Chapter 128: The Taiyi Sect

In a café inside Jinhua Mall in Luocheng, Lu Yan sat by the window, waiting for the review officer from the Federal Archaeology Association.

The Federal Archaeology Association was the largest archaeological organization in the Eastern Federation, with considerable influence across the entire field of archaeology.

Lu Yan himself had little interest in archaeology, but after some investigation, he became very interested in the organization that the Association corresponded to in the Xianxia Version.

In its early days, the Federal Archaeology Association had gone by another name: the Feng Shui and Yi Studies Research Society.

Just like the Kowloon Fitness Club corresponded to the Kowloon Society, and Qingwu Group was the modern counterpart of the Qingwu Sect, the Feng Shui and Yi Studies Research Society’s true identity in the Xianxia Version was none other than the Taiyi Sect!

The Taiyi Sect was one of the Ten Great Orthodox Daoist Sects of the Xianxia Version—and among them, it was the most unusual.

The Taiyi Sect had no mountain gates. Disciples were expected to find their own paths.

There were no officially handed-down cultivation techniques—disciples had to dig them up themselves.

The sect was divided into major and minor branches. The main branch usually had no more than two or three disciples per generation, while the side branches spread far and wide, accepting many.

The Taiyi Sect didn’t teach spells or martial techniques. Instead, it specialized in arts like qi-watching, geomancy, and feng shui.

Every disciple of the Taiyi Sect was a top-tier master of feng shui, and their core mission was to uncover ancient ruins, hidden paradises, and celestial grottoes.

The cultivation techniques of Taiyi Sect disciples depended entirely on what they could excavate. Whatever they found, they learned.

Main branch disciples often lacked a fixed cultivation base and would simply treat any grand tomb they found as a sect training ground.

Side branch disciples fared a bit better—they would seize spiritual veins to establish new branches. Still, they had to rely on themselves.

Logically, such an eccentric sect should have long since faded into history. But instead, the Taiyi Sect had not only survived—it had become the longest-enduring among the Ten Great Sects.

It was said that top feng shui masters of the sect would entomb themselves before death, in hopes of reincarnating or awakening in a second life.

Thus, when Taiyi Sect disciples dug up tombs, they were, in essence, digging up the graves of their own elders.

No one ever knew whether a ruin or coffin they opened contained some terrifying old monster from their sect.

In the past, the Taiyi Sect had been targeted and besieged multiple times by other sects, only for some ancient monster to rise from their coffin and crush all opposition—leading even to the downfall of one orthodox sect entirely.

To this day, most cultivators in the Xianxia Version treated Taiyi Sect disciples with cautious respect.

No one dared underestimate them, no matter how weak they seemed—because no one could say if some ancient powerhouse was backing them from the shadows.

Lu Yan stirred his coffee gently as he pondered all of this.

In the Urban Version, there were no supernatural elements. The so-called Ten Great Sects were just ordinary organizations.

While these sects still had great influence and vast networks, they were not as lofty or untouchable as in the Xianxia world.

As long as he was willing to spend money, Lu Yan could easily insert himself into any of these sects. Once the version updated to the Xianxia setting, he would officially be recognized as a sect disciple.

With his wealth, he could even buy a seat equivalent to a sect elder.

But Lu Yan understood the risks. If he only entered as a basic outer disciple, there’d be little issue. At the Qi Refining level, no one paid close attention.

But once he became an inner disciple—equivalent to a Foundation Establishment cultivator—things would get trickier.

Any Foundation-level spy could wreak serious havoc in a sect. Identities would be carefully vetted, and Lu Yan, as an “unchanging one” who couldn’t shift with version updates, would be easily exposed.

If discovered, he’d be labeled a demonic infiltrator, drawing intense hostility from orthodox sects.

And if the Soul Banner was exposed during that time, righteous sects would surely hunt him down without mercy.

That was just inner disciples. Beyond that, core disciples, personal disciples, and elders—all came with escalating scrutiny and zero tolerance for fraud.

Considering all this, Lu Yan decisively chose the Taiyi Sect, the one with the fewest rigid rules and structures.

In the Taiyi Sect, your cultivation, your spells, your progress—everything was earned by personally excavating tombs and ruins.

There were cases of genius disciples who struggled to find cultivation methods and only barely built their Foundation at sixty.

There were also ordinary disciples who, thanks to incredible luck, soared from Qi Refining to Golden Core in just nine years.

Lu Yan had no intention of grave robbing himself. But he could use the sect’s decentralized, self-driven structure to conceal his own rapid growth and the secrets of his cultivation.

More importantly, being affiliated with a great orthodox sect gave him access to hidden Xianxia knowledge and merit-based divine techniques.

As he mulled over these plans, a pudgy, middle-aged man entered the café.

Scanning the room, his eyes lit up as they landed on Lu Yan by the window.

“You must be Mr. Lu, the one interested in investing in the Association?

I’m Chu Zhuoqun, Deputy Director of Personnel at the Federal Archaeology Association.”

Lu Yan gave him a quick once-over. The man looked entirely ordinary—just your average middle-aged office worker. Given the nature of the Urban Version, this was no surprise.

“I’m Lu Yan,” he replied with a nod.

Chu Zhuoqun didn’t seem fazed by Lu Yan’s cool demeanor and instead smiled warmly.

“May I ask, Mr. Lu, what prompted your interest in investing in our Archaeology Association?”

“I’ve had a deep fascination with archaeology since I was young. Supporting the Federal Archaeology Association is just me fulfilling a childhood dream.

The three million is only an initial investment—I’ll consider increasing it in another month.”

Chu Zhuoqun’s smile brightened further. He reached into his briefcase to pull out a document.

But just then, the café doors burst open.

A middle-aged man in a green long robe stepped inside, carrying an old cloth satchel—his outfit clashing entirely with the modern environment.

His gaze swept the café and instantly locked onto Chu Zhuoqun, his expression dark.

“Chu Zhuoqun! You promised this quota to our main branch. Why are you suddenly selling it to someone else?!”

Chu Zhuoqun sneered, not bothering to hide his disdain.

“Still clinging to that main branch versus sub-branch nonsense? You people are just a bunch of fossilized relics!

If we didn’t go around begging for funds, would your precious Feng Shui and Yi Studies Society even still exist? Who are you to question me?”

The man in green trembled with anger.

Just then, another figure rushed into the café.

“Master! I told you not to walk so fast!”

The young man panted as he caught up, then suddenly spotted Lu Yan—and froze in shock.

“Lu brother?!”

Lu Yan was equally surprised.

“He brother? You’re here too?”

The newcomer was none other than He Dongsheng, the counterfeit cultivator who had crossed two versions with Lu Yan and had been chosen by Zhao Huowang through karmic fate.

(End of Chapter)