Chapter 377 - 372: Heading to the Eastern Domain

Most Cultivators from the Endless Desert Western Domain had a rugged and fierce demeanor. They were more like bandits than Cultivators—which was, of course, quite normal.

Many were Cultivators who occasionally moonlighted as bandits.

Others were the exact opposite: their main profession was banditry, and they only dabbled in cultivation.

But the Four Principles Sect disciples standing behind Du Youqian, while not all strikingly handsome, each carried themselves with an elegant grace completely unlike the Cultivators from this part of the Endless Desert Sea.

Compared to the disciples of the major Sects and powerful factions, all they lacked was a certain pedigree and confidence.

With a founding patriarch like him and disciples like these, the rise of the Four Principles Sect seemed inevitable.

Thanks to the experienced master of ceremonies from the Qingxu Commerce Association, the Four Principles Sect’s founding ceremony was respectable in its atmosphere and etiquette. The entire process went off without a hitch.

And those five sword strikes of Du Youqian’s added a touch of the legendary to the founding ceremony.

Even after the observation ceremony concluded, as the Observation Envoys from the various Sects departed, they couldn’t help but gather in small groups, still buzzing with excitement. They discussed the Four Principles Sect, Du Youqian’s performance, and his explanation of the Sect’s philosophy.

They had listened to his words, observed his actions, and tried to comprehend his Dao.

This founding patriarch of the Four Principles Sect was said to be merely in his seventies, yet his comprehension of the Great Dao was already so profound.

If he didn’t meet an untimely end, the Golden Core Realm would by no means be his limit.

Many of them decided that when they reported back to their Sects, they would make one thing clear: the Four Principles Sect was worth befriending.

However, the guests from the Demon Sect Camp were more reserved.

From the Sect’s philosophy Du Youqian described and the rules he announced during the ceremony, it was clear that the Four Principles Sect leaned more toward the Profound Sects Orthodox Camp.

As for the Four Principles Sect’s core Cultivation Technique, that was still a secret no one had yet uncovered.

If it was later confirmed that their Sect’s Foundation Technique also favored the Profound Sects, then the Four Principles Sect’s allegiance would be clear.

In the Human World, although the Demon Sect Camp and the Profound Sects Orthodox Camp hadn’t broken out into open war, overt and covert conflicts were a daily occurrence.

If it was determined that the Four Principles Sect planned to join the Profound Sects Orthodox Camp, then the Demon Sects would have to act—either by suppressing them or planting their own spies.

~~~~~~~~

After the founding ceremony, Du Youqian remained busy for some time.

He focused on building relationships with the Core Formation Masters of various factions, laying a solid foundation for the Four Principles Sect’s diplomatic standing.

Of course, he remained cautious when it came to forming alliances. Aside from the Shengxia Sect, he hadn’t committed to allying with any other power.

Even though he and his disciples had all come from the Zouma Gang, he had no intention of forming an alliance between the Four Principles Sect and the gang. On the contrary, he planned to make a clean break.

’The Zouma Gang’s rise was too swift, and it’s fraught with hidden dangers.’

’Once my lifespan ends and I reincarnate, the Zouma Gang will surely disintegrate. It will be beyond saving.’

’When that time comes, there will undoubtedly be countless disputes over the resources and territories the Zouma Gang controls.’

’Although the Four Principles Sect would certainly win if it chose to compete—and most people would see the Sect as one of the Zouma Gang’s legitimate successors with a natural claim to its legacy—I don’t want the Sect to get entangled in such conflicts.’

’The Four Principles Sect is meant to be an Immortal Cultivation Sect that stands above worldly affairs; it’s best not to have too many ties to a faction as deeply secular as the Zouma Gang.’

Once this busy period was over, Du Youqian began actively preparing to travel to the Endless Desert Eastern Domain to find Sister Zong Li.

He had already made some inquiries about Master Luo Fan, the man who had abducted her. He was said to be a Loose Cultivator who had once served as an Honored Guest Elder for several factions. His cultivation was likely at the Golden Core Late Stage, and he was currently living in seclusion in a place he had named "Starry Valley."

So many years had passed; he didn’t even know if Sister Zong Li was still alive.

’She probably has no Spirit Root. Even if she’s still alive, she’d be in her eighties by now, frail and close to death.’

’But it doesn’t matter. I just need to confirm what happened to her. If she’s alive, I’ll rescue her. If she’s dead, I’ll bring her remains back. That should be enough to satisfy Zong Li’s final lingering obsession, allowing me to fully merge with this body.’

’After all, the young man, Zong Li, was a reasonable person. He didn’t have overly high hopes for this.’

’It’s a lingering obsession, to be sure, but not an unshakable one.’

Once his preparations were complete, Du Youqian set out on his journey to the Eastern Domain alone, not even bringing the little fox, Sha Jiang.

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Before entering the Eastern Domain proper, Du Youqian used the Nine Yin Nine Yang Ten Thousand Transformations Hidden Heaven Technique to alter his aura and appearance, making himself look like an ordinary Foundation Establishment Late Stage Cultivator.

It wasn’t that he wanted to play the pig to eat the tiger; it was simply that a foreign Core Formation Master entering the Eastern Domain would be far too conspicuous.

After all, while the Eastern Domain had Nascent Soul cultivators, most of them lived in seclusion. The top experts from the major factions who actually showed their faces were the Core Formation Masters.

So, what would people think a foreign Core Formation Master was doing in the Eastern Domain?

Trying to seize territory?

Plunder resources?

Explore the ancient abodes, Relics, or Secret Realms of predecessors?

Or perhaps seeking revenge?

And don’t even think about saying you’re just here for the sights.

It was like a gang boss openly walking onto another boss’s turf.

Even if you were only there because you heard a restaurant had good food, they would treat you as a major threat. They’d keep you under surveillance, watch you for any tricks, and also make sure nobody else took you out on their territory.

But if you were just some low-level enforcer, it was a different story. You’d have much more freedom, as no one would bother monitoring some unimportant, mid-ranking grunt.

’I don’t want to attract trouble as a bottom-tier Qi Cultivation Cultivator with no guarantee of safety, but I also don’t want to be so high-profile that I draw the attention of the local powers.’

’That leaves two options: disguise myself as a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, or as a Nascent Soul Elder Monster.’

’If I pretend to be a Nascent Soul Elder Monster,’ Du Youqian mused, ’my aura wouldn’t give me away, and I think I could pull off the right demeanor. It would also scare off most factions and save me a lot of unnecessary trouble.’

’However, it would also make any potential enemies take me far too seriously. If they decided to strike, they’d undoubtedly use a trump card meant for a Nascent Soul Level expert—a killing blow I’d find difficult to counter. So, it’s better to stick with Foundation Establishment.’

And so, a new identity was born: a Foundation Establishment Cultivator from the Endless Desert Western Domain. He was on the losing side of a factional war, his allegiances shattered, and was now being hunted. He had trekked arduously to the Endless Desert Eastern Domain to scrape out a new life. There were many Cultivators with similar stories, and any who could survive the long journey to the Eastern Domain usually possessed considerable strength.

Du Youqian had carefully crafted this persona, and he found that living it wasn’t bad at all.

Throughout his journey, he attracted no undue attention, and his own formidable strength ensured no one gave him any trouble.

The entire trip was, unbelievably, smooth sailing.