The sudden change in Bai Xiaochun’s demeanor caused more eyes to widen among the patriarchs who sat in the grand hall. That was especially true of Patriarch Crimsonsoul of the Profound Stream Sect, who couldn’t help but rub his eyes a bit, and then look back at Bai Xiaochun in confusion.

It was the same with the Pill Stream Sect, and even the Blood Stream Sect patriarchs were shocked.

The patriarchs from the Spirit Stream Sect were smiling wryly in embarrassment. The founding patriarch glared at Bai Xiaochun for a moment, then rubbed his forehead. Sounding a bit displeased, he said, “It might be good for you to think about it for a while, don’t you think...?”

“Patriarch, I don’t think anyone else but me is suitable to become the junior patriarch of the River-Defying Sect. What’s there to think about? I agree!” Bai Xiaochun stood there, looking off into the distance, fairly radiating energy. His hair swirled around him, and his eyes seemed to shine like the stars. He seemed like something beyond a Chosen, almost like a deity!

The Blood Stream Sect’s arch-patriarch cleared his throat and said, “You’re already completely famous. Why don’t you give some of the other disciples a chance...?”

Bai Xiaochun flicked his sleeve and gazed up into the air, looking completely stern and awe-inspiring. It was as if his righteousness could shake everything in heaven and earth. “Patriarchs, the reason I’m so famous is because I take my responsibilities seriously! That’s an important quality! I, Bai Xiaochun, am a person who loves my sect. How could I force other disciples to sacrifice themselves to handle my responsibilities? I could never treat them so unfairly! That’s not how Bai Xiaochun operates. Not ever! Fate has selected me for this role, and if the sect picks me, then I won’t frown even if I have to go through hell or high water!”

“But you’ve been wounded,” Patriarch Crimsonsoul suddenly said, “and as the junior patriarch, you would likely encounter even more situations in which you could end up wounded.”

Bai Xiaochun’s eyes widened, and for the first time, he actually took a moment to think. After a moment of indecision, he gritted his teeth and then chuckled casually. “As cultivators, which of us haven’t shed some blood? I, Bai Xiaochun, have a dream. I dream that for the rest of my life, the day will never come that I am forced to shed even a single tear for my sect. Even if I have to shed a lifetime of blood, I will make that dream become a reality. And that is because I... am the junior patriarch of the River-Defying Sect!”

Although Bai Xiaochun was smiling, it was a smile of utmost sincerity and solemnity. It contained his hopes for the sect, and his determination to stride into the future. As he spoke, his energy surged, and everyone in the grand hall was shaken inwardly.

Were it not for the fact that all of the patriarchs had witnessed Bai Xiaochun’s performance from earlier, they would all be convinced that he was the epitome of righteousness and loyalty!

The hall fell into silence. Strange expressions could be seen on the faces of the patriarchs. A long moment passed, and finally the founding patriarch of the Spirit Stream Sect chuckled.

“Very well then. In a month, we’ll hold the ceremony. The River-Defying Sect shall be founded in the eastern Lower Reaches of the cultivation world! Furthermore, we will send a petition to the Starry Sky Dao Polarity Sect in the Upper Reaches, asking for permission to replace the Sky River Court!”

Laughing Loudly, Bai Xiaochun said, “I’ve been waiting for this war for a long time!”

After conferring a bit more with the patriarchs, he turned and left, heart swelling with pride.

Upon leaving the hall, his spirits did not fall. Everywhere he went, people looked over, at first in shock, and then with expressions of fervor and respect.

Upon arriving back at the spirit abode, he sighed comfortably, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

“Those old fogeys scared the daylights out of me. I thought they were going to give me a dangerous mission or something. Why didn’t they bring up the junior patriarch thing earlier?!” Feeling very pleased with himself, he shook his head and settled down cross-legged.

“As the junior patriarch, I’m definitely going to be completely and utterly famous. Hahaha! Soon I’m going to need to change the rallying cry. I can’t use

the Middle Peak blood master has infinite magical powers, the Spirit Stream Heaven-Dao expert can shake the whole world

anymore! It’ll have to be

the River-Defying junior patriarch is unparalleled under heaven

!” Such thoughts got him even more excited than before.

“In terms of safety... hmph! Being the junior patriarch is definitely the safest of all. They’re not going to be sending me out on missions, that’s for sure. And I’ll definitely have lots of other disciples to guard me whenever I leave the sect.” Bai Xiaochun felt wonderful, and could hardly wait for the ceremony the following month.

The official founding of the River-Defying Sect became the hottest topic of conversation among the disciples of the four sects. Furthermore, word spread until the entire eastern Lower Reaches was abuzz!

All of the smaller sects, as well as countless cultivator clans and numerous rogue cultivators, were all completely shaken. To them, even a single one of the four great sects was a vast and important organization, but now, all of the four great sects had joined into one!

A powerful organization like that hadn’t ever appeared in the history of the eastern Lower Reaches. Before long, word spread to the cultivator clans and smaller sects in the delta region. However, there was even more news that started to circulate, news that got everyone shaking with madness and astonishment!

The goal of the River-Defying Sect wasn’t just to join together into one large sect. They wanted to fight their way into the Middle Reaches and take over the Sky River Court as the dominant sect there!

That news virtually drove people crazy. After all, if the River-Defying Sect succeeded, then it would mean that four slots would open up for new sects in the Lower Reaches!

The River-Defying Sect’s thirst to become a Middle Reaches sect only continued to grow stronger. Likewise, the thirst of the delta sects and cultivator clans to establish their place in the Lower Reaches was just as strong!

And thus, disputes arose, as well as secret treaties. The entire eastern Lower Reaches of the cultivation world was shaken. As the commotion grew, everyone was focused on the grand ceremony to come!

The River-Defying Sect did not establish an official sect headquarters. As for the city in the mountains, it was only a temporary base. According to the River-Defying Sect, the only suitable headquarters was currently occupied by the Sky River Court!

𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

Despite being only a temporary headquarters, it didn’t take long for the more than 1,000,000 cultivators of the four sects to renovate the entire city. They even expanded it, making it look more glorious than before. The reserve powers of all four sects were present, marked by enormous vortexes up in the sky, which emanated shocking pressure at all times.

As the ceremony approached, the sects and clans of the Lower Reaches used any and all means necessary to arrange for emissaries from their various organizations to hurry toward the city. As for those who weren’t powerful enough to send people such a long distance in such a short time, they were simply out of luck.

Of course, the eastern Lower Reaches was a huge place, and most sects had connections to other cultivator clans, as well as forces in the delta regions. Because of that, a vast number of people converged on the city to attend the ceremony, so much so that the city itself couldn’t contain them, forcing them to set up camp in the surrounding area.

More people arrived every day. Soon, the time for the ceremony arrived.

On that day, the cultivators of the River-Defying Sect decorated the entire city. They all wore new Daoist robes, and looked completely spectacular. The vortex above rumbled with power, and the seventeen patriarchs hovered in the air like seventeen gods. Beneath them were more than a hundred legacy echelon cultivators in the Gold Core stage, who were precious gems in the sect, and the hope for future glory.

Further down were the hundreds of prime elders, who shone like glittering stars. Then were the even larger numbers of Foundation Establishment cultivators, whose energy caused brightly colored lights to flash in heaven and earth. The people outside the city who had come to observe the ceremony were completely shocked, and couldn’t help but cry out in shock.

Suddenly, an archaic voice echoed out in all directions, a voice that boomed like thunder and caused the hearts of all cultivators who heard it to tremble on the verge of exploding. “Let heaven and earth bear witness! Let an oath be sworn to Time itself! This day is the day the River-Defying Sect is founded!”

“We, the Spirit Stream Sect, henceforth abandon the name of our sect, and join the River-Defying Sect!”

“We, the Blood Stream Sect, henceforth abandon the name of our sect, and join the River-Defying Sect!”

“We, the Profound Stream Sect....”

“We, the Pill Stream Sect....”

The voices of the patriarchs of the four sects began to ring out, one after another.

Their voices filled the entire world with intense rumbling sounds. As their oaths echoed out, it proved that in the eastern Lower Reaches, a sect was rising up the likes of which had never been seen before!

Bai Xiaochun’s heart pounded with excitement as he hovered in midair, looking up at the ceremony going on.

It was then that a strange sign suddenly appeared in the sky!

Golden light flooded out, flickering, scintillating, as if a bolt of golden lightning had appeared. Then, a huge vortex appeared higher up in the sky, a vortex fully 30,000 meters wide!

It was as if the sky itself were collapsing. Intense pressure weighed down that affected even the patriarchs, the Gold Core cultivators, and the River-Defying Sect’s reserve powers. This energy made them seem like fireflies looking up at the bright moon!

The pressure didn’t just affect the River-Defying Sect. The entire city began to tremble, and the cultivators who had come to observe the ceremony started to shake. They felt as if heavenly might were crushing down on them, and they dropped to their knees, trembling, to kowtow.

Not a sound could be heard in all creation.

The River-Defying Sect’s patriarchs were all trembling as they struggled to raise their heads. In the huge vortex up above, an enormous eye slowly opened. It was several thousand meters wide, and as it looked down, everyone who saw it was shaken.

It was as if the entire world were a bottle, and someone outside of the bottle were looking into it through the bottleneck!

Bai Xiaochun’s heart was pounding in shock; he could hardly believe what he was seeing.

The eye slowly took in the sights below, and then a powerful voice erupted out from the vortex to fill heaven and earth.

“River-Defying Sect, hear the decree of the Starry Sky Dao Polarity Sect!”