The council chamber was hushed after Haotian's words. His calm, pragmatic tone had cut through the chaos, but unease still lingered in the disciples' faces.
Finally, an elder raised her voice, cautious. "If we do this… then we should keep the right to teach our own disciples the Moon Lotus Codex without alteration. It is our identity."
Another spoke up, more hesitant. "And our saint-ranked disciples must not be forced to merge into their core divisions. They should remain within the Pavilion. That way, our unity remains intact."
A younger disciple, her eyes red from earlier shouting, sniffled and added, "Then… then at least our flags, our colors, and our emblems must remain."
Yinxue nodded, frost aura wrapping gently around the room to steady emotions. "Good. These are fair requests."
Shuyue perked up suddenly, her youthful tone slipping past the formality. "And what about access to their library? Senior Brother's right — if they have Sovereign texts, we need them. That must be part of the deal."
Ziyue folded her arms, her voice sharp as always. "Not just access. Shared access. If they want us to bolster their strength, then their manuals and treasures must be opened to us as well."
Haotian's lips curved faintly. "Good. Put all of it down. The Pavilion will stand on its own peak, governed by its own rules under Yinxue. Our disciples will keep their codex, their identity, and their flags. And in exchange, we gain their protection, resources, and their Sovereign foundation."
The mood shifted. Murmurs rose again, but this time tinged with hope instead of fury.
For the first time, the words Moon Lotus Pavilion felt real.
Scene Title: Terms of Alliance
Two days later, the skies above the Southern Continent stirred as frost parted the clouds once more. Yuying descended like a silver arc into the valley of the Eternal Yin Orchid Sect.
Lin Xiangyin was already waiting in her pavilion, a faint smile tugging at her lips. "You don't waste time, old friend. So, what have they decided?"
Yuying sat opposite her, laying down a scroll inscribed with cold moonlight. "They accept the offer. The Moon Lotus Sect will become the Moon Lotus Pavilion, a division within your Orchid Sect. But there are conditions."
Xiangyin's brows rose, curiosity glinting. "Conditions?"
Yuying's tone was calm, but firm. "One — the Moon Lotus Codex remains untouched. Their disciples will train it without interference. Two — the Pavilion will keep its own saints within its walls. They will not be folded into your divisions. Three — the Pavilion retains its emblems, banners, and identity. It will remain visibly the Moon Lotus, even under your umbrella."
She tapped the scroll once, her frost aura faintly pulsing. "Four — they request a peak of their own to establish their foundation. And five — access to your higher manuals and Sovereign texts must be shared."
Xiangyin leaned back, her lips curving. "Hoh? Bold terms."
Her amethyst eyes lingered on Yuying. "But fair. They want identity and independence… and in exchange, they bring seven hundred and fifty Saints to my gates. Saints who might one day reach Sovereign with the right guidance."
She laughed softly, shaking her head. "I must say, Yuying — you bring me quite the gift."
Yuying's expression softened, just faintly. "A gift, yes. But also a shield. If the abyss tide spreads south, you will need them as much as they need you."
Xiangyin's smile widened, sharp and elegant. "Then let it be done. The Moon Lotus Pavilion will rise under the Eternal Yin Orchid Sect."
The morning sky was dim and gray as if mourning the end of an era. The disciples of the Moon Lotus Sect gathered in solemn silence, filling the courtyards and terraces. Their breaths came as mist, the air heavy with farewell.
Haotian stood at the heart of the sect, golden eyes calm, his presence a quiet anchor. For once, he had set aside his brutal training. This was not a time for blood or strikes — but for roots and memory.
One by one, the sect's treasures were dismantled.
From the central bathhouse, the Source Crystal was carefully lifted, its radiant light dimming as formation seals wrapped around it. The air lost its vibrant pulse, the waters falling still.
The Frost Vein Crystal, which had breathed yin qi through the mountains for generations, was pried free from its ancient altar. The chill that had defined the sect's nights faded at once, leaving the air strangely hollow.
Then came the Three Heavenly Treasures — one fire, one frost, and the thunder lotus that had so recently reshaped their bathhouse training. Each was sealed in turn, their light vanishing into storage arrays.
Finally, Haotian himself stepped forward to uproot the towering Frost Jade Tree. With a sweep of his chi and the Eyes of the Universe guiding his control, the roots coiled up from the ground without shattering, preserved whole. The tree shimmered faintly, its pale leaves folding as if bowing farewell.
He exhaled as he sealed it within a crystal sphere. "Rest. You'll bloom again where we plant you."
Around him, disciples bowed their heads, tears streaking some cheeks. Their sacred places were gone. The sect grounds stood stripped bare, a shell of what they had been.
But then Yinxue's voice cut through the silence, calm and commanding. "Raise your heads. This is not an end. This is rebirth."
The three sisters stood beside Haotian, their auras sharp with conviction. Shuyue added softly, "Senior Brother will carry us through. Our roots are not here in the stone. They are here—" She pressed a hand to her chest. "In us."
The disciples' trembling eased. Slowly, resolve returned to their eyes.
Haotian nodded once, his golden aura flickering faintly. "We leave as the Moon Lotus Sect. We arrive as the Moon Lotus Pavilion. Remember that. No matter the name, no matter the place — our unity remains."
With that, the final formation seals were lifted. The protective barrier that had cloaked the sect for centuries dissolved into the air, leaving the mountains exposed to the wind.
As for the three Frost Falcons, Ling'er, Xue'er, Baiyun, Haotian released them into the Northern wilds. He had built a nest for them and allowed them to fly free. He had one task, survive until he returns. The three shrieked as they flew. Haotian sighed and then turned to continue with moving to the Eternal Yin Orchid Sect.
Days later, guided by the Four Saints and Yuying's frost aura, the disciples crossed the seas. When at last the clouds parted, their new home revealed itself: the vast yin-soaked valley of the Eternal Yin Orchid Sect.
Silver mist coiled through the mountains, orchids blooming across jade terraces. Towering pavilions gleamed with moonlight, and frost veins pulsed beneath the ground, radiating yin qi stronger than anything they had ever known.
Disciples gasped, their eyes wide. "This place…""It's overflowing with yin qi— stronger than our old home.""Even the air feels sacred…"
At the center of the valley, a peak had been prepared. Upon its summit lay empty courtyards, carved foundations, and a rising stair of jade steps — their new beginning.
Lin Xiangyin herself awaited at the gates, sovereign qi radiating gently, her violet eyes calm. "Welcome, Moon Lotus Pavilion. From this day forward, your roots and mine are bound."
Yinxue bowed slightly, her frost veil shimmering. "We will honor this accord."
Haotian stood beside her, carrying the sealed Frost Jade Tree in his arms. His golden eyes swept across the peak, then the disciples. "Let's rebuild. Stronger than before."
The disciples erupted into cheers, their fear giving way to determination. The Moon Lotus Pavilion had found its new home.
The days that followed were a storm of labor and quiet ceremony. Disciples of the Moon Lotus worked side by side with Orchid sect artisans to remodel their new peak. Jade steps were polished, walls raised, courtyards carved from the stone. The hum of formations spread across the mountain, each sigil inscribed with care.
But the true transformation came when Haotian arrived with the treasures.
At the heart of the new central plaza, he unsealed the Frost Jade Tree. Its roots unfurled like living rivers of crystal, burrowing deep into the earth as its pale crown spread beneath the sky. The instant its trunk struck soil, the peak trembled. A wave of yin qi rippled outward, so thick it felt like silk against the skin.
The disciples gasped, their breaths frosting in the air. "It's… three times stronger than before!"
Even Lin Xiangyin herself descended from her pavilion, her amethyst eyes widening as she felt the flood of energy saturating the peak. "You replanted… a Frost Jade Tree?"
She stepped closer, her sovereign aura brushing against the tree's shimmering bark. The yin qi danced in resonance, as if greeting her. She exhaled softly, disbelief shading her tone. "This isn't just cultivation… this makes the mountain alive."
Yuying's lips curved faintly. "That tree has been their heart for years. They will not leave it behind."
Xiangyin shook her head in wonder. "…No sect would. And yet, here it blooms again."
Days later, the work culminated in the construction of the Pavilion's new bathhouse. It rose on the eastern slope, a grand chamber carved from jade, pools steaming with yin mist. Orchid disciples watched curiously from a distance as Moon Lotus members worked tirelessly, following Haotian's precise instructions.
Finally, Xiangyin descended again, her curiosity overcoming her composure. She found Yuying overseeing the work, her frost aura calm as ever.
"Tell me," Xiangyin asked, folding her hands into her sleeves. "Why a bathhouse? Your disciples spend so much effort on it. What purpose does it serve?"
Yuying's expression softened, just faintly, her voice calm. "It is their sanctum. Where body and spirit are refined together. Where they shed weakness and temper themselves against treasures no other sect dares to touch."
Xiangyin's brows arched. "…Treasures?"
Her answer came the next day when Haotian himself returned to the bathhouse, carrying sealed orbs of light. Before Xiangyin's watchful eyes, he laid the Frost Vein Crystal and the Source Crystal into the very foundation, anchoring the pools. Power thrummed through the earth, rippling like a heartbeat.
But when he raised his hand again, releasing three glowing orbs that floated above the Source Crystal, Xiangyin froze.
The Three Heavenly Treasures.
Her jaw nearly dropped, her violet eyes widening into circles. "You—three heavenly treasures!? You're… you're using them as bathhouse anchors!?"
Disciples of the Orchid Sect gasped around her, whispers exploding in the air.
Haotian only chuckled, wiping his hands as the heavenly flames, frost, and lightning treasures aligned above the Source Crystal, saturating the waters with divine resonance. "Of course. Locking them in a vault would be a waste of their abilities."
Xiangyin pressed her hand to her forehead, shaking it slowly. "…You're insane. Insane — and yet…" She exhaled, her lips curving into a slow smile. "…it's brilliant. No wonder your disciples' bodies shine like tempered jade."
The pools glowed with divine light, steam rising, infused with frost, flame, and thunder. The Moon Lotus Pavilion's bathhouse pulsed alive, its sanctum restored — stronger than ever before.
The doors of the newly built bathhouse slid open with a resonant hum, revealing a vast chamber bathed in moonlight and mist. Steam coiled in elegant tendrils, fragrant with orchids, carrying the mingled resonance of the Source Crystal, the Frost Vein Crystal, and the three Heavenly Treasures glowing above.
The Moon Lotus disciples stepped inside, wide-eyed. Some clasped their hands over their mouths, others whispered in awe.
"It's… stronger than before…""The yin qi is so thick it feels like silk!""The lightning crackles against my skin—ah!"
Laughter rippled through the chamber as one disciple yelped when a golden spark of lightning brushed across her arm, leaving her skin tingling. Another teased, "Don't complain, it makes you stronger!"
Groups slipped into the pools, gasping as frost and fire currents mingled, while the arcs of thunder raced across their bodies. Already, their blood vessels thrummed with new vitality, their foundations stabilizing under the pressure.
"Senior Brother really rebuilt everything for us…" one whispered, awe in her voice. "He carried the tree, he replanted the crystals, he placed the treasures… all for us."
Their admiration echoed softly, warming the air as much as the steam. And as the heavenly treasures pulsed above, several disciples broke through bottlenecks on the spot, their auras blooming, petals of lotus qi unfurling across the waters.
Shuyue clapped excitedly when she saw one junior reach the Saint Realm. "See? The bathhouse works even better than before! Senior Brother's right, we can all climb higher now!"
Even Yinxue's frosty gaze softened, her lips curving faintly as she watched their joy. For the first time since the exodus, the sect felt whole again.
But while the disciples soaked in laughter and breakthroughs, Haotian was elsewhere.
Every night, when the moon rose high, he sealed himself away and entered his sea of consciousness. There, Alter's merciless voice drove him deeper into the strikes of the Demon God Killing Martial Arts.
By dawn, his body always emerged the same: torn veins, shattered bones, blood seeping through every pore. Regeneration kept him alive, but the price was etched into his frame. He endured it in silence, never letting his disciples glimpse more than a tired smile.
By day, he was their foundation. By night, he was a mess of blood and broken marrow, clawing toward power meant to slay gods.
After the final foundation stones were laid, and the Frost Jade Tree's glow suffused the peak, Haotian stood before the highest pavilion of the Eternal Yin Orchid Sect. Moonlight glimmered on its jade tiles, orchids swaying gently in the night breeze.
Inside, Sect Master Lin Xiangyin sat cross-legged, sovereign qi coiling faintly around her. She opened her amethyst eyes as Haotian approached, golden aura steady despite the faint traces of strain clinging to his frame.
"You've worked tirelessly since arriving," she said softly. "Few men would."
Haotian bowed slightly. "They are my responsibility."
Xiangyin studied him a moment, then tilted her head. "And now?"
Haotian straightened, his gaze calm but burning with quiet determination. "I wish to enter your sect's library."
Her brows arched slightly. "Our library? And what is it you seek, child of dragons?"
Haotian's eyes glimmered faintly gold. "Knowledge. Cultivation texts beyond the Saint Realm. The Moon Lotus Codex carries my disciples far, but not far enough. If I am to raise them higher… I need what your sect guards."
The chamber stilled, the weight of his request hanging like a blade.
Moonlight poured through the latticed windows, the faint scent of orchids drifting into the pavilion. Lin Xiangyin sat straight-backed, her violet eyes sharp.
"You seek access to my Sovereign manuals," she said, her tone measured. "Such knowledge is the foundation of a sect. I cannot hand it over without return. So I will test you — not by combat, but by trust. Allow my other divisions access to your Pavilion's bathhouse, and the library will open to you."
Haotian blinked, stunned. "…The bathhouse?"
Xiangyin inclined her head. "I've heard it fortifies the body, refines qi flow, and even sharpens insights. With three Heavenly Treasures fused into its foundation, it is wasted on one division alone. If it is to exist within my sect, it should serve the whole Orchid."
Haotian exhaled heavily, one hand to his brow. "…Did anyone explain the full function of the bathhouse to you?"
Her brows furrowed faintly. "They told me it strengthens both flesh and spirit. What more is there?"
He met her gaze, golden eyes steady. "The bathhouse is not simply a training chamber. It is, in truth, a massive dual cultivation ground."
Xiangyin froze. "…A dual cultivation ground?"
Haotian raised a hand, his voice firm. "Not physical dual cultivation with all seven hundred and fifty disciples. It's chi-based. We use the Dual Souls Sutra as the core framework. Through it, my yang chi and their yin chi are cycled together in endless loops, amplified by the Source Crystal and Frost Vein Crystal. With the Heavenly Fire Treasure stabilizing the flow, the cycles generate a perfect yin-yang balance. That harmony drives their breakthroughs far beyond what single cultivation could achieve."
Xiangyin's lips parted, her composure slipping for the first time. "…Dual Souls Sutra… through formations?"
Haotian nodded. "Exactly. But there is a side effect. That resonance, when driven in cycles, produces intense pleasure. It isn't faint. It's three times the strength of ordinary dual cultivation. Every disciple has felt it. They accept it because they know it tempers their bodies and expands their foundations."
For a long moment, silence filled the pavilion. The orchids outside stirred in the night breeze, as though whispering the scandal themselves.
Lin Xiangyin, Sovereign Master of the Eternal Yin Orchid Sect, actually flushed. Her cheeks warmed, her violet eyes widening despite herself. "…So what you are saying is… the growth of your Pavilion comes from seven hundred and fifty women uniting their chi through a dual souls union — and enduring pleasure that is tripled in intensity?"
Haotian exhaled, resigned. "That's exactly what I'm saying. It isn't a luxury. It's the cultivation method that allowed them to rise this far."
Xiangyin lifted a hand, covering her mouth as her mind reeled. "Heavens… No wonder their auras feel so… refined. I thought it was the treasures alone, but… this…"
Her voice trailed off, her sovereign composure crumbling into genuine shock. For the first time in centuries, she had no immediate retort.