Chapter 266: The Position of Sect Leader

Although the remaining disciples of the Azure Mystic Sect were not numerous in number at present, every single one of them possessed unwavering loyalty toward the sect, willing even to lay down their lives for its sake.

Toward these fellow disciples and martial brothers, Yang Yan held the deepest gratitude and respect. After all, from a certain perspective, these people had been dragged into such a perilous situation precisely because of him.

To return kindness in kind, Yang Yan naturally could not treat these steadfast supporters who had always stood by him unfairly.

Now, with the decrease in the number of disciples, there was, from another perspective, a significant advantage: the remaining disciples could each be allocated far more cultivation resources than before—more than several times greater. Coupled with the fact that over such a long period, Yang Yan had annihilated the Kunyang Sect and eliminated numerous experts, the cultivation resources he had plundered were extraordinarily abundant. Techniques, martial arts manuals, top-grade spirit crystals, weapons, and magical treasures were all readily available, alongside various medicinal pills obtained by Yang Yan that possessed the efficacy to enhance one's personal strength.

This could be considered Yang Yan's feedback and reward to those martial brothers who chose to stand by him and the Azure Mystic Sect.

Truth be told, their current cultivation conditions were vastly superior to what Yang Yan had enjoyed in the past. Every single disciple under the sect's banner was directly provided with top-grade spirit crystals for cultivation—such lavish treatment was something that probably even the Profound Heaven Palace could not pull off. Moreover, the martial manuals and techniques contributed by Yang Yan were also of quite extraordinary grades.

Furthermore, coupled with the Azure Mystic Sect's stringent recruitment criteria, every single one of the remaining disciples possessed formidable cultivation talent. When paired with such uniquely advantageous cultivation conditions and resources, these promising young saplings could receive the finest nurturing at the optimal time.

Yang Yan believed that after a period of time, the disciples of the Azure Mystic Sect would transform into a formidable and inescapable force in his hands.

After all, no matter how strong an individual's power might be, it was impossible to be everywhere at once. The burdens resting on Yang Yan's shoulders destined him never to remain safely secluded in one corner forever. Once he left, his family behind him would become his greatest weakness, and protecting them was precisely the original intention that had led Yang Yan to agree to become the Sect Master of the Azure Mystic Sect.

Moreover, as for the enemies who had torn his family apart and driven them to ruin, Yang Yan still possessed not the slightest clue. Relying solely on his own strength to search for a trace of a lead across the boundless Tianyuan Continent was arguably even more difficult than finding a needle in a haystack. However, if he were to build an influential force of his own that he could fully trust, obtaining news regarding his father within a short period of time would undoubtedly become much easier.

Thus, driven by these various needs and benefits, Yang Yan's initial aversion to the position of Sect Master gradually faded away. Instead, his desire to establish and strengthen his own power grew increasingly urgent.

"Since everyone has arrived, I will dispense with the formalities. The reason I have summoned everyone here today is to announce a matter of importance."

Seated upon the main throne, Xie Xuantian slowly swept his gaze across the buzzing and whispering crowd below. A moment later, his deep and resonant voice instantly swept across the entire Azure Mountain, falling with utmost clarity into everyone's ears.

Hearing this, the crowd exchanged glances in bewilderment, and many of the elders harbored a great deal of doubt, failing to understand what the Sect Master could possibly mean by summoning everyone early in the morning. Could it be that the people from the Profound Heaven Palace were about to make a move?

The mere thought of this filled many people with a sense of unease and even terror.

It was hardly surprising that they reacted this way. After all, the reputations of the three major sects within the empire were like three towering mountains. From the very first moment they stepped into the world of cultivation, these factions had weighed down upon them so heavily that they could barely breathe, while the Profound Heaven Palace, the Martial Dao Gate, and the Wind and Cloud Pavilion had become sacred grounds of cultivation for countless individuals in the cultivation world of the Feiyun Empire.

This was because anyone who managed to enter any of those three major sects—even if they were a complete fool—would undergo a profound transformation within, ultimately emerging as a powerhouse capable of standing alone and holding their own ground.

As for why most of them had chosen not to leave the Azure Mystic Sect back then, a vast majority of the reason was because they had already spent over a decade in the sect, long since treating it as their home—something not easily abandoned on a whim.

Among those who stayed behind because of Yang Yan, the majority belonged to the hot-blooded younger generation of disciples. Youth is naturally inclined to worship the most outstanding figures among their peers, and Yang Yan clearly belonged to that exact echelon of individuals.

Presently, his exploits within the entire Azure Mystic Sect could be said to have reached miraculous proportions. From a good-for-nothing entirely incapable of sensing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, he had grown within a mere span of a few years into a powerhouse capable of confronting levels of strength that they previously wouldn't have even dared to imagine.

To these people, Yang Yan had accomplished what they had always wanted to do yet remained eternally out of reach. Even the younger disciples who joined the Azure Mystic Sect later on and had never once met Yang Yan regarded him in their hearts as a spiritual leader.

Naturally, Yang Yan had not disappointed them. Returning triumphantly as a king after vanishing for half a year, he had single-handedly annihilated the allied forces of the Xu family, the Jade Sword Pavilion, and the Royal Dragon Fortress—factions that even the Azure Mystic Sect had once dared not easily ignore. Three powerhouses whose strength had reached the Spirit Connection realm had been utterly defeated by Yang Yan alone.

Such a ferocious and formidable combat record had actually been forged by a youth barely in his teens, inspiring an urge to spit blood in sheer disbelief. Had not many people witnessed it with their own eyes, no matter who recounted the tale, not a single soul would have believed it.

Subsequently, Yang Yan refreshed their cognitive understanding time and time again. He wreaked havoc upon the Liu clan single-handedly; in the end, even when the patriarch of the Liu clan, Liu Zong, personally stepped forward, he still failed to subdue Yang Yan within a short period—and Liu Zong was an authentic and genuine Spirit Sea realm expert.

At the very final moment, Yang Yan's involvement even managed to summon a colossal entity such as the Sect Master of the Martial Dao Gate, forcing Liu Zong to lower his head, apologize, and admit his wrongdoing to Yang Yan.

Yet the astonishment Yang Yan brought them did not end there. Not long after returning to the Azure Mystic Sect, he once again chose to venture out. Mere days after his departure, when he returned, another earth-shattering piece of news spread rapidly.

The destination of Yang Yan's latest journey had been the Kunyang Sect in Qingzhou; their mountain gates had been flattened overnight, and even their Sect Master, Sun Tianyang, had been slain. Sun Tianyang's strength had reached the second layer of the Spirit Sea realm, and he was a long-established powerhouse of renown in Qingzhou. In terms of overall strength, the Kunyang Sect was not the least bit inferior to the Azure Mystic Sect!

Following the demise of Sun Tianyang, the elders and disciples of the Kunyang Sect scattered like birds and beasts when a tree falls, and soon after, news of the impending dissolution of the Kunyang Sect spread far and wide.

As the principal protagonist of this entire event, Yang Yan had returned to the Azure Mystic Sect as if nothing had happened at all. Without the slightest hesitation, he had handed over all the plundered spirit crystals, martial arts manuals, techniques, and even magical treasures to the Sect Master, having them distributed to the disciples of the Azure Mystic Sect according to their quantities.

At that moment, the conviction in many people's hearts grew even firmer: perhaps their initial choice had not been wrong. In the span of just a few short months, Yang Yan had updated their perceptions time and time again. Perhaps he only needed a little more time—not even very long—to personally prove his strength to everyone.

"Today, I have come to tell everyone that starting from today, I shall step down from my position as the Sect Master of the Azure Mystic Sect."

As soon as these words left Xie Xuantian's lips, they immediately stirred a massive commotion within the plaza below, with many eyes revealing expressions of shock, astonishment, and utter disbelief.

Xie Xuantian had served as the Sect Master of the Azure Mystic Sect for over forty years. During his tenure, although he faced some suppression from the Profound Heaven Palace and failed to elevate the influence of the Azure Mystic Sect to unprecedented heights, his governance emphasized ruling through non-action. He never interfered with the personality or cultivation methods of any disciple, ensuring that everyone who joined the Azure Mystic Sect could learn and elevate their strength while simultaneously retaining their own independence and diversity. He could well be considered a rare and admirable good Sect Master.

Therefore, upon hearing him declare that he would relinquish the position of Sect Master, many people's hearts remained filled with doubt and reluctance.

Especially those elders who had remained by his side for decades, or even over twenty years, felt a profound sense of bewilderment and incomprehension, prompting them to blurt out their questions immediately.

"Sect Master, you have served as the Sect Master of the Azure Mystic Sect for over forty years, pouring your heart and soul into the development of the sect. Without you, the Azure Mystic Sect would not be where it is today. Moreover, this is currently a moment of life-and-death for the sect; if you were to resign from your position at this critical juncture, it would undoubtedly deal a devastating blow to the morale of everyone in the sect."

The one who spoke was precisely the corpulent Elder Li Chengfeng.

"Elder Li is entirely correct. This is indeed a critical moment of crisis concerning the survival of the Azure Mystic Sect. Once you step down from the position of Sect Master, I fear there will hardly be anyone left who can step forward and take charge of the overall situation."

Elder Lin Qingfeng, standing nearby, also stepped forward and said with a solemn expression.

To them, the position of Sect Master was of paramount importance, and Xie Xuantian had not consulted with them prior to announcing this matter. Consequently, all the elders had been left completely in the dark.

Hearing now that Xie Xuantian intended to abdicate his position as Sect Master, they were all somewhat shocked and stepped forward one after another to dissuade him.

"Hehe, I understand the concerns in your hearts. However, someone will naturally succeed me after I step down from the post of Sect Master, and that person is far more suited to hold this position than I am."

Seeing the ceaseless stream of dissuasive advice from the crowd, Xie Xuantian merely smiled before speaking in a calm tone.

"Someone more suited than the Sect Master?"

Hearing Xie Xuantian's words, the crowd exchanged glances once again, their hearts filled with immense confusion.

Within the Azure Mystic Sect, if seniority was taken into account, not a single person could possibly surpass Xie Xuantian. Furthermore, even when considering personal cultivation and realm, he stood at the absolute pinnacle of the sect.

"Could it be..."

Just as everyone in the crowd began to ponder who possessed the highest strength within the Azure Mystic Sect, a youthful figure suddenly flashed across their minds. In an instant, every gaze turned uniformly toward the young figure standing beside the Sect Master.

"Hehe, your guesses are not wrong. The person who will succeed me as Sect Master is Yang Yan."

Although Xie Xuantian's voice was not loud, it undoubtedly stirred a towering wave in that instant.

While everyone was thoroughly convinced of Yang Yan's strength—having witnessed with their own eyes how Yang Yan had single-handedly eliminated two Profound Heaven Palace powerhouses at the fourth layer of the Spirit Sea realm—they held not the slightest doubt regarding his prowess.

The problem, however, lay entirely in his age.

Yang Yan was merely eighteen years old at present. Whether in terms of mental maturity or problem-solving capability, they naturally assumed he could not compare with Xie Xuantian. Moreover, this was precisely the time when relations between the Azure Mystic Sect and the Profound Heaven Palace had grown fiercely antagonistic. Any error in command from the upper echelons could bring about devastating destruction to the Azure Mystic Sect. Entrusting their collective fate and survival to a youth under twenty years of age left the majority of people harboring lingering doubts in their hearts.

"Everyone, please listen to me."

Immediately afterward, a slightly youthful voice echoed throughout the entire Azure Summit. The chaotic noise of the crowd subsided automatically, leaving the entire plaza in absolute silence.

The speaker was naturally the person in question, Yang Yan.

He slowly swept his gaze across the entire assembly, his expression suddenly turning exceptionally resolute as he spoke in a measured tone.

"It is completely natural for you to harbor doubts toward me in your hearts. After all, I am merely an eighteen-year-old youth at present, and the position of Sect Master of the Mystic Sect is of supreme importance, directly tied to the life and death of every single person here. Every decision made by the Sect Master has the potential to lead the Azure Mystic Sect toward yet another glorious peak, or cause it to vanish from the cultivation world of Jinzhou entirely.

"As for the qualifications required to become Sect Master, in my view, they can be summarized in eight characters: unmatched in martial prowess, possessed of both virtue and talent.

"The first four words require no elaboration from me. The Tianyuan Continent respects martial power above all else; if a faction were to let someone inferior in strength issue orders, resentment would inevitably breed in everyone's hearts. As for my own strength, I need not boast or sing my own praises—yesterday's battle was witnessed by all of you."

Hearing Yang Yan reach this point, many people nodded in deep agreement. Judging by the combat power Yang Yan had previously displayed, he could indeed be considered the undisputed number one expert of the Azure Mystic Sect at present, surpassing even Xie Xuantian.

"As for possessing both virtue and talent, regarding virtue, my understanding is to convince others through virtue rather than returning enmity with virtue. The principle Yang Yan upholds is simple: if others do not offend me, I shall not offend them; if others offend me, I shall repay them manifold. At the same time, I believe that if a person receives a drop of water in need, they should repay it with a gushing spring. To me, everyone present here is a benefactor. Regardless of the reasons for which you chose to stay, ultimately, the reason the Azure Mystic Sect suffered its recent blows and fell into such a perilous predicament is inextricably linked to me. The kindness you have shown me is something Yang Yan has always kept firmly engraved in his heart, never daring to forget it for a single moment. Furthermore, the cultivation resources you are currently enjoying were all obtained by me through life-or-death struggles, risking my very existence."