Lan Qingyun stood at the fractured spirit valley and let his qi circulate slowly through his meridians.
Body Refinement. Qi Gathering. Qi Nourishing. Foundation Establishment. Golden Core.
He had walked each realm step by step. No sudden enlightenment. No heaven defying constitution. No ancient inheritance falling from the sky. Just repetition, injury, recovery, and time.
Now he stood at Mid Golden Core. It sounded impressive to mortals. It was nothing in the wider world. Above Golden Core was Nascent Soul. Beyond that Divine Transformation. And perhaps even greater realms whispered in fragmented records and drunken stories.
He had come a long way. Alas it was not enough.
The night was too quiet. Lan Qingyun remained standing at the fractured spirit valley long after the disciples had retreated. The mountain felt thinner now, like it was breathing through damaged lungs. The spiritual flow was uneven, broken in segments, no longer nourishing the outer fields properly. Within days cultivation would slow. Resources would shrink. Morale would crack.
He exhaled softly.
A hundred years.
He had endured mediocrity, endured departures, endured watching prodigies leave, endured slow decline. Now even the foundation of the sect was wounded. He almost laughed.
If there was ever a time, it would be now.
Silence answered. Wind brushed broken stone. Distant coughing echoed from the inner courtyard.
Then something snapped. Not in the sky. Not in the mountain. In his mind.
A sharp crystalline shatter rang through his consciousness like glass breaking internally. Lan Qingyun stiffened as his Golden Core rotated at full speed and his aura flared instinctively. The sensation was internal yet overwhelming. Light burst behind his closed eyelids. Not painful. Not blinding. Endless.
A golden horizon unfolded within his mind. Lines of light stitched together like constellations forming characters he had never studied yet somehow understood.
Activation successful. Host verified
Lan Qingyun did not breathe for a moment.
…You are joking
No
The golden horizon shimmered faintly. He glanced around the valley. Everything was normal. No heavenly omen. No spiritual fluctuation. Only him and the voice.
You
Yes
…Now
Timing appropriate
He stared into the darkness.
A hundred years
Yes
A hundred
Confirmed
You could not come at eighteen. Thirty. Fifty
No. No. Still no
You watched me wait
Accurate
And decided this was appropriate
You are still alive. That is sufficient
He let out a short incredulous laugh.
You are unbelievable
I am excellent
…Excellent
Naturally
He pressed his fingers to his temple.
You are smug
Observation accepted
I was dying out here
Incorrect. You are Mid Golden Core
That is not the point
Clarify point
He muttered. No strange wording.
State your complaint plainly
He pointed at the fractured valley.
My sect is falling apart. My master is dying. My spirit vein is cracked. And now you appear
Yes
…You are late
…Perhaps
Perhaps
Minor delay
Minor
One century is insignificant on a broader scale
I am not on a broader scale
Your impatience is noted
He exhaled slowly. Fine. If you are here, where is my newbie reward
…Denied
Denied
You are not a newbie
I just activated
You cultivated for one hundred years
I waited one hundred years
That is unrelated
I deserve compensation
You received activation
That is not compensation
It is
Starter pack. Lottery. Heavenly sword. Physique upgrade
No. No. No. Absolutely not
You are stingy
You are old
…Excuse me
Compared to standard activation age
I am barely past one hundred
Exactly
This is discrimination
It is reality
He stared into the dark. I should have demanded you less politely when I was younger
…That would not have changed anything
So you ignored me
I was not available
Now you were not available
Correct
Fine. If no newbie reward, what do you do
The golden horizon brightened and rearranged.
Sect Revival System
…Sect
Correct
Explain
The golden space expanded into structures, buildings, fields, formations, disciples as faint silhouettes.
Primary Objective: Restore Azure Wind Sect to Top Five within the Azure Wind Region
He laughed shortly. You arrive a century late and give me homework
Major Task issued
How long
Time Limit: 20 Years
Twenty. We lost half our territory. The spirit vein is damaged. Fifty average disciples. And you think twenty years is enough
If you cannot achieve this, activation was unnecessary
You are provoking me
Yes
Good
Major Task Reward: High Grade Spirit Vein Restoration. Sect Grade Advancement. Three Random High Tier Rewards
Failure: System Dormancy
Dormancy
If task fails, I leave
You leave
Correct
You wait a hundred years to appear and you will leave
If you are unworthy
You really are arrogant
Confidence
What else
Minor Tasks Issued
Stabilize damaged spirit vein to 60 percent output. Expand sect population to 1000 members. Produce 15 Foundation Establishment disciples. Produce 1 Peak Foundation Establishment disciple. Recruit 2 Low Golden Core elders. Accumulate 1000000 mid grade spirit stones. Fully develop core sect facilities. Enter Top 10 sect ranking. Repel one major external suppression attempt. Maintain masters life.
Maintain masters life
Yes
You can help
Task reward available
So you waited until he was dying
…Timing aligns
He looked at the list for a long moment.
You are really something
Correct
He smirked faintly and gazed over the wounded valley, the cracked spirit vein, the thin spiritual mist.
Twenty years
Yes
This place too backward for you
…It is somewhat rural
Rural
Spiritual density low. Development behind. Standards modest
You insulted my homeland
Objectively
He laughed softly. You will regret that
Doubtful
He turned toward the inner courtyard. Toward faint coughing. Toward fifty uncertain disciples. Toward a mountain that refused to die quietly. His Golden Core rotated smoothly.
A century late
Minor delay
Fine. Let us see if you are worth the wait
The golden horizon shimmered within his mind. For the first time in a hundred years he did not feel destiny descending. He felt momentum. And this time he was not waiting.