Chapter 2: The First Seed of the Eternal Divine
The wind didn't dare howl around Ye Chen; it whispered, a soft breeze that carefully avoided ruffling his hair. He looked down at the boy, Lin Feng, who was still kneeling in the blood-soaked mud of his ruined village. The kid was a mess—third-degree burns, broken ribs, and a spirit that was held together by nothing but pure, unadulterated spite.
"Master..." Lin Feng rasped, his voice sounding like two stones grinding together. "I... I will sweep every step. I will do anything. Just give me the power to ensure this never happens again."
Ye Chen looked at the smoldering ruins of the village. He felt a twinge of something—not quite pity, but a memory of his own four years of helplessness. He reached out a hand. He didn't touch the boy; he simply tapped the air.
[System Note: Host is utilizing 0.0000000001% of Eternal Divine God aura to 'Nourish the Soul.']
A soft, milky-white light fell over Lin Feng. In an instant, the charred skin flaked away like old paint, revealing smooth, healthy flesh underneath. His shattered bones clicked back into place with the precision of a master watchmaker. Even the boy's ragged breath became deep and steady.
"Get up," Ye Chen said, his voice carrying a lazy, melodic quality. "Walking is a lot easier when your lungs aren't punctured."
Lin Feng stood, his eyes wide as he touched his chest. The pain that had been his only companion for the last hour was gone, replaced by a warmth that felt like drinking liquid sunshine. "Master, your grace is..."
"Skip the poetry," Ye Chen interrupted with a wave of his hand. "We have a long walk—actually, a very short walk—ahead of us. Grab whatever you want to keep from this place. We're leaving."
Lin Feng looked at the ashes of his home. There was nothing left but a small, scorched jade pendant hanging from his neck. He gripped it tightly. "I am ready."
Ye Chen nodded. He didn't want to fly; flying required effort. He didn't want to walk; walking was tedious. Instead, he simply thought about the peak of the mountain where his new sect sat. Space itself, recognizing its master's intent, folded like a piece of silk.
In a blink, the burning village was gone.
They stood at the foot of a mountain that seemed to pierce the very vault of heaven.
Lin Feng fell to his knees again, but this time it wasn't from injury. The spiritual energy here was so thick it felt like walking through warm honey. Every breath he took felt like a rank-one medicinal pill. Above them, floating amidst clouds of purple qi, were palaces of white jade that shimmered with an internal light.
"This..." Lin Feng stammered. "This is the Eastern Region? Master, I have heard stories of the Great Sects in the Central Plains, but even they... they cannot compare to this."
"It's a bit flashy," Ye Chen admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. "I told the builder—uh, the System—to keep it simple, but it has a bit of an ego. Anyway, you see those stairs?"
He pointed to the Talent Ladder. A thousand steps carved from translucent Star-Jade, floating unsupported in the air, leading up to the main gate of the Eternal Divine Sacred Land.
"To officially enter, you have to climb," Ye Chen said, finding a comfortable-looking rock and sitting down. He pulled a cluster of crystalline grapes out of thin air—a gift from the system's "Daily Amenities" stash—and popped one into his mouth. "Don't rush. The steps test your talent and your will. Since you're my first direct disciple, I expect you to hit the top. If you stop at nine hundred and ninety-nine, I'm making you sleep in the kitchen."
Lin Feng looked at the ladder. From the bottom, it looked beautiful. But as he took his first step, his face paled.
Boom.
A weight like a mountain slammed onto his shoulders. It wasn't just physical gravity; it was a spiritual pressure that challenged his very right to exist.
"Step one," Lin Feng groaned, his knees buckling.
"Only nine hundred and ninety-nine to go," Ye Chen shouted from his rock, looking thoroughly relaxed. "Take your time! I might take a nap!"
For the next six hours, Lin Feng fought a war.
By step 300, his clothes were soaked in sweat. This was the threshold for Miscellaneous Disciples, and the pressure was already equivalent to a Foundation Establishment expert's full-force aura.
By step 500, the Outer Disciple mark, Lin Feng was crawling. His "Heavenly Sun-Devouring Fire" physique, which had been dormant and cold his entire life, began to flicker deep within his dantian. It was reacting to the pressure, a cornered beast finally showing its teeth.
By step 800, the Inner Disciple mark, the ladder was no longer just jade. It was a furnace. Golden flames began to leak from Lin Feng's pores. His eyes turned the color of a dying star. Every muscle in his body screamed, but every time he looked up and saw Ye Chen lazily tossing grape skins into the abyss, a new surge of defiance fueled his legs.
"I will... not... be a burden!" Lin Feng roared.
On the 1,000th step, a sound like a gong echoed across the entire mountain range. The pressure vanished instantly, replaced by a surge of pure, divine energy that flooded into Lin Feng's body.
[Ding! Congratulations!]
[First Direct Disciple 'Lin Feng' has successfully climbed the Talent Ladder!]
[Initializing Direct Disciple Package...]
Ye Chen stood up, dusting off his robes. "Took you long enough. I was starting to consider if I could automate the sweeping."
But as he looked at the boy, his lazy expression softened into a small smirk. Lin Feng was glowing. The "Heavenly Sun-Devouring Fire" physique had fully awakened. Behind the boy, a faint phantom of a three-legged golden crow flickered in and out of existence.
[Ding! Host has received Recruitment Rewards!]
[Reward 1: 10x God-Emperor Summoning Cards (Random Role).]
[Reward 2: 50x Immortal King Summoning Cards.]
[Reward 3: 100x Saint-Level Summoning Cards.]
[Reward 4: Personal Protector — 'The Silent Empress' (Cultivation: Eternal Divine God - 1st Stage).]
Ye Chen blinked. The Silent Empress? And she's at the Eternal Divine realm too? Suddenly, the space beside Ye Chen rippled. A woman stepped out of the void. She wore armor as black as a collapsed star and a cape that looked like it was woven from the night sky. Her face was cold, ethereal, and utterly beautiful, but her eyes held the weight of a thousand destroyed galaxies. She knelt silently before Ye Chen, bowing her head.
"I am the shadow of the Sect Master," she whispered, her voice vibrating in his soul. "My blade is yours."
"Cool," Ye Chen said, trying to act like having a Goddess-level bodyguard was a normal Tuesday. "Just... don't kill anyone unless I tell you to. People around here are a bit fragile."
He then turned back to Lin Feng, who was staring at the Silent Empress with his jaw hitting the floor.
"Alright, Lin Feng. Time for your welcome kit," Ye Chen said, waving a hand toward the massive palace gates. "Since you're the first, the System—uh, the Sect—is being generous."
[System: Issuing Direct Disciple Rewards for Lin Feng.]
1. Technique: The Nine-Suns Primordial Scripture (Custom-made for his physique. At the 9th stage, he can incinerate an Origin God).
2. Weapon: Solar Flare Blade (God-Level. Grows in power with the user).
3. Attire: Eternal Sun Robes (God-Level. Automatically nullifies any attack below the God realm).
4. Protector: [Summoning...] A pillar of fire erupted in the courtyard. Out of the flames stepped a giant of a man, eight feet tall, skin like polished bronze, carrying a spear that dripped with molten lava.
"Great General Yan greets the Young Master!" the giant roared, kneeling to Lin Feng. (Cultivation: God Emperor - 9th Stage Peak).
5. Pet: A small, chirping bird landed on Lin Feng's shoulder. It looked like a sparrow made of embers. It was a Vermillion Bird Hatchling (God-Level potential).
Lin Feng stood there, trembling. He went from a beggar in a burning village to owning a God-tier weapon, a God Emperor bodyguard, and a legendary beast—all in one afternoon.
"Go to the Technique Hall and attune yourself," Ye Chen said, heading toward a particularly soft-looking lounge chair near a koi pond. "Then start practicing. I'm going to take a nap. If anyone tries to attack the sect... well, General Yan can handle the light work. Anything else, tell the Silent Empress to handle it quietly."
As Ye Chen closed his eyes, he felt the first ripple of fate. The Eastern Region was about to find out that the "worthless" mountain at its edge was no longer empty