As massive amounts of Nascent Soul-level flesh essence surged into its body, Jincancan's tiny form began to undergo astonishing, visible changes.
Its golden down flared up like burning flames, emitting a blazing yet sacred light. Its body expanded rapidly, as if inflated by air, transforming into a majestic rooster in the blink of an eye.
Its once-tender chirps turned clear and resonant, faintly carrying the dignity to awe all birds.
A powerful aura burst uncontrollably from within its body.
Boom!
Airwaves rolled outward, blowing away all the dust in the hall.
Its intense spiritual energy fluctuations soared wildly upward—First Layer of Qi Refining... Third Layer... Ninth Layer... Foundation Building!
Half an hour later, the light surrounding Jincancan suddenly faded, and an aura belonging to the Mid Foundation Building Realm permeated the air.
It held its head high, its golden feathers shimmering with luster. Its eyes sharpened, and in every glance, there was already a hint of the dignity befitting a Senior Brother!
"Ho... Holy shit?!"
Jiang Ling froze completely, the half-piece of bear meat in his hand dropping to the ground with a "plop."
"F-Foundation Building overnight?! "
He pointed at Jincancan, his fingers trembling. "Disciple, j-just what kind of chicken are you?!"
Jincancan gracefully preened its newly grown golden plumes, glanced sideways at its dumbfounded master, and let out a clear chirp tinged with faint disdain: "Cheep~"
Foolish mortal. This emperor is actually... Forget it. Even if I told you, you wouldn't understand.
Naturally, Jiang Ling couldn't understand chicken talk. He was too overwhelmed by the explosive surge in his disciple's strength to speak.
The moment Jincancan's aura stabilized at Mid Foundation Building—
[Ding! Detected personal disciple 'Jincancan' has broken through to Mid Foundation Building Realm.]
[Core Rule Applied: Host's Strength = Total Cultivation of All Disciples × 100.]
[Current Total Cultivation of All Disciples: Mid Foundation Building Realm.]
[Host's Strength Synchronizing...]
A vast, surging power—like a bursting river of stars—poured into Jiang Ling's limbs and bones out of nowhere.
"Ah!"
Jiang Ling let out a suppressed low roar—not from pain, but from the overwhelming fullness of power flooding his body.
He felt as if he'd gone from a deflated balloon to one inflated to the verge of bursting.
Intense qi bursts uncontrollably from his body. His tattered servant's robe tore with a "shriek," turning into rags and revealing his round buttocks.
This power far surpassed that of an ordinary Core Formation cultivator, directly reaching the Early Nascent Soul Realm!
Jiang Ling stood dumbfounded, staring down at his hands.
He could clearly feel the surging power flowing under his skin like rivers. Every muscle, every bone, was filled with unprecedented vitality and resilience.
Thanks to the system, Jiang Ling didn't even need to comprehend cultivation techniques. Any technique reimbursed by the system came to him instinctively, as if etched into his soul, ready to be used at will.
With a mere thought, the spiritual energy between heaven and earth swarmed toward him like docile sheep—no deliberate circulation of techniques required.
He tentatively threw a light punch at the air.
Bang!
A dull sonic boom erupted. The air in front of him compressed and twisted, forming a visible white airwave that whistled several zhang away before slamming into the dilapidated hall wall.
"Boom!"
The Primordial Beginning Sect's main hall, which had stood firm for a thousand years, finally fulfilled its duty and collapsed completely.
"T-This is my power? "
Jiang Ling stared at his fist in disbelief, feeling the terrifying energy within him that could move mountains and fill seas. An unprecedented sense of power welled up in his heart.
Eight hundred years!
He'd endured in hiding for eight hundred long years!
He was no longer the powerless lackey who could only survive by playing dead and biding his time.
Now, he was a man with Nascent Soul-level power!
"Hahaha! Hahahaha!"
Jiang Ling couldn't contain his joy, throwing his head back and laughing wildly—a laugh filled with the elation of finally raising his head after years of oppression.
"Cheep!"
An angry chicken squawk suddenly rang out.
Jincancan struggled out of the ruins, covered head to toe in dust—looking as if it had dug itself out of a garbage heap, not a single feather clean.
Its comb turned bright red with anger. It glared fiercely at Jiang Ling, ready to pounce and peck him.
But in the next moment, Jincancan froze, staring at Jiang Ling in confusion and uncertainty.
If it wasn't mistaken, this cheap master had been a mortal just moments ago, right?
How did he suddenly become a Nascent Soul cultivator?
Had it messed up its nirvana posture and hallucinated?
Or had it left its original world, where the rules were different?
Jincancan looked up at the sky blankly, a flash of golden light vanishing from its glazed eyes.
No, this was definitely the familiar aura of the Canglan Realm.
What on earth was going on?
Could it be that this guy had been hiding his strength all along?
Yes, that must be it!
Jincancan narrowed its eyes, its gaze toward Jiang Ling changing drastically—filled with newfound wariness and curiosity.
Jiang Ling had no idea his Senior Brother had such a mysterious background. After his excitement faded, he belatedly realized he had nowhere to live.
But with wealth in hand, he felt no panic. He'd find someone to rebuild the hall at dawn—otherwise, outsiders would think the Primordial Beginning Sect had been wiped out.
The thought had barely crossed his mind when the system's voice sounded:
[Ding! Detected significant increase in sect reputation. Development Quest Triggered: Grand Opening Ceremony!]
[Quest Objective: Hold a Grand Opening Ceremony (with at least one spectator) and recruit at least one human disciple!]
[Quest Rewards: 1000 Points, 1 Sect Main Hall, 1 Jade Platform, 10 Low-Grade Qi Concentrating Pills!]
[Time Limit: 3 Days!]
It was like falling asleep and waking up with a pillow!
He'd just been thinking about rebuilding the hall, and the quest reward had arrived.
He had to complete this quest!
"You're the best, System Bro!"
Jiang Ling's spirits soared. "Tomorrow marks the day my Primordial Beginning Sect becomes famous across the Border Wasteland!"
...
Meanwhile, at Qingfeng Town at the foot of Primordial Beginning Mountain—
"Have you heard? There's a supreme expert guarding the Primordial Beginning Sect! They slapped a Nascent Soul Demon King to death with one hand!"
"Supreme expert? Who doesn't know the Primordial Beginning Sect is on the verge of collapsing? My cousin's wife's uncle's nephew saw it from afar—the Black Bear Demon King died only because the sect's guardian array is incredibly powerful!"
"Nine dragons descending, slaying a Nascent Soul—what divine power!"
"That's a celestial array! They say a lean camel is bigger than a horse. The Primordial Beginning Sect really has been hiding its strength."
"Hurry! Let's go apprentice ourselves to the Primordial Beginning Sect! The beast tide is too terrifying—this is our only chance to survive!"
The crowd buzzed with excitement. The earth-shaking scene at the Primordial Beginning Sect's gate had been witnessed by passing cultivators and spread at an astonishing speed.
In an instant, desperate refugees, scattered cultivators craving power, and all sorts of people with ulterior motives began gathering toward Primordial Beginning Mountain.