Chapter 54

Yue Buqun was overjoyed to obtain this cultivation technique, even more so than when he got the *Evil-Repelling Sword Manual*. He had just been lamenting that the Quanzhen Sect's martial arts he obtained lacked internal cultivation techniques, making them much less effective. Now, seeing this, he was extremely delighted. This cultivation technique belonged to the Daoist lineage, and although it could not be considered orthodox, it could still allow one to reach the realm of a top-tier expert, with considerable power. Most importantly, it could complement the Huashan Sect's foundational cultivation technique, which also originated from the Daoist lineage, thus solving an urgent problem.

Speaking of this problem, it is necessary to mention the current internal cultivation system of the Huashan Sect. Apart from the *Purple Star Divine Skill* and the foundational cultivation technique, most of the other Huashan cultivation techniques have been lost. Even the *Mixed Essence Skill* was only reintroduced into the lineage after Yue Fangxing explored and practiced it. Other cultivation techniques were either incomplete or could not be taught. Even the internal cultivation technique practiced by Ning Zhongze lacked some profound aspects, which is why her martial arts progress had slowed in recent years. It was only after obtaining the *Muscle Tendon Changing Chapter* that she made further improvements.

This situation created a problem for the Huashan Sect: the *Purple Star Divine Skill* could only be taught to the sect leader, so ordinary disciples could not learn it. The *Mixed Essence Skill* had a unique nature of true qi, and unless one started practicing it from the beginning, it could not be changed later. Thus, after reaching a certain level, Huashan disciples would face an awkward situation: either continue practicing the foundational cultivation technique or compete for the position of sect leader to gain the qualification to practice the *Purple Star Divine Skill*.

Although the Huashan Sect's foundational cultivation technique was also quite remarkable, far better than the internal cultivation techniques of most martial arts sects, it was possible to reach the level of a top-tier expert. However, the efficiency was questionable. Without three or four decades, it was not even worth thinking about, and it might even take a lifetime to achieve great success. How could these disciples diligently practice the foundational cultivation technique for so long?

This was also a concern for Yue Buqun in recent years, especially as the Huashan disciples' martial arts progressed rapidly, making this worry even more pressing. Therefore, although Linghu Chong's internal cultivation had made significant progress and he was already qualified to practice the *Purple Star Divine Skill*, Yue Buqun did not teach it to him, fearing that it would cut off the hopes of other disciples and reduce their motivation to practice. Now, with this cultivation technique, the situation was finally alleviated.

Of course, to thoroughly solve this problem, this cultivation technique was still not enough. Yue Buqun had already begun to develop a new internal cultivation technique based on Huashan martial arts. If he had no confidence before, he had recently felt that a part of the *Purple Star Divine Skill*'s circulation route was very suitable for the *Sunrise One-Qi Sword Technique*. He thought about the sword technique his son mentioned, which was indeed the case. Therefore, these days, Yue Buqun had been thinking about extracting this part of the route to create an internal cultivation technique that would complement the sword technique. Even if it was not as good as the *Purple Star Divine Skill*, with the sword technique's support, its power would not be inferior, and the progress of internal cultivation would not be slow.

Thinking of the *Purple Star Divine Skill*, Yue Buqun remembered something and asked, "Xing'er, are you willing to practice the *Purple Star Divine Skill*?" He knew that Yue Fangxing's *Mixed Essence Skill* had already reached a high level, and his progress had slowed. Moreover, he had a yang-true qi from practicing the *Evil-Repelling Sword Manual*, which could be converted to the yang-true qi of the *Purple Star Divine Skill*. Therefore, he asked.

Yue Fangxing replied, "Father, my *Mixed Essence Skill* is not yet complete, and the yang-true qi from the *Evil-Repelling Sword Manual* is extremely pure and progresses rapidly. I will continue to practice this technique for now!" His words did not refuse, but he did not agree to practice the *Purple Star Divine Skill* immediately.

Yue Buqun "hmm"ed without any indication.

Yue Fangxing naturally understood the deeper meaning in his father's words, which was asking if he wanted to take over the Huashan Sect. This question had been hinted at before, but it was not as obvious as today. Clearly, the matter of the Sword Sect mentioned last time had made him very worried, and he wanted to determine the next sect leader as soon as possible.

This question had been on Yue Fangxing's mind for a long time. Although he also wanted to revitalize Huashan, he did not want to waste his time on trivial matters after living another life. Revitalizing Huashan would only make his position in the martial world more solid, not his ultimate goal. He had practiced diligently for over ten years, not just to become the leader of the Huashan Sect.

Therefore, Yue Fangxing had only been giving suggestions to Yue Buqun and implementing plans through him. Fortunately, with his special status as a son, things had gone smoothly over the years. But now, he finally had to face this issue.

"Father, what do you think of the current structure of the Huashan Sect?" Yue Fangxing did not answer the question directly but asked another.

Yue Buqun, hearing this, knew that his son probably had some new ideas and said, "We are father and son; just speak your mind directly. Don't beat around the bush." His tone was slightly reproachful, clearly dissatisfied with his son's tendency to be mysterious.

Yue Fangxing quickly agreed and said, "Son thinks that the current Huashan Sect is too loose. Given the current simple personnel, it is a good time to reorganize and divide responsibilities, like the Shaolin Temple, where everyone has their own duties. This is the way to ensure long-term stability." He then explained his ideas one by one.

In Yue Fangxing's vision, the Huashan Sect should first establish a Transmission Hall to teach and clarify doubts, preventing masters from keeping secrets from their disciples. It would also maintain the lineage of the sect's martial arts, avoiding the near loss of the *Mixed Essence Skill*. However, since the Huashan Sect had fewer martial arts and was not as rich and powerful as the Shaolin Temple, it could not openly establish a scripture hall, but a Transmission Hall was necessary. Additionally, it should emulate the Shaolin Temple by setting up institutions like the Arhat Hall, the Prajna Hall, and the Bodhi Hall to specialize in the study of boxing, weapons, lightness skills, and hidden weapons. This would allow disciples to specialize in one area and prevent any martial art from becoming too dominant, leading to conflicts like the Qi and Sword factions. The financial and disciplinary supervision of the sect, which were essential for the leader's authority, would be personally managed by the leader, but a dedicated officer should also be appointed to avoid the leader being bogged down in trivial matters, hindering cultivation. Furthermore, the external affairs of the sect should be more standardized, with dedicated personnel to manage and continuously supply talent to the Huashan Sect.

Regarding the teaching of disciples, Yue Fangxing also had some objections to the current Huashan Sect's focus on sword techniques. After all, although the Huashan Sect was part of the Five Mountains Sword Sect, its martial arts were not limited to sword techniques. Its boxing and lightness skills were also commendable. However, due to the alliance with the other four mountains forming the Five Mountains Sword Sect, the Huashan Sect later became known as the Huashan Sword Sect. The division into the Qi and Sword factions by the ancestors Yue Su and Cai Zifeng further elevated the status of sword techniques, while other martial arts gradually fell out of use. However, the current Huashan Sect could be considered a reconstruction, and with the acquisition of the Quanzhen Sect and the Ancient Tomb Sect's martial arts, there were many options to choose from. It was necessary to make full use of them and not focus solely on sword techniques.

In Yue Fangxing's view, during the foundational stage of martial arts practice, one should learn a bit of everything to build a solid foundation. But after reaching a certain level, if one discovers a particular talent in a certain area, they should specialize in that area to become an expert. For example, Shi Daizi specialized in boxing and no longer practiced sword techniques; similarly, someone like Lu Daoyou, who was agile, should specialize in lightness skills and learn some clever techniques. As for other disciples, even if they did not have outstanding external characteristics, they should choose their martial arts based on their preferences and personalities, not limited to sword techniques.

In fact, Yue Fangxing had a more important idea: to form a council composed of the sect leader and the heads of various institutions, and to establish an elders' council to regularly discuss major affairs of the sect, resolve internal conflicts, and reduce the power of the sect leader, thereby weakening potential future conflicts over the leadership. Of course, to maintain the authority of the sect leader, the leader must have veto power to highlight the difference. This way, no one could force a decision, although it might miss some opportunities, it would prevent major errors in the sect's decisions, ensuring long-term prosperity. However, the current Huashan Sect was weak, and there were no disciples qualified to serve as heads or elders. Therefore, he decided to put this matter aside for now and discuss it in the future.

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*Note: The last part about the page ads is not translated as it is not part of the main text.*