The Continental Invitation: A "Small" ExpansionThe dust from the Righteous Alliance's retreat hadn't even settled before I was back in my study, staring at a map of the Azure Continent. It was a sprawling mess of warring kingdoms, hidden valleys, and "Sacred Grounds" that took themselves far too seriously.
"System," I muttered, tapping a finger on the capital of the Great Han Empire. "If we have 10,000 Core Formation experts, we're essentially the biggest superpower on the planet, right?"
[Ding! Correct. Current Sect Power Rating: 'World-Ending.' Suggestion: Do not trip and accidentally destroy a mountain range. It's bad for the local ecosystem.]
I ignored the sass. "Xuan Lu! Get in here!"
My head disciple marched in, his footsteps now leaving faint glowing imprints on the floor. His fire-lizard, Burny, was currently trying to squeeze its massive head through the doorway.
"Master, the disciples have finished the feast," Xuan Lu reported, bowing so low his forehead nearly hit the jade tiles. "They are currently asking if they should go and 'politely' dismantle the Iron Fist Sect's front gate for firewood."
"Tempting, but no," I said, leaning back. "We're going bigger. Send out the messengers. Not just to the nearby towns, but to every kingdom, every rogue cultivator camp, and every 'Forbidden Zone' on the map. Tell them the Mountain of Iron is hosting a 'Grand Exchange.'"
Xuan Lu blinked. "An exchange of what, Master? Techniques? Resources?"
I grinned, a look that usually made my system nervous. "An exchange of reality. We're going to show them that the old world of 'talent-based' hierarchy is dead. And tell them if they don't show up, I'll send 1,000 Core Formation disciples to hand-deliver the invitations... through their roof."
The Arrival of the SovereignsOne month later, the base of our mountain looked like a summit of the gods. Emperors in golden carriages, Sect Leaders riding giant cranes, and ancient recluses who hadn't left their caves in centuries were all huddled together, looking deeply uncomfortable.
The reason? My outer-gate guards.
I'd stationed 500 disciples at the entrance. Each one was casually juggling balls of pure Core-energy or using high-level frost spells just to keep their drinks cold. The visiting Sovereigns, most of whom were only at the peak of the Nascent Soul realm, were sweating through their silk robes.
"Welcome, everyone!" My voice boomed from the peak, carried by the Divine Spiritual Vein. "Please, come up. Don't mind the stairs—they're enchanted to increase gravity based on how much ego you're carrying. If you find it hard to breathe, just humble yourself!"
I watched through a scrying mirror as a particularly pompous Emperor from the South nearly face-planted on the third step. It was glorious.
The DemonstrationOnce the "guests" were gathered in the Main Plaza, I didn't give a long speech. I didn't need to. I stood on the balcony with my five seniors, our auras merged into a terrifying pressure that made the very air hum.
"You all think cultivation is a climb up a narrow ladder," I said, looking down at the most powerful people on the continent. "You hoard resources. You kill for 'Heavenly Talents.' You treat the common people like grass."
I signaled to the 10,000 disciples standing in the wings.
"Show them the 'Morning Drill.'"
In perfect silence, 10,000 Core Formation experts drew their spirit-spears. They didn't attack. They simply performed a basic thrust in unison.
SHRIIII—
The sound wasn't a noise; it was a tear in space. A vacuum of air rushed toward the disciples, and a shockwave of gold-and-blue light shot skyward, literally erasing every cloud in the sky for fifty miles. The sun suddenly felt ten times brighter because there was absolutely nothing left in the atmosphere to block it.
The Emperors dropped their wine cups. The Sect Leaders stopped stroking their long white beards and started pulling them out in shock.
"10,000... all of them..." whispered the leader of the Heavenly Sword Sect, who had returned as a 'guest' (mostly to beg for his boat back). "It's impossible. No spirit vein can support this many experts!"
"Mine can," I said, stepping off the balcony and floating down to them without using a sword or a tool—just pure Spirit Severing power. "And I have room for 100,000 more."
The Unified ContinentThe "Exchange" didn't last long. By the end of the day, every major power had signed a treaty. It wasn't a treaty of alliance; it was a treaty of total integration. They weren't kingdoms anymore; they were "Branch Prefectures" of the Mountain of Iron.
I sat in my chair that night, watching the system notifications scroll by like a waterfall.
[Ding! Regional Unification: 100%.]
[Ding! Sect Prestige: 'Solar System Shaking.']
[Ding! Reward: The 'World-Gate' blueprint.]
I froze. "World-Gate? System, are you telling me there's more than just this planet?"
[Ding! Host, did you really think 10,000 Core Formation disciples was the limit? The Great Void has trillions of 'pigs' waiting to be recruited. Don't you want to be the Master of the Multiverse?]
I looked out the window at my 10,000 disciples, who were currently using their divine powers to help the local villagers build better irrigation systems and giant golden statues of me.
I sighed, a small smirk playing on my lips.
"Xuan Lu!"
"Yes, Great Ancestor?"
"Get the builders back. We're going to need a bigger gate. And tell the disciples to pack their bags. It turns out, we're going on a field trip... to the stars."
Xuan Lu didn't even look surprised anymore. He just patted his dragon on the snout and nodded. "Understood, Master. Should I bring the potato-peeling knives?"
"Bring everything, Xuan Lu," I laughed. "I have a feeling the rest of the universe isn't ready for our 'recruitment' methods."
[Final Mission: Ascend to the Star-God Realm and recruit a Galaxy.]
[Failure: None. (At this point, the System is just along for the ride.)]
The story of the "talentless" sect was over. The saga of the Interstellar Swineherd had just begun.