The last traces of oppressive aura emanating from Xuan Tianji's corpse dissipated, leaving an eerie silence over the ruins of the Profound Sword Sect's main gate. The air, once thick with killing intent and the scent of ozone, now hung heavy with dust and the metallic tang of blood.
Lin Che stood amidst the devastation, his breathing slowly returning to normal. The system interface in his mind flickered with completion messages and experience gains, but he paid them little heed. His work was not yet done.
"Secure the perimeter," he commanded, his voice cutting through the silence. "Root out any remnants. Leave none of Xuan Tianji's loyalists alive."
A chorus of affirmatives rang out from Mao Shiba and the Broken Sword Sect members. They moved with a purpose and efficiency born from years of oppression and guerrilla warfare, now fueled by the euphoria of victory. They fanned out, their movements sharp, hunting down the few remaining disciples who had not fled or been slain in the initial battle.
Lin Che, with Luo Jiayin and Lin Ying in tow, made his way towards the heart of the complex—the sect's Treasure Pavilion. The grand structure, miraculously untouched by the widespread destruction, stood as a testament to the Profound Sword Sect's accumulated wealth over millennia.
The interior was a cavern of glittering splendor. Rows of shelves stretched into the dimness, laden with spirit stones sorted by grade—mountains of low-grade, substantial piles of mid-grade, and a respectable cache of high-grade stones that glowed with internal light. Jade slips containing techniques and manuals were neatly arranged, and rare materials for pill refining and artifact forging filled ornate boxes. The sheer volume of resources was staggering, enough to establish a powerful new faction or fund a cultivator's journey for centuries.
Lin Che's gaze swept over the hoard with a calculating coolness. He directed the operations with dispassionate efficiency. A significant portion of the spirit stones and practical materials—perhaps thirty percent—was allocated to Mao Shiba and his Broken Sword Sect.
"Take this," Lin Che said, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Your people have earned it. Use it to rebuild your strength and tend to your wounded."
Mao Shiba and his lieutenants bowed deeply, their faces etched with gratitude and newfound respect. The resources were a lifeline, a foundation for a future they had never dared to imagine.
The remaining seventy percent—the bulk of the high-grade spirit stones, the most valuable manuals, and the rare celestial materials—flowed into Lin Che's storage rings. He made no show of it, the treasures disappearing with a series of faint whisks.
It was at this point that Old Ma, who had been curiously poking around a pile of glowing crystals, could no longer contain himself. "Ahem! Young man! Ahem!" he coughed exaggeratedly, waddling over. "While this old man certainly appreciates the... spiritual ambiance of this vault, isn't there the small matter of... distribution? A little something for the effort? The guidance? The moral support?"
A faint smile touched Lin Che's lips. He had been expecting this. "Old Ma," he said, his voice calm. "There's no hurry. The matter is not fully settled. First, find yourself a quiet room and rest for a few days. You've earned it. We will speak of... distributions... later." He then addressed the room. "All of you, take rest. The Broken Sword Sect brothers as well. Regain your strength. In three days' time, I will have an important matter to discuss."
Though slightly puzzled, the group dispersed, the Broken Sword Sect members heading to the outer buildings, chatting excitedly about their windfall.
Once the Treasure Pavilion was empty save for them, Lin Che led Luo Jiayin and Lin Ying to a secluded chamber. As soon as the door closed, his demeanor shifted from the composed leader to a concerned brother and a curious cultivator.
He turned to Lin Ying, his expression serious. "Little Sister, during the final moment against Xuan Tianji... the power you channeled to Blood Fiend. It was vastly greater than before. It wasn't just a little more; it was a qualitative leap. What happened?"
Lin Ying blinked up at him, her large eyes filled with genuine confusion. She tilted her head. "Huh? I... I don't know, brother. I just saw that bad old man was so strong, and you were fighting so hard... I got really, really scared and anxious. I just kept thinking, 'I have to help brother, I have to make it easier for him to beat the bad guy!' I thought it really, really hard... and then, the light just... came out." She shrugged, as baffled as he was.
Lin Che's brow furrowed. He looked to Luo Jiayin, the knowledgeable saintess of the Drifting Flower Palace. "Have you ever heard of such a thing? A emotional spike directly amplifying innate abilities to such a degree?"
Luo Jiayin shook her head slowly, a faint line of worry between her eyebrows. "Never. Innate constitutions can be stimulated, but what you describe... it sounds less like stimulation and more like a... a temporary unlocking or awakening. It defies conventional understanding."
Frustrated, Lin Che sent a mental summons. A few moments later, Old Ma shuffled in, looking irritated at having his rest interrupted.
"What is it now? Can't an old man enjoy his spiritual nap in peace?"
"Old Ma, you've lived a long life, seen many strange things," Lin Che began, forgoing pleasantries. "My sister's power. During the fight. It surged beyond reason. Do you know why?"
Old Ma squinted, looking from Lin Che to the innocent-faced Lin Ying. He scratched his scruffy chin. "Eh? A sudden surge? Kid, the ways of the heavens are inscrutable. Maybe the little lass just... overachieved? Had a breakthrough? Who can say?" He shrugged, his expression one of complete ignorance. "If you're looking for an old sage with all the answers, you've got the wrong guy. I'm just a simple, humble traveler."
Seeing that even the notoriously well-informed Old Ma was clueless, Lin Che let the matter drop with a sigh. "Very well. We'll assume it was an extraordinary exertion under pressure. But we must be watchful." He decided to table the mystery for now.
Within days, word of the Profound Sword Sect's fall had spread like wildfire through every corner of Profound Heaven City. The news was seismic. Representatives from dozens of smaller sects and clans, ones that had been bullied and extorted for generations, arrived at the broken gates, seeking an audience with the mysterious powerhouse who had accomplished the impossible.
Lin Che had no patience for politics. He delegated the task of receiving—and mostly, turning away—these visitors to the Broken Sword Sect disciples. "Tell them the new master of this territory is not receiving guests. For now."
Three days later, as promised, he summoned the key figures: Old Ma, Luo Jiayin, Lin Ying, and Mao Shiba along with several other Broken Sword Sect captains. They gathered in the main hall, which still bore the scars of battle.
"The Profound Sword Sect is gone," Lin Che stated, his voice echoing in the large room. "But power abhors a vacuum. I intend to fill it." He paused, letting his words sink in. "I will establish a branch of the Slaughter God Pavilion here, on these very grounds. It will serve as our base of operations in the Profound Heaven Domain."
He then turned his gaze to Old Ma. "And you, Old Ma, will be its nominal master."
Old Ma, who had been picking his ear, froze. "Me?!" he squawked. "Absolutely not! First, you still owe me my share from the last haul! Second, and most importantly, that sounds like a job! Responsibility! Paperwork! It's a prison sentence! It cramps my style! I am a free spirit, a wanderer! I cannot be tied down!"
Lin Che had anticipated this exact reaction. He calmly tossed a storage ring towards Old Ma. It landed on the table with a heavy thud, spilling a dazzling array of top-tier spirit stones. It was a king's ransom.
"That should settle your first concern," Lin Che said evenly. "As for your second... Your 'style' is precisely why you're perfect. You won't be managing day-to-day affairs. I need a name, a presence. Someone unpredictable enough to keep our enemies guessing." He leaned forward slightly. "You will be the master in name only. You can come and go as you please. All I ask is that you leave a communication jade and... perhaps, establish a private teleportation array in the back for your convenience. You'll have the largest courtyard. And," he added, the clincher, "you will receive two percent of the Pavilion's future earnings."
Old Ma's eyes, which had been wide with protest, now glinted with a calculative light. He weighed the heavy ring in his hand, then looked at the promise of future income without any real work. A slow, cunning grin spread across his face.
"Well... since you put it that way," he said, scooping up the spirit stones. "But I'm not a bureaucrat! I'm not dealing with complaints about the plumbing! And I'm not always here! I'll leave a jade slip. You have an emergency, you break it. Otherwise, don't bother me. And I will be building that array. A big one. And I want the best courtyard. The one with the good spiritual veins."
"Agreed," Lin Che said, a corner of his mouth twitching upwards.
He then turned to Mao Shiba. "The Broken Sword Sect has proven its worth and its loyalty. If you and your men are willing, you will form the core of this new Slaughter God Pavilion. You will handle the actual administration, security, and expansion. Integrate the smaller sects that have come knocking. Bring them under our banner. We will quickly become the dominant power in this region."
Mao Shiba and his captains dropped to one knee without hesitation. "We are honored, Pavilion Master Lin! We pledge our lives to the Slaughter God Pavilion!" To have the backing of such a formidable figure was a dream come true.
"Good," Lin Che nodded. "But there are rules." His voice turned hard. "Three laws. First, we do not bully the weak, as the Profound Sword Sect did. Second, we do not kill indiscriminately. Third, we do not seize property without just cause." His eyes narrowed. "However, the scum of the cultivation world—the true villains and predators—are fair game. Show them no mercy."
He then addressed the practical matters. "As for the Profound Sword Sect's former businesses—the mines, the shops—slash their exorbitant tax rates to reasonable levels. We gain loyalty through fairness, not fear." Finally, he looked at Mao Shiba. "I will not be staying here permanently. Old Ma will be... absent. The day-to-day rule of this territory falls to you and the original Broken Sword Sect brothers. Govern it well."
The meeting adjourned, and a new energy filled the complex. The Slaughter God Pavilion had planted its flag in the Profound Heaven Domain. Under Lin Che's distant but formidable shadow, and through the hands of the redeemed Broken Sword Sect, a new order began to take shape from the ashes of the old.