Tian Zhu, seeing Jian Huiyin sit after her introduction, calmly placed his hands behind his back and continued.
"With the introductions done, let's begin the main agenda. This meeting is to establish the steps the sect will take during the coming period."
He announced, and everyone looked on with seriousness.
"Currently, our sect has a total of 123 disciples, and that number is not satisfactory for a sect of our level. The current structure of the sect is also lacking, so we must rely on the support of the Bamboo Sword Sect while we restructure."
Tian Zhu explained calmly, causing Jian Huiyin, the leader of the Bamboo Sword Sect, to feel surprised at the Infinite Dao Sect's true intentions toward her sect, stated so directly in front of her.
"From now on, I will assign tasks for the upcoming period to each of the pavilions. Attention!" Tian Zhu spoke solemnly and with gravity.
"Yes, Sect Leader!" all the elders shouted in unison—except Jian Huiyin, who was caught off guard by the synchronicity.
"Beast Pavilion!" Tian Zhu called.
Two men, Coyote and Hawk, stood up and became serious before everyone. A faint beastly scent surrounded them, giving them a more wild and primal aura. At other times, their expressions appeared relaxed and carefree, but not in the face of their sect leader's orders. Behind them, the outer elders of their pavilion also stood solemnly, exuding the same aura.
"The current main mission of your pavilion is to raise high-quality beasts as a means of transportation for the disciples, whether within the sect or as mounts outside of it," the sect leader commanded.
"Yes, Sect Leader!" The two men nodded and struck their chests confidently before sitting back down at Tian Zhu's signal.
"Punishment Pavilion!" Tian Zhu called.
This time, Lie Zheng stood up alongside another inner elder who had joined when the sect advanced to Golden Core rank. Behind them, two outer elders also stood ready. Their auras were heavy and slightly fierce—worthy of law enforcers.
"All pavilions must recruit and train disciples, but yours in particular has the goal of maintaining at least 5% of the total disciples as law enforcers. In other words, 5 out of every 100 disciples must be registered and trained in your pavilion to ensure a strong Punishment Pavilion presence among the disciples and a firm understanding that actions have consequences. Can you achieve this?" Tian Zhu asked with solemnity.
"Yes, Sect Leader!" the two inner elders answered confidently and firmly.
"Good. Your pavilion has another temporary task. Recruitment. Create a schedule and send messengers to organize the recruitment in the 16 cities. The start period will be in two months."
"Yes, Sect Leader!" they nodded solemnly and sat down at the sect leader's signal.
Thus, the assignments continued.
"Treasure Pavilion! Provide support to the other pavilions in terms of materials. I don't want anything lacking that prevents them from working at their highest efficiency."
"Yes, Sect Leader!"
"Missions Pavilion! Work with the Treasure Pavilion and establish a consistent contribution system. I want disciples to grow, but also to face challenges and contribute to the sect."
"Yes, Sect Leader!"
"Alchemy, Refinement, Formation, and Talisman Pavilion! I want you to assist the other pavilions with resource production and the resolution of any needs they may have. The outer elders of your pavilions must hold public classes for the disciples at least once a week. Unless it's due to urgent cultivation matters, do not skip even a single week. I want disciples prepared for future recruitment into your pavilions and ready to contribute to the sect."
"Yes, Sect Leader!"
"Sword Pavilion! I expect the same from you. Although you are not a production pavilion, you can still give lessons and contribute to the sect's overall strength. Talented disciples from your pavilion may also participate in the Punishment Pavilion at the same time. This applies to all of you—any disciples from your pavilions may join, as long as they possess justice in their hearts and good combat talent."
"Yes, Sect Leader!"
"Lastly, the Heritage Pavilion. Your outer elders must be willing to assist disciples with questions once per week. Beyond that, you know what to do."
"Yes, Sect Leader!"
The elders of the Heritage Pavilion understood what their leader meant and sat down.
"This is a long-term project beginning now. I want the sect to have a functional structure ready for the arrival of new disciples in two months. Don't disappoint me." He concluded with a solemn and final tone.
"Yes, Sect Leader!" This time, everyone at the table, along with the outer elders standing behind them, shouted in unison.
"Good." Tian Zhu nodded. "Any questions?" he asked, sweeping his eyes over everyone present.
"Sect Leader..." Wen Tai, the inner elder of the Heritage Pavilion—a man with a serious and scholarly appearance—raised his hand, drawing the leader's attention. "When will the others arrive?" he asked seriously.
Tian Zhu kept his eyes on him and pondered.
"We're not sure when the other elders and ancestors of the sect will arrive. We only know it shouldn't be long," he admitted, shaking his head.
'There are more ancestors?!' Jian Huiyin, who had remained silent and observant until now, was startled when she heard that.
"I see..." Wen Tai nodded in acknowledgment and lowered his hand, a thoughtful expression on his face.
"Any other questions?" Tian Zhu asked, looking at everyone again, but only silence remained.
Seeing that no more questions remained, he nodded.
"Very well. If there are no more questions, we can conclude this meeting," the indifferent leader declared.
All the elders stood up, clasped their fists, and bowed toward the leader and the ancestor.
"Sect Leader, Ancestor Bao, we take our leave," they declared respectfully.
"Good!" Bao Wuji said, smiling lightly at them, while Tian Zhu simply nodded, his gaze still indifferent.
Slowly, everyone began to leave, but just as Jian Huiyin was about to exit the hall quietly, someone called out to her.
"Elder Jian."
She turned and saw a handsome man, appearing to be around thirty years old, beardless with gray hair like hers. He emanated a silent and sharp aura, with a sword at his waist.
Jian Huiyin knew who he was: an inner elder of the Sword Pavilion.
"Elder Jian, I am Fēng Zhēn. Since we are in the same pavilion, I thought it wise to introduce you further to the sect and answer any questions you may have," he introduced himself calmly.
Jian Huiyin observed him closely and noticed his sincerity. There was neither lust nor desire in his gaze, which reassured her and led her to accept the goodwill of a fellow pavilion member with serenity.
"Very well. Then I thank Elder Feng in advance." She nodded, clasping her fists in a sign of respect and gratitude, though her face remained indifferent.
"No need to be so formal. Let's walk as we talk." Feng Zhen nodded and gestured forward.
"Alright." She agreed.
They then began walking side by side, passing through the long, beautiful, and solemn corridors of the Bamboo Sword Sect's main hall.
"I imagine you have many questions, don't you?" Feng Zhen asked calmly, his voice tranquil and firm, as he admired the surroundings and the silver decorations on the walls, along with the beautiful runes and formations imbued with sharp sword aura.
Jian Huiyin simply nodded, not as interested in the hall she had grown tired of seeing as Elder Feng clearly was.
"Then ask." He smiled gently.
She grew thoughtful. There were many questions, but she felt it inconvenient to ask them directly. Things like: 'Why does each pavilion only have two outer elders and two inner ones, except mine, now with my addition? Why, aside from the ancestor, does everyone seem so young? Why is there so much black hair in this sect? Doesn't that suggest mixed spiritual roots, or even five-element ones? Why were the elders of the Punishment Pavilion assigned recruitment duties?' Many questions arose, but it didn't seem wise to voice them, nor would knowing the answers bring her much advantage.
So instead, she asked the one that worried her the most.
"How long will the Infinite Dao Sect remain within the Bamboo Sword Sect?" she asked with a serious look.
Feng Zhen raised an eyebrow and smiled, as if he had expected that question.
"From what I know, we are to remain for a maximum of five years before moving on," he replied, amused by the slight surprise that crossed her usually indifferent face.
Indeed, that was surprising to her. Five years might seem like a lot to some, but to her, it was like telling a mortal you'd stay at their home for a month.
It seemed somewhat inconvenient, but a month passed quickly. For someone prepared for decades, five years was excellent news. Even if she wasn't sure it was true, the hope alone was enough to ease her heart.
"Was that your only question?" Feng Zhen asked serenely as she fell silent, showing no impatience but gently pulling her out of her thoughts.
Jian Huiyin came back to herself. For her, that had been the most important question. However, just as she was about to say she had no more doubts, something seemed to come to mind.
"What did the sect leader mean when he said not to underestimate the sect's low-level materials?" she asked, curious, though her face remained impassive.
That question made Feng Zhen's eyes light up.
"Oh? That? Well, it's exactly what he meant. But I think talking isn't as effective as showing. How about a little sparring match?" he suggested, his smile widening as a thirst for battle gleamed in his eyes.
Jian Huiyin was confused by the audacity of a Foundation Establishment elder challenging her, but she couldn't help feeling curious about how strong an inner elder from that sect could truly be.
After thinking it over, she looked into his animated eyes, burning for a fight, and her own heart — the heart of someone who loved combat — couldn't help but stir a little.
"Very well."