No! This isn't right!
Beside him, Zhang Pingsheng and Ascendant Fuluan also reacted, realizing that the causal connections had surpassed their limits when they came here. They only intended to open the Heaven-Reaching Road, accelerating the evolution of tribulations to prove the Dao fruit, but never thought of following Xu Qing to open a new heaven and engage in the treasonous act of rebellion!
Their hearts were pounding, and Monk Xinyuan immediately decided to flee, but he was slower than Xu Qing by just a step.
Now that the grand array has been formed, the sect has received a response from the heavens and earth, and the Mountain and River Map held by Xu Qing has been completed. Apart from the Daluo Immortals, no one else can escape this profound cause.
Silent is the grand sound.
At this moment, the noises outside the array were covered by the most primal sounds of the cosmic operation, and Xu Qing saw Monk Xinyuan outside, flushed and shouting about something.
Celestial Master Zhang Pingsheng kept shaking his head and waving his hand, while Ascendant Fuluan appeared pallid, showing a visage more terrified than accompanying the ancestral Emperor to bed.
He simply wanted Xu Qing to have a legitimate reason but didn't intend for Xu Qing to lead them in claiming divinity.
Xu Qing furrowed his brows, thinking he hadn't done well enough, causing the worldly experts with top-tier seniority and cultivation to disdain him.
Why else would they be so agitated?
Ignoring the frantically gesturing Daoist friends outside the array, Xu Qing gritted his teeth, decisively fetching his long-stored 'ballast.'
The so-called ballast was actually a radiant yet ordinary-looking five-colored divine stone.
This stone was acquired by Xu Qing from the deepest main tomb chamber of the Poplar Tomb.
In what should have been the burial chamber of the Fox Race ancestors of Tushan, it lay empty, with only this stone treated as a treasure within the tomb.
Based on the information from Tushan inheritance, Xu Qing speculated that this stone was likely a remnant stone of Fuxi.
Though high in quality, the five-colored stone lacked the traits to be refined into a magical treasure.
Over decades, Xu Qing tried various methods, but the result was always the same: this five-colored stone was genuinely beyond the highest grade of stones.
Aside from that, it had no features.
Not that it had no features—it was extremely heavy, occupying half the space in his Mountain and River Map.
If not for sending Emperor's Purple Qi elsewhere, Xu Qing truly wouldn't know where to place this stone.
"Cat Immortal Hall has the Doumi Bowl as its sacred artifact, Bao Sheng Temple has the Living Sutra as its foundation, and now, as I wish to establish a new sect, how can I do without a foundational stone?"
The five-colored stone cannot be refined, nor wielded as a weapon; if you throw it at someone, they might end up picking it up instead.
Xu Qing always lamented that the stone had no real use, yet unexpectedly today, a useless rock could be of great use!
The heavy rock fell into the array's core, and Xu Qing leveraged the grand momentum, using the Mountain and River Map and other arrays to transform the heavens and earth, fully supplementing the sect's foundation.
Outside the array, Zhang Pingsheng and the others grew even more agitated.
Previously, Xu Qing's new sect appeared superficial, as true great sects invariably had innate sacred treasures from the heavens.
But no one expected Xu Qing to possess a treasure recognized by the heavens and earth's Dao.
Monk Xinyuan regretted endlessly, "Had I known, I wouldn't have come along no matter what!"
Zhang Pingsheng held onto a glimmer of hope, "Xu Daoist Brother is loyal; once he notices anything abnormal, he'll stop and sever all ties with us. I believe when he suffers divine retribution years hence, he won't implicate you and me."
Nearby, Ascendant Fuluan's face turned a deathly gray, "Where's the loyalty? I think he never intended to spare us from the start. If he uses the rise of the new sect to bring you and me into the sect, wouldn't our life and death be entirely linked to him in the future?"
Just as Ascendant Fuluan finished speaking, the three saw Xu Qing, who was conducting the founding ceremony, inscribe names onto the Twelve Altar Masters.
Zhang Pingsheng and Monk Xinyuan both glared at Ascendant Fuluan, wishing to devour this jinx alive!
At this moment, the ceremony was completed. Xu Qing waved his sleeves, shifting the clouds before him, and the thunder-patterned cloud script formed by the mist reassembled into a unique font written in Celestial Scripture letters.
Celestial Scripture differs from other fonts; once transcribed, it can't be easily erased.
Like Lord Yuan, who stole Celestial Scripture and transcribed the celestial divine techniques in the White Cloud Cave, it can only be hidden again by sealing the cave entrance or finding a fated person to learn all the divine techniques.
Now, Xu Qing accidentally, during a time when the Heaven-Reaching Road was severed and the myriad gods and Buddhas weren't aware of mortal anomalies, invoked the grand momentum of the heavens without impediment, 'registering' a new sect.
Such an act, even before the Heaven-Reaching Road severed, would have been unimaginable to gods and immortals.
So much so that Monk Xinyuan momentarily couldn't discern which heavenly law Xu Qing violated.
But he was sure that in the future, the upper realm would add several new heavenly laws, and he even thought of their names—simply called Xu Qing!
Amidst the five-colored mist, numerous unclaimed immortal mountains and sea islands appeared within the Mountain and River Map, though Xu Qing wasn't in a hurry to pick a dao venue for the new sect.
His gaze fell upon Zhang Pingsheng and the others, and he spoke with divine voice:
"Today, I establish the Daluo Sect, dividing into twelve territories, setting up the Twelve Altar Masters, each managing their duties."
"I am the Sect Leader of the main altar, overseeing the trunk altar, presiding over the sect's rituals.
Besides, there are eleven branch altars.
Emperor's Altar: Pray for national prosperity and people's welfare;
Star Altar: Worship the Big Dipper and Southern Dipper, ward off disasters and prolong life.
Ancestor Altar: Offer tributes to the Twelve Altar Masters' ancestral teachers.
Savior Altar: Collect and lay to rest corpses, transcending spirits.
Gratitude Altar: Receive and repay the congregation's support with gratitude.
Pray Altar: Pray for blessings and change fate.
Disaster Relief Altar: Resolve worldly disasters and epidemics.
Land Altar: The twelve dominions of the underworld, divide lands and city deities, intimidate miscreants, ensuring yin-yang order.
Astral Altar: Offer tributes to the twenty-four heavens.
Water and Fire Altar: Harmonize yin and yang, pray for rain and avert floods.
Monitor Altar: Appoint protector gods and lord guardian, supervising rituals and overseeing sect's punishments."
Whenever Xu Qing mentioned an altar, he allocated an area of clouds before him, and once all were mentioned, the Daluo Sect took initial shape.
"Xu Sheng, heed my command! This sect appoints you as the Gratitude Altar Master, tasked with repaying congregants' wishes, as well as settling your old debts, without any error!"
"..."
Ascendant Fuluan's eyes widened, watching helplessly as his name appeared on the altar master's roster. Simultaneously, he also sensed a close connection with the Gratitude Altar.
Among them, the first benefactor listed in the altar is the ancestral Emperor, and the second is the Demon Exorcism True Monarch.
Ascendant Fuluan felt his body tense, and eventually lost all strength, nearly collapsing on the spot.
Having him repay the ancestral Emperor—how's that different from sheep meeting the tiger?
On the cloud-gathered high platform, Xu Qing continued issuing decrees.
"Zhang Pingsheng, heed my command! This sect appoints you as the Disaster Relief Altar Master, responsible for resolving worldly disasters and epidemics."
"Xinyuan, heed my command! This sect appoints you as the Savior Altar Master, overseeing the collection and burial of corpses and transcending spirits."
Once Xu Qing finished speaking, Shiyue, who had been merely observing, suddenly approached with anticipation, "What about me, what altar master am I?"
"You're a kid, don't fiddle around!"
Xu Qing's expression turned exceptionally stern, giving Shiyue no room for negotiation.
The Daluo Sect engages in deeds where one risks their life against tribulations. Xu Qing, a zombie, simply desires to attain Kui Ba amidst the great calamity, rendering him immune to heavenly punishment and fearless of being hunted by law corpses.
Kui Ba, undying and eternal; at that point, whether Xu Qing has life or not, he can still live, with the worst outcome being sealed as a prisoner.
But Shiyue is different; Xu Qing genuinely wishes to protect the Immortal Hall and Bao Sheng Temple's immortal disciples, leaving them with more possibilities.
As for Zhang Pingsheng and the others...
The Celestial Master's Mansion's Zhang Shufang, Ancient Temple's Chen Liu'Er, and the Demon Exorcism True Monarch after their return to the void need them to ascend against the current, fighting for that chance to transcend.
Regardless, it's a grand gamble.
If successful, even the chickens and dogs ascend;
If failed...
Ha! Those who achieve greatness never consider defeat.
Xu Qing put away the successfully refined five-colored stone, his expression unprecedentedly resolute.