Shaurya walked through the dense forest path, brushing aside the tall grass, his eyes fixed on the glowing golden panel floating before him.
The light from the panel pulsed softly, as if mocking him.
[Main Quest: Sect Foundation]
• Accept 10 Disciples in 24 Hours
• Accept 50 Disciples in 4 Days
• Accept 100 Disciples in 7 Days
• Completion unlocks respective reward tiers
• Reward for 10 Disciples: Sect Main Structure + 1x Spin Wheel
For a moment, Shaurya simply stared.
His jaw dropped.
"Wait… WHAT?! Ten disciples in just one day? How am I supposed to do that? I don't even have a sect yet!"
As if sensing his disbelief, the System beeped cheerfully.
"Then finish the mission, and you'll get a sect. Simple, isn't it?"
Shaurya nearly stumbled mid-step.
"You cheeky little…!" he muttered, biting back his frustration.
There was no point arguing with a divine scam machine.
With no time to waste, he sprinted toward the nearest city marked on the map — Blue Stone City — determined to chase his goal.
By the time he reached the outskirts of the city, the forest thinned into cobbled roads.
The morning sun washed the market street in a warm, golden haze. Vendors were shouting prices, children wove through crowds, and the smell of fresh melons lingered in the air.
At first glance, everything felt lively and peaceful.
Yet amidst the bustling noise… something felt off.
A small commotion had formed near the roadside.
Two siblings were cornered by a group of burly thugs—three men and a richly dressed young master, sneering with the confidence of someone who had never worked a day in his life.
The young master stepped forward, looking down on them with open disdain.
"You think you're something?" the Young Master sneered. "Your clan's already fallen! You're trash! You can't even cultivate properly, and you dare stand before me?"
Without hesitation, he waved his hand.
A burst of force slammed into the siblings, sending both of them flying into the dirt.
From a distance, Shaurya watched the scene unfold.
Slowly… his eyes began to sparkle.
"Oh? Ohoho? Isn't this… EXACTLY like those 'chosen disciple' scenes in cultivation novels? Jackpot!"
A grin stretched across his face, wide enough to be dangerous.
He didn't walk.
He launched forward, kicking up dust behind him.
One of the bulky goons raised a fist, aiming straight for the trembling brother's face.
"Die, trash!"
The punch never landed.
WHOOSH—
A white blur sliced through the air like a falling star.
Shaurya twisted mid-air, his body coiling and releasing like a divine spring before—
BANG!
His flying side kick crashed into the goon's chest. The 200-pound man shot backward, smashing into a nearby fruit cart.
CRAAAASH!
Melons exploded like green fireworks. Splinters rained across the street.
The market froze.
Vendors stopped mid-bargain. Children went silent. Even the wind seemed to hold its breath.
Shaurya landed gently, brushed the dust from his robe, and turned toward the stunned siblings with a radiant smile.
"Fear not, little ones! Your savior is here."
Shock quickly turned into rage.
The two remaining goons snarled as jagged knives flashed into their hands.
"Get him!"
They lunged together.
But to Shaurya, the world slowed.
[System Alert: Host Cultivation — Qi Initiate Lv.3]
[Divine Body Buff: Agility & Perception Maxed]
Shaurya's grin widened.
"Ohoho… I'm broken already? NICE!"
He stepped aside casually.
The first goon's slash tore through empty air. Shaurya grabbed his wrist, spun him like a carnival ride, and hurled him away. The man flew backward and crashed into a tree with a sickening THUD.
The second attacker barely processed what happened before Shaurya swept his legs out from under him. The man lifted off the ground for half a heartbeat before slamming down hard.
Bam.
The third goon froze in horror.
Shaurya was suddenly behind him.
An elbow slammed into his spine. The man screamed.
Then came a simple forehead tap.
Instant KO.
Three enemies fell in seconds.
Shaurya cracked his knuckles as he approached the trembling Young Master.
"You… you—do you know who I am!?" the boy stuttered. "I'm from the Jade Fire Sect! You'll regret this!"
Shaurya inspected his ear with his pinky, looking bored out of his mind.
"Yeah, yeah. Heard that one in a thousand novels."
Panicking, the Young Master tried to channel Qi, his hands glowing red.
Too slow.
Shaurya's hand blurred.
Not a punch.
Not a palm.
A single extended index finger—sharp, controlled, and precise like a divine spear.
It jabbed into the boy's lower abdomen.
CRACK!
The sound echoed like shattering porcelain.
Chaotic Qi erupted from the boy's back, a shockwave blowing a ring of dust outward. His eyes rolled back as his foundation collapsed with brutal finality.
"No regrets now," Shaurya said coolly. "Your arrogance ends here."
The Young Master slumped unconscious.
For a heartbeat, Shaurya stood over him like a war god forged from lightning.
Then—
His expression flipped.
Sunshine replaced murder intent.
He turned to the stunned siblings, flicked his robe dramatically, and struck an exaggerated pose of grandeur.
"I am Shaurya, Sect Master of the Sanatan Flame Sect. I see the spark of potential in both of you. Will you become my disciples?"
The siblings stared.
At the wrecked fruit cart.
At the groaning goons.
At the unconscious Young Master.
Then back at Shaurya's gleaming, childlike grin.
Was he a hero?
A lunatic?
A divine being?
Probably all of the above.
Shaurya tilted his head, a nervous twitch forming in his smile.
"Don't want to? I mean, I won't force yo—"
THUD!
Both siblings dropped to their knees, foreheads touching the dirt.
"We disciples greet Master!"
[Disciples Accepted: 2/10]
+2 Dharma Points
+10 Dharma Points (Bonus: Good Karma)
Shaurya's entire soul vibrated.
"YESSS!" He fist-pumped, nearly jumping. "Thank you, Lord Vishnu!"
The siblings blinked, confused by his sudden outburst.
"Ahem."
Shaurya straightened his posture, clearing his throat.
"Let's go. We still have eight more to find."
As they headed deeper into the city, Shaurya nudged the System mentally.
"System, I can't let my disciples wear regular clothes. Give me uniforms. Something… sect-worthy."
[Uniform Pack Purchased — 10 Dharma Points deducted]
Item: Unlimited Sanatan Flame Sect Robes
"You're welcome. I have a big heart."
Shaurya's jaw dropped.
"This is highway robbery!"
"No, this is called business."
Before he could argue further, the city opened up into a massive plaza.
They had arrived at the heart of Blue Stone City.
The square was packed with young cultivators. Banners fluttered above grand recruitment stages. Ten different sects were actively taking disciples.
"This is the City Sect Recruitment Ceremony," explained the elder sibling. "Our city has ten sects. The highest one is Rank 9."
Shaurya raised an eyebrow. "How many sect ranks are there?"
"Twelve. From Rank 12 to Rank 1. Each has low, mid, and high grades."
The System chimed in smoothly.
"System Sect Rank is calculated differently. Don't worry, you'll know soon."
Shaurya nodded.
"Got it. For now, I just need numbers."
While the other sects displayed grand booths and golden scrolls, Shaurya did something entirely different.
He dragged a broken table and an old chair out of a garbage heap.
He slapped together a torn banner and painted his sect name on it:
Sanatan Flame Sect
Putting on his system-issued sunglasses, Shaurya sat beneath a tree like a king, legs crossed and grin sharp.
He grabbed a handmade mic cone and yelled across the square:
"O people of Blue Stone City! Do you want to change your destiny? Do you desire greatness? Then come join the SANATAN FLAME SECT — Where a new life begins!"
Heads turned.
Sect elders blinked.
Disciples whispered.
"Who… the hell is this lunatic?"
Shaurya smirked beneath his shades, confidence radiating like the morning sun.
The flames of the sect had just begun to rise.
To Be Continued...