Chapter 374 - 369: Four Principles Sect

As for the Sect’s resource problems, they could only be truly solved once Du Youqian became stronger, or if a capable new Sect leader emerged in the future to relocate the Sect to a more resource-rich region.

For now, they would just have to make do and live frugally.

Du Youqian busied himself with preparations. It was only after he had chosen a location and nearly everything was ready that he remembered: the Sect still didn’t have a name.

Naming a Sect was typically done with careful consideration.

Some were named after their location.

For example, the Yinshan Sect and the Shuangxi Sect.

Others were named after their Cultivation Techniques, such as the Holy Blood Sect, the Emotionless Sect, the Red Lotus Sect, and the Heavenly Emotions and Oceanic Resentments Sect.

Still others were named for a particular trait or philosophy. This was quite common. The Great Compassion Temple, as well as the Chongzhen and Cunzhen Sects, fell into this category. The same was true for the rival pair, the Destruction Sect and the Ten Thousand Laws Sect, and others like the Lingxiao Sword Pavilion and the Taihe Sect.

Some were even named after their founding patriarchs. The Shengxuan Sect, for instance, was named after its founder, Master Xuan Yuan.

Du Youqian pondered, ’What should I call my Sect?’

’First, I can’t name it after myself.’

’That would be too personal.’

’It doesn’t align with my philosophy.’

’Second, I can’t name it after a location, since I’ve already decided the Sect will move in the future.’

’That leaves naming it after a trait or philosophy.’

’The question is, what exactly are the traits or philosophy of the Sect I plan to build?’

’Digging deeper, why do I want to establish this Sect in the first place?’

Du Youqian slowly gathered his thoughts.

Establishing a Sect wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment decision, but the result of long-term contemplation.

’Living in seclusion, pursuing carefree Immortal Cultivating... that’s not a viable path in the Human World.’

’This place is a massive battlefield, not a peaceful environment like Momenan.’

’Aside from barren places like the Endless Desert Sea, everywhere else is almost perpetually mired in conflict and battle.’

’The battles between the Human Race and the Demon Race, the battles among different Demon Races, the battles between the Human Race’s Profound Sects Orthodox Camp and the Demon Sect Camp...’

’Ever since the Ancient Celestial Court shattered and fell, strife and war have been the eternal themes of the Human World. Peace is but a brief interlude.’

In this environment, Du Youqian believed he needed an anchor in the Human World. It would be a pillar of support for each of his reincarnations and a safe place for Lin Sha, Fang Hua, and the others.

As for whether having a Sect would drag him into a vortex of conflict?

Du Youqian’s take on it was: ’Even without a Sect, would there truly be no conflict?’

’If I have a Sect, and I lead it well and train a group of outstanding disciples, at least I’ll have some backup in a big fight.’

’Otherwise, I’d just be waiting to get jumped by a mob...’

Therefore, Du Youqian’s fundamental purpose in establishing the Sect was to seek the Dao.

But ’Seeking the Dao Sect’ obviously didn’t sound good.

’Questioning the Dao Sect’ was no good either.

Names like that were too straightforward. People would just look down on you. ’What a tasteless, uncultured hick.’

Names like ’Celestial Dao Sect’ or ’Great Dao Sect’ were definitely out. Far too arrogant.

’You?’

’Celestial Dao? Great Dao?’

’Let’s see you prove it in a fight.’

Du Youqian was no master at naming things. After pondering for a long time, he decided, ’I’ll just ask the Ghost Gods.’

So he performed a Divination and received two words: Desolate Valley.

’Valley of Heartlessness?’

’How unlucky.’

’No thanks.’

Of course, Du Youqian knew that ’Desolate Valley’ was a play on the term for ’Fasting,’ but he truly disliked the name.

It was Li Fei who eventually, and carefully, offered a suggestion. "Brother Zong, your name is Zong Li. If you reverse the characters, you get ’Li Zong.’ What do you think of a name like the ’Truth Sect’? Or perhaps the ’Dao Li Sect’? Or do you think the ’Rational Sect’ is better?"

’Terrible. So bad they’re not even worth criticizing.’

However, it did spark an idea in Du Youqian’s mind, and he thought of a new name.

"The Four Principles Sect. Let’s call it the Four Principles Sect," Du Youqian declared. "First, one must grasp the principle of emotion, then understand the principle of righteousness. Sublimating that, one can comprehend the principle of affairs, and finally, one can realize the principle of the Celestial Dao. When all four principles are clear, the Great Dao is within reach."

"Brother Zong, you’re so erudite!" Li Fei wasn’t a child anymore; she had long since learned the art of flattery.

Besides, she had always admired Du Youqian, so her praise was shamelessly effusive. Even Du Youqian found it a bit much at times, feeling she was laying it on too thick.

This time, however, he gladly accepted the praise, because he, too, thought it was an excellent name.

"But... what exactly are the principle of emotion, the principle of righteousness, the principle of affairs, and the principle of reason?" Li Fei asked cautiously, after Du Youqian had finished chuckling.

"..." Du Youqian didn’t even want to speak to her. ’Casting pearls before swine,’ he thought.

In any case, the Sect’s name was finally settled.

The next phase was the most hectic and intense. Du Youqian had to lead his future disciples to the edge of the Endless Desert Western Domain, find a barren mountain, clear and prepare the land, lay out the basic infrastructure, and construct the main gate.

Then, he would have to channel the terrestrial qi, purchase and graft Spirit Veins, and establish a Mountain Protection Array...

As for a Blessed Land, that was out of the question for the time being. It was an impossibility.

Du Youqian had learned a few things since arriving in the Human World.

Immortals were divided into five types: Celestial, Terrestrial, Human, God, and Ghost.

Gods and Ghost Immortals were both appointed by the Ancient Celestial Court.

Of course, the Ancient Celestial Court had since shattered and fallen. Although some Great Powers continued to appoint Immortals and Ghost Immortals, they were a far cry from the ageless, undying beings once appointed by the ancient court. It was the difference between ’what you ordered’ and ’what you got.’

They received no recognition from the Cultivation Realm whatsoever.

The other three types—Celestial, Terrestrial, and Human—were the only kinds of Immortals one could still become.

Of course, how one actually became an Immortal wasn’t something a piddling Golden Core Middle Stage cultivator like him could possibly know. The records of the Shengxia Sect contained no reliable information, only speculation and fragments of hearsay from the sect Elders.

There was only one relatively clear record: Blessed Lands and Becoming an Immortal were apparently highly correlated.

But whether one needed a Blessed Land to achieve immortality, or one gained a Blessed Land after achieving it, the Shengxia Sect’s texts were vague.

In any case, if an old Golden Core Sect like Shengxia—one that had even produced a Nascent Soul Elder Monster in its history—didn’t have a Blessed Land, then Du Youqian’s fledgling Four Principles Sect certainly couldn’t hope for one.

’No Blessed Land, no problem. It shouldn’t be a big deal.’ But in truth, Du Youqian’s understanding of Blessed Lands was far too limited.

Even back when he was a high-ranking member of the Holy Blood Sect, Elder Shi himself couldn’t clearly explain what a Blessed Land was, so Du Youqian knew even less.

All he knew was that they were legacies left by predecessors, the Spiritual Qi density within them was slightly higher, and Mortals found it difficult to enter.

Anything else?

Apparently not.

Several years passed. Finally, all the Sect’s main buildings were completed, the Mountain Protection Array was in place, and the protective Arrays for crucial areas like the Collection Room were also set up.

As for the disciples’ residences... ’They can build their own in the future.’

Du Youqian was truly out of energy.

A quick calculation revealed that he was 529 years old this year, though to others, he appeared to be merely in his seventies.

The Sect’s founding ceremony was set for the following year.

Next was to send out invitations far and wide, inviting guests to witness the ceremony.

All the major powers of the Human World had to be sent an invitation, regardless of whether they would come or not. ’They almost certainly won’t,’ he thought, ’but one must observe the proper courtesies.’

’Otherwise, they might think, ’You sent an invitation to so-and-so Sect, but not to us? Do you look down on us?’’

In the Endless Desert Sea and the Four Domains—southeast, southwest, northwest, and northeast—all the first-rate powers and any Sect with a Core Formation Cultivator also had to be invited.

Fortunately, the Four Principles Sect was just a minor Golden Core-level Sect for now, not even qualified to choose a side.

If it were a Nascent Soul Sect, he would have to agonize over whether to join the Profound Sects Orthodox Camp or the Demon Sect Camp.

Neutral?

Not an option.

Being a neutral Sect meant that when the Demon Sect Camp ran short on materials for refining Demon Artifacts, they would come ’borrowing’ your disciples and Elders for ingredients, and the Profound Sects Orthodox Camp wouldn’t lift a finger to help.

And when a weaker Profound Sects Orthodox Sect needed to rack up merit by ’slaying demons,’ but didn’t dare pick a real fight with the Demon Race or a true Demon Sect, they would simply declare your Sect a ’Demon Sect’ and slaughter you to the last man. The Demon Sect Camp wouldn’t help you then, either.

Surviving in the middle was difficult. Very difficult.

Unless you wanted to abandon the Human Race entirely and defect to the Demon Race, becoming a traitor to your own kind like the Cyan Yang Sect.

Du Youqian, of course, had no intention of becoming a traitor.

As for which side to choose, that was a problem for another day.

For now, the priority was to establish the Sect.

Du Youqian’s disciples had never traveled far from home, and the one with the highest Cultivation was only at Foundation Establishment Perfection.

Sending them to deliver invitations would be like serving them up as a meal for the Demon Race.

So, Du Youqian paid out of his own pocket to hire the Qingxu Commerce Association, whose business connections reached every corner of the world, to deliver the invitations.

Later, figuring he might as well have one group handle everything, he contracted the Qingxu Commerce Association to provide the ceremonial staff, cater the banquet, and even procure the gifts for the guests.

It wasn’t for any special reason that Du Youqian gave so much business to the Qingxu Commerce Association.

Rather, it was because he had performed a Divination. He had originally intended to divine what connection the Qingxu Commerce Association had with his own Daoist title, "Qingxu Tongxuan Guanmiao True Monarch."

The results were chaotic, impossible to read accurately.

This was within his expectations. The Qingxu Commerce Association was surely backed by a Great Power; it wasn’t something he could simply probe at will.

So he settled for the next best thing and performed a Divination on himself instead—to see if it would be auspicious or ill-omened to continue his dealings with the Qingxu Commerce Association.

The result came back: highly auspicious.

And that was perfectly fine with him.