Journey of True Cultivation-Chapter 76: War Begins With Order

"Disciples, hear me out!"

Just as the Sect Head vanished from his dark green throne, a voice rang out from slightly below the main platform. All the disciples instinctively turned their heads toward the source.

Standing on the final step before the elevated stage, where the Grand Elders and Sect Head had just stood, was a tall elder with blond hair and shining ocean blue eyes. His ceremonial dark green robe was adorned with white cloud patterns, matching the design worn by one of the Grand Elders who had stood to the Sect Head's left.

The elder stood with his hands tucked into his sleeves. His once cold and stern face had softened slightly, a faint smile playing at his lips, and his gaze, though sharp, was warm and steady.

"As Branch Sect Head Wang has declared, we are now at war with the Five Families. But for those of you who are unfamiliar with who these Five Families are, let me name them for you."

As he continued, his tone gradually shifted, growing firmer, more authoritative.

"First, the Wu Family. Then the Yang Family, the River Family, the Prayer Family, and the Ruby Family. These five stand united as our enemies."

A wave of murmurs swept through the crowd.

"And yes, many of you already know that several of our disciples and even two elders, along with one Grand Elder, have blood ties to the Wu and Yang Families. However, the ones standing among us now have severed those ties. They chose to stay with our home, the Howling Wind Sect and in doing so, they have betrayed their own families for the sake of loyalty and righteousness."

A sharp gasp rippled through the crowd. Shock was etched on many faces.

The Wu and Yang Families had long been seen as allies of the Howling Wind Sect, respected, trusted, and bound by generations of cooperation. Their betrayal struck deep.

They were, after all, neighboring powers, almost an extension of the sect itself in the eyes of many disciples.

But before the disciples could fully recover from their shock, the elder spoke again.

"In the coming days, the sect will gradually transform into a military sect. From that point onward, all orders from your superiors will be absolute. However, should anyone abuse their authority, they will be severely punished by my Discipline Hall. So be cautious!"

His voice echoed with authority, cutting through the tension in the hall.

He then scanned the crowd of Inner Sect disciples before continuing.

"Regarding military ranks: among the Inner Sect disciples, the highest positions will be held by the Ten Supreme Squad Leaders, these titles will be assigned to the ten disciples of the True Phoenix rank."

"Below them are the Squad Leaders, chosen from the top fifty of the Young Phoenix rank. And beneath them are the Team Leaders, selected from those who fall below the top fifty."

Yuan narrowed his eyes slightly as he absorbed the structure.

"Team Leaders, Squad Leaders, and then Supreme Squad Leaders... Interesting," he thought.

Before he could reflect further, the elder continued.

"The Supreme Squad Leaders will command the Rising Flames. The Squad Leaders will also lead Rising Flames, and the Team Leaders will oversee Ashes, as well as a few Rising Flames disciples."

The elder paused, giving the disciples time to absorb the structure and hierarchy being introduced.

Then he spoke again, his voice clear and sharp.

"That covers the ranks for Inner Sect disciples. Above them are the Core Disciples, who will take on the ranks of Generals. These are divided into Third Rank, Second Rank, and First Rank, with the First Rank being the highest among them."

"Above the Generals stand the Nine Elders, who will serve as the Nine Commanders. And above them are the Supreme Commanders, our Three Grand Elders, followed by the Sect Head himself."

The elder stopped there, his explanation clear but deliberately lacking further detail.

Yuan furrowed his brow slightly.

"He didn't go into detail about the ranks above the Supreme Squad Leaders," he thought. "Are they hiding something? Or is it simply not something we're meant to know yet? Perhaps they have more important matters to attend to than explaining everything to Inner Disciples..."

Questions stirred in his mind, but before he could dwell on them for long, another elder stepped forward, this one standing just a step below the first.

The next elder stepped forward. He had long black hair and cold, dark eyes. Unlike the previous speaker, his face held no warmth, only an icy indifference that radiated through his gaze.

His ceremonial dark green robe was embroidered with a black dragon pattern, which shimmered faintly under the light.

He began to speak in a firm, emotionless tone.

"The ranks for Outer Disciples are divided into three levels: the lowest is Lower Soldier, followed by Advanced Soldier, and the highest is Peak Soldier. Each Team Leader will command thirty Lower Soldiers, twenty Advanced Soldiers, ten Peak Soldiers, and five Ash-ranked Inner Disciples. Each Squad Leader will oversee five Team Leaders. Each Supreme Squad Leader will command five Squad Leaders."

He paused briefly, then added.

"All Squad Leaders will operate under the orders of a Third Ranked Commander or higher."

With that, the black haired elder fell silent for a moment.

Then, his voice cut through the air again, this time louder, sharper.

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"More detailed information will be distributed later. Everything you need to know will be made clear in time."

He raised his voice further, nearly shouting.

"That is all. Return and wait for further instructions!"

As his final words echoed through the hall, the massive gray stone doors began to open with a loud, grinding sound. A low rumble filled the space as the doors slowly parted.

And just as they blinked, all the elders and Grand Elders vanished in an instant, leaving behind only a faint trail of mist that hung in the air before fading away completely.

With the elders gone, the gathered Inner Sect disciples began to disperse.

Some walked away quietly, still processing the news. Others stood in silence, gripped by fear or disbelief. And many began whispering among their fellow disciples, trying to make sense of what was to come.

In Yuan's case, he was among the last group, because Li Yun suddenly turned to him and grinned.

"See? I told you they'd announce the war," Li Yun said with a chuckle.

Yuan opened his mouth to respond, but before he could speak, a group of Inner Sect disciples who had arrived with them began to surround him, striking up conversation one after another.

They spoke excitedly, about how shocked they were, how eager they felt to bring glory to the sect, and, naturally, how they hoped to rise through the ranks during the war.

Throughout it all, Li Yun simply smiled. He didn't say anything particularly meaningful or controversial, just nodded politely at their words, maintaining a neutral stance.

As the number of disciples inside the Sect Hall began to thin out, Li Yun saw his chance.

He gently suggested they all return to their cultivation caves and await further instructions from the sect. The others agreed happily, and soon enough, Li Yun and Yuan were once again walking side by side down the staircases, with other disciples chatting or quietly making their way behind them.

After a few moments, Li Yun glanced at Yuan.

"Say, Brother Yuan, what do you think of this military system the sect has created?"

The question caught Yuan slightly off guard. He didn't reply immediately, taking a few moments to think it over.

Eventually, Yuan answered, his voice low and thoughtful

"I don't really care much for it, personally. But from what I can see, it's a strict system. A lot of ranks... a clear chain of command. It looks solid on the surface, but that doesn't always hold up in reality."

Li Yun raised an eyebrow, curious.

"What do you mean?"

"War is chaotic," Yuan said. "Rules and orders can crumble in an instant. What happens if a Supreme Squad Leader dies in the middle of battle? What happens to the squads under him? Who leads them next, the strongest? The most intelligent?"

He paused, thinking for a moment before continuing.

"In theory, both strength and intelligence are needed. But in practice, they often oppose each other. If both try to lead, conflict arises. And without a clear chain of authority, everything can fall apart. The moment a general falls, it becomes chaos for the rest of us, the ordinary soldiers. We won't know who to follow."

Li Yun let out a quiet sigh.

"True," he said softly after realizing what Yuan just said, offering no argument.

His eyes drifted forward to where some disciples laughed and chatted in small groups, while others walked in silence, lost in their own thoughts.

"In the end," Li Yun muttered, "it'll come down to us, to save ourselves in the middle of the chaotic battle."

After that, neither of them said another word.

They walked down the remaining stairs in silence, until they reached the third floor. Li Yun turned toward his cultivation cave without another glance.

Yuan simply continued down to the first floor.

Soon, he arrived at the door to his own cave, sealing the world out once more.