The weight of the recent battle still lingered in the air, but the gratitude of the villagers I had saved felt like a physical warmth. It was time to transform this small, struggling sect into a fortress.
"System," I commanded mentally, "tell my rewards from the village defense."
[Ding! Reward calculated. Host current balance: 15,000 Points.]
A smirk played on my lips. It was a windfall. My first priority was security; a sect without a shield is just a target. I browsed the System Shop, my eyes landing on a listing that radiated a golden hue: The Heavenly Gate Array (Saint Grade).
It was a staggering 10,000 points, but worth every bit. I authorized the purchase instantly. Next, my disciples needed to look the part and, more importantly, survive. I found a Dragon-Scale Silk Uniform—not only did it offer formidable defense, but it boosted Qi absorption by 20%. At 500 points a set, I grabbed five, watching my balance dip to 2,500 points.
"One more thing," I muttered. My disciples were soft. They needed a trial by fire. I spent my final 2500 points on a Body Tempering Chamber, a brutal training facility inspired by the legends of ancient, iron-fisted leaders.
The Transformation
I summoned my Head Elder and handed him the glowing jade slip of the Heavenly Gate Array. "Set this up immediately. Let no one enter without my word."
To my five disciples, I tossed the shimmering silken robes. "Change into these. For now, use my personal quarters as a changing room. I will arrange your permanent halls soon."
While they were away, I moved to the courtyard adjacent to my room. With a wave of my hand, the Body Tempering Chamber materialized—a black stone monolith humming with intense, oppressive energy. By the time the disciples emerged, looking regal and sharp in their new uniforms, the Elder had already stabilized the sect's new barrier. A shimmering dome of Saint-grade energy now pulsed over our mountains.
"Master, what is this?" one disciple asked, staring at the black chamber.
"Your home for the next month," I replied coolly. "You will train in here 24 hours a day. To ensure you don't break, take these."
I handed them five rings. "These are stocked with Holy Grade Recovery Pills. You don't even need to swallow them; the rings will inject the medicine the moment your body falters. Now, go. Do not come out until you have transcended your limits."
The Passage of Time
With the disciples locked away, I turned to the Elder. I handed him a storage ring containing five million spiritual stones. "Cultivate, Elder. The world is changing, and we cannot afford to be weak."
I retreated to my own private sanctum. The months blurred into a cycle of deep meditation and Qi refinement.
Five months passed in what felt like a single breath.
When I finally opened my eyes, the air in the room cracked with electricity. I had broken through. I was now at the 5th Stage of the Core Formation Realm. As I stepped outside, a massive surge of spiritual pressure rolled off the "Pavilion of the Sleeping Dragon"—the Elder was clearly reaching new heights as well.
I walked toward the Body Tempering Chamber and sensed five sharp, hidden auras within. "Disciples, come out!"
They emerged, their eyes glowing with a new, tempered intensity. Without a word of warning, I unleashed my full power, striking at them with a wave of energy that would have shattered stone.
They didn't even flinch. They stood like iron pillars, the Dragon-Scale silk fluttering in the wind of my attack. A wave of pride washed over me. I no longer had to worry about them dying the moment they left the sect gates.
Then, a foul scent hit my nose—the accumulated grime of five months of brutal tempering. "Go," I laughed, waving them away. "Wash yourselves. You smell like a swamp."
A New Vision
The sect was stable, but it was small. I needed to scale up.
"System," I asked, "how do I earn more points? This sect needs more than just five disciples."
[Ding! Points can be earned through mission completion, disciple growth, and monster subjugation.]
As if reading my very thoughts about expansion, a new screen flickered into existence.
NEW MISSION: The Great Expansion
Objective: Recruit 10,000 disciples.
Reward: Mass Talent Awakening, 5,000 Points, and 1 Extra System Slot.
Failure: Host's cultivation will be permanently weakened.
I looked out over the horizon. Ten thousand disciples? It was an impossible number for most. But with the System at my back and a Saint-grade array protecting our home, I wasn't most leaders.
"I think it's time," I whispered, "to let the world konw our existence