Chapter 138: Dying and Sharing the Same Grave, You Must Take Responsibility (I)

Now that the Pure Yang Temple appeared so magnanimous, the other several super sects naturally could not afford to fall behind. Besides, they had already consulted with one another to act collectively and make a grand spectacle of the matter.

Nevertheless, a tacit understanding regarding territories remained among them. No one would stir up trouble within another's sphere of influence; the new order could not have merely a single ruler, and divide-and-conquer was essential to preserve the vitality of this new order.

The Five Elements Pavilion and the righteous sects of Immortal Suppressing City successively announced plans quite similar to that of the Pure Yang Temple, though they intended to add some of their own cultivation techniques to the scripture halls.

The Seven Dematic Sects also made no attempt to conceal their intentions. Regardless of how others viewed them, they declared their support for the Pure Yang Temple's decision, generously offering some of their own cultivation techniques to be placed in the scripture halls for free public study.

However, the Corpse Control Sect and the Spectral God Sect remained rather restrained. Fully aware that their cultivation methods somewhat challenged normal perceptions, they refrained from openly publicizing their own techniques. Instead, they merely stated that those dedicated to the Dao of Samsara could visit their mountain gates to seek out some foundational techniques and receive a certain degree of guidance, offering nothing more.

With the major sects making their stances known, the cultivation world was instantly sent into a fervor, and even the mortal dynasties were stirred with excitement.

Cultivation. It was something countless people dreamed of day and night.

In the past, cultivation sects regarded their techniques as rare treasures and virtually never leaked them. To embark on the path of cultivation, one either had to render distinguished service to the dynasty to receive a royal reward, or participate in the recruitment examinations held by the various sects.

Neither of these avenues was accessible to ordinary mortals unless someone of exceptional talent happened to be discovered; the vast majority of mortals were destined to have no affinity with cultivation.

Things were different now. Fifteen super sects were jointly disseminating cultivation techniques to the outside world, and scripture halls could be found everywhere. As long as one paid homage to the Immortal Lord Wang Li, there was a chance to select a foundational cultivation technique. Regardless of whether one possessed cultivation aptitude, trying one's luck was worthwhile; if by any chance one caught the eye of those sects, it would be a direct leap to the pinnacle of life.

To take a step back, even with inferior aptitude, as long as one could cultivate, one could still become a person of distinction within the mortal dynasties. It was merely a matter of burning a stick of incense, and it was only right to thank Immortal Lord Wang Li anyway—after all, didn't they owe their opportunity for cultivation to his selfless devotion?

Paying homage to him brought no disadvantage.

Those minor cultivation sects and small aristocratic families were equally delighted.

It must be known that one-third of the one hundred techniques made open by the Pure Yang Temple were of the Profound Tier, with the highest reaching the peak of the Superior Profound Tier, lagging only slightly behind the Earth Tier. The techniques possessed by many minor sects and cultivation families were mostly of the Inferior or Medium Profound Tier at best. The super sects did not forbid them from studying these, making this an epoch-making, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for these minor sects and families.

Therefore, as soon as this news spread, both the cultivation world and the mortal dynasties were filled with eager anticipation.

The construction speed of the scripture halls and altars everywhere was exceptionally rapid; cultivators engaged in infrastructure building at a pace far surpassing that of mortals. Under the direction of several thousand disciples of the Pure Yang Temple, the Great Wei Dynasty erected over three thousand buildings known as Scripture and Worship Halls in less than ten days. During this process, numerous small and medium-sized sects and cultivation families also joined in, becoming the administrators of the halls in various regions.

Three months later, nine thousand playback devices and spirit stone cards inscribed with cultivation techniques—jointly refined by the Pure Yang Temple and the Divine Weapon Valley—were delivered to the Scripture and Worship Halls across various regions. The network of Scripture and Worship Halls within the Great Wei Dynasty was thus laid out and opened to the public.

The other super sects did not lag behind either, successively taking action.

However, for sects with fewer disciples such as the Beast Taming Sect and the Ultimate Dao, the speed of laying out the Scripture and Worship Halls was much slower. They had to rely more heavily on the strength of small and medium sects and aristocratic families to complete construction and management.

Even so, in less than a decade, a complete network of Scripture and Worship Halls was established across the entire Heavenly Profound World. Especially after the myriad demon races led by the Myriad Demon Abyss, the East Sea demon race, the Western Region demon race, and the majority of demon cultivators joined, the shadow of the Scripture and Worship Halls could be seen stretching from the deep sea to the western wilderness, and from the ice fields of the northern frontiers to the dense raging-fire forests of the south. In less than a century, the number of Scripture and Worship Halls reached a staggering fifty thousand.

As the number of Scripture and Worship Halls continued to grow, alongside the eight righteous mountain gates and the seven demonic sects, a massive organization spanning the entire cultivation realm emerged: the Scripture and Worship Halls.

Spearheaded by the fifteen super sects, the Scripture and Worship Halls constituted a powerful organization joined by over three hundred large and medium-sized sects, aristocratic families, the three major demon factions of land, sea, and air, as well as the demon cultivators of the Myriad Demon Abyss.

The tenet of the Scripture and Worship Halls was to disseminate cultivation techniques to all living beings in the Heavenly Profound World and bring welfare to all existence.

The supreme leaders were five Guardian Protectors elected by all members.

The inaugural Guardian Protectors were:
Yun Jingzi of the Pure Yang Temple, Lord Kun of the East Sea demon race, Chihuang of the Myriad Demon Abyss, Ji Tian of the Spectral God Sect, and Mo Di of Immortal Suppressing City.

They respectively represented the five major factions and three great forces of humans, demons, demon cultivators, the righteous path, and the demonic gates.

Each regional Scripture and Worship Hall was appointed with one Hall Master and eight Dharma Protectors, alongside guard units formed by disciples of various sects on regular rotation to protect the safety of the halls and maintain order.

With a complete organizational structure in place, the most powerful organization in the history of the Heavenly Profound World appeared, and the cultivation world officially began to merge with the mortal dynasties.

A growing number of mortals stepped onto the path of cultivation through the Scripture and Worship Halls, and the cultivation world entered the Era of Great Cultivation.

As the initiator of the Era of Great Cultivation, Wang Li at this moment finally guided the first wisps of the willpower of all living beings into his body through the Heaven's Pride Rankings.

Within the coffin, Wang Li's physical body remained in the state it was in when buried: a living corpse.

Yet his mind began to grow active.

Feeling the willpower of all living beings slowly strengthening his consciousness and divine soul, Wang Li let out a sigh of relief.

"I've finally obtained the blessing of willpower; otherwise, who knows when I would ever recover."

Wang Li's previous breakthrough had failed. Just as Elder Sheng had said, his divine soul was extinguished, leaving only a shred of true spirit and consciousness locked within the shackles formed after his failure.

Had it not been for Elder Sheng, Wang Li would have perished completely long ago. Fortunately, he was in the activated state of the Innate Chaotic Body, preventing his physical body from turning to dust over the course of five thousand years.

Rack his brains as he might, Elder Sheng finally found a way for him to break through the shackles and reshape his divine soul.

That was to use the willpower of all living beings to reshape the vitality of his divine soul. Although this would bind him in karma with all living beings in the Heavenly Profound World, it could at least save his life. As for the problems of the future, they were beyond their capacity to manage.

Wang Li finally understood the intention behind Elder Sheng's demand for him to spread the *Thunderous Righteousness Treatise* back then.

Presumably, Elder Sheng had long anticipated that he would suffer this calamity, leaving behind preemptive contingencies so that all cultivators in the cultivation world would owe him a favor. Then, he would propel the establishment of the Scripture and Worship Halls, and finally use the Heaven's Pride Rankings and Jiang Yue's true spirit to communicate with the will of the world, completing the collection of the willpower of all living beings.

This contingency truly saved Wang Li's life at the critical moment, allowing him to slowly cast off his shackles and reshape his divine soul.

Only, Elder Sheng would also have to pay a heavy price.

He had been dormant for nearly two thousand years, and Wang Li did not know whether he would ever regain consciousness.

"Even in death we shall share the same tomb; you must take responsibility for me!"

Wang Li suddenly felt a wave of thick, lingering resentment.