Chapter 163: Planning at the Second Watch, Ascension to Headmaster

After Luo Feng and the Supreme Immortal Tai Er departed, the upper echelons of Huaqing Temple gathered to hold a small, clandestine meeting.

Throughout history, all momentous decisions have been forged by core committees. Benefits may be shared, but strategies should not be crowded. Opinions should be solicited in an expanded assembly, but finalized in a core circle.

Having been passed down for ten thousand years and standing unshaken through the ages, Huaqing Temple naturally understood such rules.

When a grave crisis struck the temple, instead of summoning the hundreds of core disciples for a debate, the gathering was restricted to the immortals and elders of the Patriarch Hall, the Sect Master, and the Supreme Elders.

A total of eight individuals assembled to deliberate together.

Once the myriad trivial matters had been settled, a heavy silence descended upon the Patriarch Hall. Every single person wore an expression tinged with varying degrees of sorrow.

While the Patriarch of Huaqing remained in the mortal realm, no matter how insurmountable the barrier, there was always a central pillar of strength. Now that the Patriarch had passed on, a profound sense of loss gripped them all.

"Everyone, I have something to say!"

Witnessing this, Hua Ergeng sighed inwardly and made up his mind; a remedy had to be found.

The other seven individuals in the Patriarch Hall rose in unison: "Please instruct us, Patriarch."

Hua Ergeng held an immensely lofty status within both the Patriarch Hall and the entirety of Huaqing Temple. This was not only due to his profound cultivation base, which made him the most likely candidate in the temple to ascend to the rank of Celestial Immortal, but also because of a far more crucial reason.

Hua Ergeng was the biological son of the Huaqing Patriarch, having entered the sect at a remarkably early age, making him virtually a second-generation founder.

Among the immortals in the Patriarch Hall, three belonged to the direct lineage, and another was a junior brother whom he had personally raised and guided.

Following the transformation of the Huaqing Patriarch into the Dao, only Hua Ergeng possessed the prestige to settle all matters with a single word.

Seeing everyone stand, Hua Ergeng felt a slight surge of comfort. At the very least, their hearts were still united, and there was hope for future revitalization.

Hua Ergeng also stood up, gazing into the firmament above, and said calmly: "The tribulation our temple faces today is truly the ultimate test of our cultivation."

"Yet, the more severe the trial, the more our generation of cultivators must hack through thorns and brambles, pressing ever forward, to perceive a glimmer of survival."

"From this day forth, I hope you will all work together with one heart and one mind to guard our Dao lineage."

The seven exchanged glances and spoke in unison: "What the Patriarch says is true; the disciples understand!"

Regardless of past grievances, even if they had to feign it, they had to project an image of sharing weal and woe.

Otherwise, there was a very real possibility of being purged by the sect.

Hua Ergeng glanced around, guessing nine out of ten thoughts passing through their minds, though he chose not to expose them.

Surface peace was peace nonetheless.

As long as someone could wield prestige equal to his own, Huaqing Temple could be led forward.

Another sigh escaped him as his decision was finalized.

Hua Ergeng spoke with solemn gravity: "Invited by the Star Lord of Water Virtue of the Tai Er Sect, I shall soon ascend to the heavens to take up an official post."

"You cannot do this!"

At the very end of the Patriarch Hall, an Earth Immortal elder suddenly cried out, "Patriarch, how can immortals like us become gods? The Dao of Gods is tangled and complex; it will ruin your cultivation!"

"However, entering the Heavenly Court can buy Huaqing Temple a period of tranquility, securing the protection of the Heavenly Court and the Star Lord of Water Virtue."

Hua Ergeng replied calmly.

At that moment, a Supreme Elder stepped forward and made a Daoist obeisance: "Senior Brother, since those immortals received our teacher's grace, surely they will lend us a hand."

Hua Ergeng looked at the junior brother he had raised himself and shook his head: "You are so engrossed in your cultivation, how can you possibly understand the ways of the world and human nature?"

"It is true that those immortals received our teacher's grace, but do you not know that an excess of grace turns into enmity? Furthermore, seeking help the first time is met with a sweet reception; seeking help the second time brings weariness and annoyance; seeking help the third time turns you into sworn enemies."

Left speechless, the Supreme Elder slowly stepped back.

Hua Ergeng said nothing more, unwilling to disrupt his junior brother's Dao heart.

A sect needed fiercely loyal individuals, meticulous calculators, and those adept at handling mundane chores, but at the same time, it also needed those infatuated with the Great Dao. Such people had the potential to become the backbone of the sect.

Though his junior brother was oblivious to worldly affairs, his Dao heart was pure, making him the second most likely person in Huaqing Temple to attain the rank of Celestial Immortal, second only to himself.

Even if he himself were to have his cultivation time delayed by the complex affairs of the Heavenly Court, there was still his junior brother, who had hopes of becoming a Celestial Immortal!

At this thought, Hua Ergeng made his resolve unshakeable and declared in a tone that brooked no refusal: "The matter is settled!"

"In a few days, I shall ascend to the Heavenly Court to seek a measure of protection for Huaqing Temple!"

The elders and Supreme Elders in the Patriarch Hall sat in silence. At this very moment, Hua Ergeng's actions seemed to embody the grand Dao itself, representing the sole lifeline of Huaqing Temple.

Just when everyone thought the dust had settled,

the Sect Master of Huaqing Temple, who had long remained silent, took advantage of the moment when no one was paying attention, suddenly let fall two lines of clear tears, and choked out: "Huaqing Temple cannot survive without the Patriarch!"

"The Patriarch has the potential to attain celestial status, serving as the pillar of heaven and the binding beam of the sea for our Huaqing Temple. How can you enter the Dao of Gods and waste your cultivation!"

"This disciple's cultivation is shallow; I am willing to go in the Patriarch's stead!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire assembly was moved.

Hua Ergeng held a towering status in the Patriarch Hall, always having the final say in what was practically a dictatorship.

As the master of the temple, the Sect Master naturally required authority, creating a division within the Patriarch Hall: six members in Hua Ergeng's faction and two in the Sect Master's lineage.

They had often engaged in internal struggles without a complete break, yet due to the disparity in numbers, the Sect Master's faction frequently had to compromise.

Yet, at this critical juncture of life and death for the sect, the Sect Master of Huaqing Temple had actually cast aside past prejudices and expressed a willingness to go in person.

What spirit was this? This was the spirit of self-sacrifice; this was the spirit of placing the sect above all else. Only such a person could serve as the mainstay of Huaqing Temple.

Immediately afterward,

whether they harbored such intentions or not, everyone in the Patriarch Hall petitioned to go to the Heavenly Court. Some wept, some flicked their sleeves in agitation, and the most emotional of all, the Earth Immortal at the very end of the line, dropped to his knees and begged to be sent.

Hua Ergeng was deeply moved, casting aside the last shred of suspicion he held toward the Sect Master of Huaqing Temple.

The lingering displeasure caused by the Sect Master's past leanings toward the Xuanyuan Alliance, along with his own minor selfishness, vanished like smoke in that instant.

Hua Ergeng patted the Sect Master of Huaqing Temple on the shoulder and said earnestly: "Sect Master, once I am gone, all affairs within the temple will trouble you."

"I still trust your ability to get things done."

When these words were uttered, many Supreme Elders sighed deeply, while two elders turned as pale as death.

This was the rhythm of relinquishing power and stepping down!

The Sect Master of Huaqing Temple was stunned for a moment, then hurriedly waved his hands: "Patriarch, how could I ever shoulder such a heavy responsibility? I am merely the Sect Master, while these two elders..."

The moment these words fell, the atmosphere froze.

This was a lethal stroke. Intentional or not on the part of the Sect Master, the two elders of the temple were instantly subjected to a devastating blow.

Who held greater authority: the Sect Master or the elders?

This was a grave question. In the past, while Hua Ergeng was present, the distinction could be blurred.

Now, for the sake of the sect's future stability, lines had to be drawn!

Sure enough, Hua Ergeng paused, looked at the two elders belonging to his own faction in the Patriarch Hall,

sighed softly, and then spoke with profound meaning: "The Sect Master shall command the overall situation, assisted by the Supreme Elders and elders. Each hall and courtyard shall faithfully perform their duties, and the disciples shall work with one heart and one mind—only thus can we manifest a scene of prosperity, giving Huaqing Temple a chance to rise once more."

The complexions of the two elders shifted dramatically. Already obsessed with worldly affairs, their cultivation was shallow, leaving them seated at the very bottom of the Patriarch Hall.

Now, asking them to surrender their power—how could they possibly let go?

Knowing their dispositions, Hua Ergeng did not dwell on the matter, instead turning to bow in salute to the immortals of his own faction: "Henceforth, I leave everything in your hands."

The others returned the bow: "We wouldn't dare, we wouldn't dare."

From that moment on, the grand strategy was finalized. Of the eight individuals in the Patriarch Hall, even after Hua Ergeng's departure, seven would remain.

With Hua Ergeng entrusting the orphan sect to their care, the Sect Master's faction directly claimed five seats.

This was a blatant, daylight scheme; no matter how the elders schemed, they could no longer alter this overwhelming trend.