Despite the storm raging on either side, the sky over the Frontier was clear. No cloud was in sight, only a warm breeze rustling over the dunes. Zou Lan looked above nervously, awaiting something that never came, as did some elders.
An air of tension hung above the plaza where a large portion of the populace had gathered. They had no idea why they did so. Still, Qin Yun's revelation had left them pensive, yet its true meaning eluded them. Only Zou Lan had an inkling of what he meant by this, yet it was vague even for her. She couldn't help but look back at him, eyes frowning, wondering where this man had emerged from.
“Consciousness?” the girl in red asked, confused. “Are you trying to say the Heavenly Dao is a living being?”
The crowd erupted into an uproar while wild speculations were thrown around. Most were mortals or had only just begun on the path. Their understanding of the world they lived in was shallow at best. To be told the Heavenly Dao—the entity they had been told was responsible for the world's very existence—was alive was world-shattering. A newfound fear rose in their hearts, wondering if thoughts alone were enough to offend such a mystical entity.
“Not exactly,” Qin Yun replied. “This is just a metaphor so that you can better understand. The Heavenly Dao is more like a system of governance.”
Qin Yun raised a hand, prompting the crowd to calm down. Soon, they all kept silent, awaiting his following words. Qin Yun pointed to Zou Lan and then smiled.
"Haven't you ever wondered what makes a domain?" he asked, only for the crowd to remain silent, shaking their heads in ignorance. "The world is made of countless laws intermingling with each other, giving rise to the reality you are all familiar with. For example, those laws allow water to flow within fields, nourishing the soil and allowing crops to grow. However, they also allow water to freeze, creating ice. Laws also make stone hard, allowing you to construct your homes, but also allow the wind to blow, eroding those same stones into sand."
“Everybody knows this. What does this have to do with domains?” the young girl asked, confused even more.
“I’m getting to this,” Qin Yun replied, unperturbed by the interruption. “Where do you think those laws originate from?”
The young girl was stunned by the sudden question yet quickly recovered. She began seriously pondering, but the vast majority of the crowd only waited for Qin Yun to deliver the answer. He couldn't help but sigh at the sight.
“Isn’t that just the way the world works?” a voice in the back asked, cutting through the crowd.
It came from a young man slightly older than Qin Yun. His clothes were slightly tattered, the hem of his sleeves was frayed, and a slight trace of dried blood remained on the side. His long hair was unkempt, tied with only a dirty hemp rope. Unlike the disciples of the four sects, whose robes were immaculate despite the recent struggle, this young man seemed to have recently emerged from the battlefield.
“Are you a rogue cultivator?” Qin Yun asked.
A look of pity flashed in his eyes, which the young man couldn't help but notice. The young man's expression grew sour, and his fist clenched for a moment before relenting. He sighed, yet his eyes remained clear, never leaving Qin Yun.
“So what if I am? How does that matter?” he spat, yet could see the gaze aimed at him slowly change.
He even felt the crowd part slightly, as if they were trying to distance themselves from him. He gritted his teeth as anger rose in his heart. Qin Yun was witness to all of it yet showed no reaction. He was slightly interested in the man who chose to rise above the crowd.
"It does matter," Qin Yun replied, somewhat sorrowfully. "You may think sects and clans only allow better cultivation resources for their disciples, but it is much more than that. They possess wisdom passed down by their predecessors, more than just cultivation techniques. In this way, rogue cultivators are truly at a disadvantage."
Qin Yun shook his head, yet such a small action prompted ridicule to rise within the crowd. Still, the young man wasn't the only rogue cultivator present. Many more came due to Zou Lan's summon, yet were now being humiliated, if only by proxy. Rage flashed on the young man's face, almost ready to explode. Still, he knew better than to act. He only had to look at Zou Lan and the three elders for his grievance to fade, yet still smouldered in his heart.
"I'm not saying this to discourage you from your path. This is reality—a reality you must all accept," Qin Yun added. "Rogue cultivators are inherently at a disadvantage, as they lack guidance. They must reach the answer all by themselves, fumbling in the dark. If you were a sect's disciple, you would have been told that understanding the world allows cultivators to grow. Only by forming a bond with the Heavenly Dao can one break the shackles of the Nascent Soul realm and achieve a domain."
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The crowd remained silent once again. This was new information even for the numerous disciples of the four sects. Never had they been told what was needed to achieve the Soul Formation realm. They were either too far from it, or their elders didn't want them to be discouraged. After all, of all those who started on the path, only a minuscule fraction could achieve it. Even the three elders were far from it.
"So... domains are created when one understands a law?" the girl in red spoke again as the crowd turned toward her. While her eyes were clear, and realization dawned on her, she still seemed somewhat confused as she couldn't see the path.
“Do not delude yourself into thinking you understand what laws are,” Qin Yun chuckled slightly, knowing the young girl’s thoughts. “Not even Sect Leader Zou—who has achieved the Soul Formation realm and materialized her own domain—can claim as such. The path of cultivation is long and arduous, and the understanding of laws and domains is but the base of the mountain, and its peak is hidden deep beyond thick clouds. Even several lifetimes wouldn't be enough to understand it all."
“You claim to know a lot of things," the young man said, a slight anger in his voice. "How do we know you're not just spewing bullshit, attempting to gaslight the audience? After all, your cultivation isn't even that high. Don't think everyone is that gullible. We all know what you are trying to do!"
Unlike the reaction the young man hoped for, Qin Yun only returned a slight smile, remaining completely calm. Taken aback, the young man frowned, yet his anger didn’t fade at all.
“Thinking for yourself is good," Qin Yun replied. "However, you need to know that what you believe is the truth, not your own delusions. If I had said anything wrong, then surely Sect Master Zou would have pointed it out."
The audience turned to Zou Lan, only to see her nod slightly yet refuse to elaborate. Still, everyone knew that she agreed with Qin Yun's statement. Even the elders chose to remain silent, tacitly agreeing.
“You see?” Qin Yun added. “It seems we are all in agreement.”
“Of course, they would!” the young man exploded, his cultivation base at the peak of the Foundation Building realm spreading outwards, crashing into the individuals around him, prompting them to take a few steps backwards, creating a circle around him.
“We aren’t stupid!” he added. “We all saw how the four sects retreated, leaving us rogue cultivators to do most of the fighting! We bled and died to protect the city for only the crumbs that the sects couldn’t be bothered to pick up, yet now you stroll in trying to change the narrative, making yourselves look good by preaching the Dao. How gullible do you think we are?!”
“How dare you defame our sects! Know your place!” the Raging Fire sect elder said, his voice crashing onto the young man, pinning him in place under immense pressure. He couldn’t help but fall on one knee, yet the fire in his gaze raged on despite the threat of death hanging over him.
"He's not wrong," Qin Yun said, raising a hand to stop the elder from going further. "This is exactly what I'm doing."
Another uproar erupted from the crowd when the words left Qin Yun's mouth. Even Zou Lan was slightly taken aback by his honesty. She had long deduced as much, yet couldn't believe how brazen he was to admit it. The old elder also frowned, retracting his pressure but only slightly. The young man rose to his feet but couldn't contain his surprise. He, too, hadn't expected Qin Yun to admit it so readily.
“Is that so hard to believe?” Qin Yun smirked. “What would be the point of sugarcoating it at this point? As you said, people aren’t that stupid; they can clearly see the obvious.
The young man looked at Qin Yun, mouth slightly agape, his anger leading to confusion. Qin Yun couldn't help but sigh.
"I understand your resentment; really, I do," he added. "Let's say you succeed in making them pay; what will it achieve? The outsiders’ threat is still very much real. This is merely a small setback for them, and they will come again very soon. Can you hold the city without the four sects’ help? What can you even achieve on your own? Your path was doomed from the start.”
“So, I should just do nothing, is that it?” the young man said through gritted teeth.
“Don't let hatred blind you," Qin Yun shook his head. "There are many other paths. You can always leave and grow stronger—strong enough to contend against them. Or, you can simply join them."
"Are you asking me to join those who left us to die?" he replied. His anger was palpable, almost like a glacial winter breeze freezing all those it touched to the core. Many seemed to share his sentiment—many more than Qin Yun had originally thought. If left to fester, it would soon bury the city, making it impossible to form a united front against the Outsiders. Qin Yun couldn't let that happen.
“The best way to change an organization is from the inside,” Qin Yun explained. “You do not possess the strength to force them to, and you may never will. After all, they aren’t dumb enough to allow something that can threaten them to grow.”
Pointing out the obvious made the crowd gasp in unison. They fearfully looked toward the three elders as if awaiting their fates. Fortunately, Zou Lan was there, overseeing them. She wouldn't allow them to act impulsively. Still, she couldn't help but be stunned by how Qin Yun would be brazen enough to use her in his scheme.
“Why not join the Moonlight Sword Palace?" Qin Yun asked the young man, not letting him have the chance to argue. "Your talent in the sword isn't bad. I'm sure Sect Master Zou would be delighted to have another promising recruit."
Zou Lan couldn't help but frown, looking at Qin Yun's devious smile aimed at her. She couldn't understand his thought process, and the same applied to the young man. Things had happened much too fast that his anger had been superseded by shock at the mere thought of joining a sect. If asked to choose, none would refuse to join. He had tried once yet couldn't make the cut. Being suddenly asked couldn't help but make him hopeful. Still, his thoughts were cut short.
“How long is this farce going to last?”
An emotionless voice cut through the crowd's noise, silencing them. The envoy of the Immortal Beast Alliance stood before the small building unperturbed, his gaze resting on Zou Lan, ignoring all else. She glanced at Qin Yun only to see him nod.
She sighed, waving her sleeve. A slight breeze came from it, her sharp domain laced within. The wind struck the building, and without a sound, it began to disintegrate, almost as if it had been eroded by time. Only the three elders and the envoy knew what was happening, but even they didn't know its full extent. Only Qin Yun felt it for what it was.
Countless sharp swords made of qi struck the bricks and pieces of wood, shattering them at the molecular level. Only small particles akin to sand carried away by the breeze remained.
After but a moment, the building was gone, revealing just a hole in the ground with stone stairs leading downwards. This was the entrance to the underground tunnels—one of many.
The envoy remained in place despite the uncovered entrance, awaiting something else. Only those with keen senses knew the reasons why. The three elders couldn't help but frown, feeling cold sweat pouring down their backs. Despite nothing being reflected in their eyes, they knew they would perish were they to take a single step inside. It was as if a sharp sword was pressed onto their very necks.