The air within the sect grounds had changed. With the High-Grade Spirit Vein pulsing beneath the soil, the very grass glowed with a faint emerald hue. My five disciples stood in the center of the training square, clutching their new weapons as if they were lifelines.
They were scrawny, malnourished, and their Qi pathways were clogged with the impurities of the mortal world. To any other sect, they were "trash." To me, they were unpolished diamonds.
Phase 1: The Cleansing of the Bone
The First Three Days
"To build a skyscraper, you must first dig a deep foundation," I told them, pacing before the line of five. "Your meridians are blocked. We will break them and knit them back together."
I distributed the Body Strengthening Pills. Under the watchful, golden gaze of the Dragon Elder, the disciples began their hellish transformation.
The Regimen: They ran up the sect's mountain peaks carrying boulders, their muscles screaming.
The Breakthrough: On the third night, Xu Xiao's skin turned a dark metallic grey—the sign of the Iron Bone Awakening. The "trash" talent was actually a rare Asura Physique that required extreme pressure to activate.
Phase 2: The Trial of the Arena
Day Seven: The First Blood
To test their progress before the final push to Foundation Building, I led them back to the town arena. Word had spread of the "arrogant small sect," and a rival group, the Gale Wind School, was waiting for us.
"Sect Master, let my disciples teach your beggars a lesson in humility," the Gale Wind Leader sneered. He signaled three of his senior outer disciples—all at the peak of Energy Gathering—to enter the ring.
I looked at Tang Le and Xuan Lu. "Go. Show them the price of insults."
The Fighting Scene:
The Gale Wind disciples moved like blurs, their fans creating razor-sharp gusts of wind. Tang Le, holding the Jade Sword, didn't move. He closed his eyes, sensing the flow of the air.
The Strike: Just as a wind blade reached his throat, Tang Le's eyes snapped open. He didn't just parry; he used the Basic Sword Technique I'd given him, infused with the Dragon Elder's heavy pressure. A single vertical slash split the wind in half.
The Finish: Xuan Lu leaped into the air, the Dragon Spear glowing crimson. He didn't use a complex move—just a straight thrust. The sheer force of his awakened Qi shattered the Gale Wind disciple's defensive barrier, sending him crashing into the stone pillars of the arena.
The crowd went silent. The "beggars" weren't just fighting; they were dominating.
Phase 3: The Mission of Honor
The Tenth Day: Return to the Village
The disciples had reached the peak of the Energy Gathering realm, but they lacked the "Heart of the Warrior" needed to step into Foundation Building.
"Your village," I said, looking at their determined faces. "The local landlord and the bandit gangs have been taxing your families into starvation, correct?"
"Yes, Master," Xu Xiao growled, his grip tightening on his blade. "They took everything. That is why we sought the sects—to get strong enough to go back."
"Then today is the day," I declared. "The System has issued a directive. This is your first official Sect Mission."
[MISSION: RECLAIM THE STAR-FALL VILLAGE]
[OBJECTIVE: ELIMINATE THE BANDIT KING (HALF-STEP FOUNDATION REALM)]
[REWARD: MASS AWAKENING OF DISCIPLE TALENTS & SECT REPUTATION +500]
The Departure
As we marched toward the village, the Dragon Elder floated silently behind us, a cloak hiding his regal features. I felt my own power swirling—the Core Formation Realm was within my reach, provided these five survived the night.
"Remember the motto," I shouted over the wind.
"If they threaten us, destroy them!" the five disciples roared in unison.
The march to Star-Fall Village was not a quiet one. The earth itself seemed to tremble under the rhythmic thud of the Blood Hammer and the steady, predatory pace of the five disciples. Behind them, the Dragon Elder drifted like a ghost, his golden eyes scanning the horizon for any hidden threats.
As the village gates came into view, the sight was grim. The Gale Wind Bandit Gang, emboldened by their connection to the local corrupt landlord, were in the middle of a "tax collection." Grain was being burned, and the village elders were being forced to kneel in the mud.
"Stop," I commanded. My voice wasn't loud, but it carried the weight of a Foundation Building cultivator, cutting through the screams and the crackle of fire.
The Bandit King, a massive man with a scarred face holding a half-step Foundation Realm aura, looked up and laughed. "More trash from the village? And they brought a 'Master' who looks like he still loses his way in the woods?"
I didn't answer him. I looked at my five disciples. "This is your trial. Your families are watching. Your ancestors are watching. Awaken."
The Battle of Star-Fall Village
The First Strike: Tian Ju and the Wind-Piercing Bow
The bandits charged, a wave of fifty men. Tian Ju didn't flinch. He notched three arrows at once. His Eagle-Eye Spirit Sense flared, turning the chaotic battlefield into a grid of slow-moving targets.
"Seek," he whispered.
The arrows left the string with a sonic boom, curving in mid-air to find the throats of the lead scouts. Before the bodies hit the ground, three more were already in the air.
The Wall of Iron: Feng Le and the Blood Hammer
Ten heavy-armored bandits tried to surround the group. Feng Le stepped forward, his Titan's Earth-Quake talent pulsing through his veins. He didn't swing at the men; he swung at the world.
CRACK.
The Blood Hammer hit the dirt, and a literal rift opened in the earth. The shockwave shattered the bandits' leg bones instantly, leaving them howling in the dirt.
The Dragon's Fury: Xuan Lu and the Dragon Spear
"You killed my father!" Xuan Lu roared at a bandit captain. He lunged, the Dragon Spear glowing with a blinding crimson light. As he thrust, the phantom image of a Coiling Dragon appeared around the shaft.
ROAR.
The spear didn't just pierce the captain's shield; it vaporized it. The Rising Dragon Physique turned Xuan Lu into a blur of red lightning, weaving through the enemy ranks like a god of war.
The Precision of Death: Tang Le and the Jade Sword
While the others were a storm of power, Tang Le was a whisper. His Clear Sky Sword Heart allowed him to walk through a rain of blades without a scratch. Every time his Jade Sword flickered, a bandit's weapon was disarmed and their meridians severed. He was surgical, cold, and absolute.
The Final Showdown: Xu Xiao vs. The Bandit King
The Bandit King realized his men were being slaughtered by children. He roared, drawing a jagged greatsword infused with dark Qi. "I'll kill you all!"
Xu Xiao stepped out, his Mortal High-Grade Blade resting on his shoulder. His skin had turned a deep, bruised purple, and steam was rising from his pores.
"You," Xu Xiao said, his voice dropping an octave as the Asura Tyrant Soul took hold. "You are mine."
The Bandit King swung with enough force to level a house. Xu Xiao didn't dodge. He caught the blade with his bare hand, his Iron Bones sparking against the steel.
"Is that all?" Xu Xiao growled.
The air around the village suddenly condensed. The spiritual energy from the high-grade vein back at the sect seemed to bridge the distance, pouring into the five disciples.
[DING! CRITICAL MOMENT REACHED.]
[DISCIPLES ARE BREAKING THROUGH!]
A pillar of golden light erupted from each of the five. The pressure was so immense that the remaining bandits fell unconscious from the sheer weight of the Qi.
Xu Xiao swung his blade. It wasn't a technique; it was a judgment. A crescent of red energy sliced through the Bandit King's armor, his sword, and his ambition in a single stroke.
The Aftermath
As the dust settled, five young men stood amidst the ruins of their enemies. They no longer looked like villagers. Their eyes were bright with the power of the Foundation Building Realm.
[MISSION SUCCESSFUL!]
[REWARDS ACQUIRED:]
1. HOST CULTIVATION UPGRADED TO CORE FORMATION REALM.
2. SYSTEM SHOP UNLOCKED.
3. SECT REPUTATION: FAMOUS IN THE PROVINCE.
I felt a sudden, violent surge in my own dantian. My foundation cracked and reformed into a golden core, spinning with terrifying speed. I looked at my disciples, then at the Dragon Elder, who was actually smiling.
"Well done," I said, my voice now vibrating with the power of a Core Formation expert. "Now, let's see what the System Shop has to offer. We have a sect to build, and the world is finally starting to notice us."
The dust of battle had barely settled over Star-Fall Village when I felt the change. A golden warmth crystallized in my chest—my Core Formation was complete. I was no longer just a player in this world; I was a power to be reckoned with.
"Back to the sect," I commanded. "We have visitors."
phase 4:The Naming of the Heavens
As we stepped through the sect gates, the air was thick. The High-Grade Spirit Vein had transformed the landscape. What were once empty wooden shells now shimmered with spiritual resonance.
I stood before the three main structures that had remained nameless until now. With a wave of my hand, I infused my new Core-rank Qi into the stone tablets above their doors:
The Pavilion of the Sleeping Dragon: Our main cultivation hall, dedicated to our new Elder. The Dragon Elder nodded in approval, sensing the Draconic Qi already beginning to gather in the eaves.
The Hall of Asura's Edge: The martial arts library and armory, where my five disciples would sharpen their newfound talents.
The Star-Gazer's Sanctum: My private residence and the command center for the system.
As the names took hold, a golden ripple washed over the sect. The "Newbie" aura was gone. This felt like a fortress.
Phase 5: The Rats in the Walls
"Master," Tian Ju whispered, his Eagle-Eye Spirit Sense twitching. He didn't look at me; he looked toward the dense bamboo grove near the sect's southern wall. "Five heartbeats. Too steady for animals. Too hidden for guests."
The Dragon Elder snorted, leaning against a pillar. "Spies from the Great Sects. They saw your light show at the Arena. They want to know if you found a treasure or if you are the treasure."
I smiled. It was time to set the tone for our sect's future. "Xu Xiao, Feng Le. Go welcome them. Remember our motto: Never let anyone threaten you. If they do, destroy them."
The Ambush
The spies—disciples from the Heavenly Sword Sect—realized they were spotted and tried to flee using high-level movement techniques. They were fast, but they weren't Foundation Building fast.
Feng Le didn't even use his hammer. He simply stomped the ground, the Titan's Earth-Quake talent sending a localized tremor that buckled the spies' knees.
Xu Xiao appeared behind their leader in a blur of red Qi. He didn't draw his blade; he simply placed a hand on the man's shoulder. The weight of his Asura Tyrant Soul was so heavy the spy collapsed into the dirt, unable to breathe.
"Tell your masters," I said, walking slowly toward the trembling spies, "that the gates of this sect are open to those who seek knowledge, but closed to those who seek trouble. If I see another shadow in my woods, I won't send my disciples. I'll send the Elder."
The Dragon Elder let out a low, guttural growl that shook the leaves off the trees. The spies scrambled away, not even looking back.
PHase 6 : The System Shop Unlocked
With the sect secure and the names etched in stone, I retreated to the Star-Gazer's Sanctum. It was time.
"System, open the Shop."
A holographic interface bloomed in front of my eyes, filled with items that made my previous purchases from Merchant Yang look like toys.
Item Name Grade Price (Sect Points) Effect
Heavenly Gate Array Saint Grade 10,000 A defensive shield that can stop a Soul Transformation expert.
Nirvana Rebirth Pond Earth Grade 5,000 Heals any physical injury and purifies meridians.
Sect Uniform: Dragon-Scale Silks Mid Grade 500/set Increases Qi absorption by 20% and resists fire.
Spirit Beast Egg (Random) Unknown 2,000 Hatches a guardian beast linked to the sect's fate.
I looked at my current points—the reward for the village mission had given me a healthy start.
"We need a defense," I muttered. "And my disciples need to look the part. No more rags."
The Next Step
The world now knows we exist. The spies will report back, and the "Great Sects" will likely send an official challenge or an envoy to demand "tribute" soon.