 100%, Reputation +500. (Bound)

Mountain-Guarding Formation (Activated), Sect Grand Hall (Activated), Pill Pavilion (Sealed), Sword Valley (Sealed), Herb Garden (Sealed), Library (Sealed), Star Plucking Pavilion (Sealed), Dao Enlightenment Peak (Sealed), Forging Workshop (Sealed), Discipline Tower (Sealed), Treasury (Sealed), Spirit Beast Garden (Sealed), Heavenly Star Pool (Sealed)...】

【Detected a change in cultivator factions: “Demon Suppression Division”, “Unnamed Sect” (New Faction).】

【Ding!】

【Detected current “Unnamed Sect” faction Favorability: 100 (Savior's Halo bonus +200), Bound Item: “Unnamed Sect Master's Seal”.】

【Ding!】

【In light of the player currently having the highest faction Favorability, you are appointed as “Sect Master”; position modifications can be made in the Hall of Miscellaneous Affairs.】

【Cultivator “Nan Zhi” has acquired “Unnamed Sect” Sect Master authority. Current cultivation is too low to unlock certain building permissions; please strive to level up.】

【Sect Members: 1】

The very instant she opened her eyes, a deep, sonorous bell tolled across the mountains, echoing far and wide as ripples of sound waves expanded outward.

The chimes sounded like a signal, awakening the entire sect.