Her voice carried urgency under the courtesy. Royal Father had sent two clan Elders to escort her out of the capital, but agents of the Feather Transformation Dynasty chased them relentlessly. If not for the two Elders diverting the pursuit, she wouldn't have reached this Forbidden Land alive.
Perhaps joining this Lingxiao Sect could turn the tide for the Grand Xu Dynasty.
Qin Wucheng kept his face unmoved; his heart was dancing. Another genius delivered to the door. The heavens are helping me pull wool over eyes.
"Good. You won't regret today's choice."
He tilted his head, taking her in. With Nascent Soul Realm senses, her cultivation was clear—Spirit Sea Realm, and at seventeen or eighteen. No wonder they want her dead. Lian Province probably calls her a prodigy.
Luo Xueyao knelt slightly and clasped hands. "Junior Luo Xueyao greets the Sect Master."
Lingxiao Sect Master… I wonder if you can save the Grand Xu Dynasty.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host, for successfully recruiting a talented Disciple. Task complete. Rewards issued: 1 Basic Summoning Card, 1 Random Draw. Fixed reward: Sect Guardian Elder Hall has been perfected!]
The crisp chime echoed. Qin Wucheng's eyes glittered.
"System, what can the random draw pull?" he asked silently.
[Ding! Random draw can yield Spiritual Artifacts, elixirs, Emperor weapons, and also characters, etc., etc.]
"Characters? I thought only Summoning Cards bring characters. The draw is different?"
[Correct. Random draw differs from Summoning Cards and has no level or Realm restriction.]
Qin Wucheng almost whooped. No restriction? Then I can pull an Immortal Emperor or even Grand Heavens monster…
He paused, then frowned. "Then System, shouldn't there be Immortals in the pool?"
He couldn't help it. When he first arrived, he'd at least signed in for Immortal King Realm—even if he didn't get to enjoy it.
[Ding! What immortal? Host, are you dreaming? Please focus on developing Lingxiao Sect. When you reach that step, you'll know whether Immortals exist.]
"…"
"Dog thing," Qin Wucheng muttered inwardly. "Use the random draw."
[Ding! Random draw used successfully. Congratulations to the Host for drawing—Sect Guardian Elder Chen Beixuan. Cultivation: Half-Step Immortal King Realm. Materialize now?]
"Materialize. Fast!"
Qin Wucheng's eyes brightened to knives. Half-Step Immortal King Realm! On the Celestial Dao Continent's Southern Frontier Domain, that's a walking catastrophe. Our Grand Xu Dynasty would call him invincible.
[Ding! Guardian Elder Chen Beixuan materialized. He will appear in the Sect Guardian Elder Hall.]
Lingxiao Sect.
A terrifying aura flickered into being deep within the mountain complex, and a green-robed figure stepped into the newly perfected Guardian Elder Hall. The pressure rose like a tide—then smoothed out and vanished, as if it had never existed.
…
At the foot of the mountain, Wang Ming and Wang Xuan's expressions changed at the same instant.
They had just felt that terrifying breath. It swept by and was gone, but you don't forget that level of power easily.
Both looked toward Qin Wucheng—and saw their Sect Master serene, dustless.
Understanding dawned. Reverence in their eyes deepened.
Qin Wucheng kept his face plain, but inside he was clutching his belly to keep from laughing. Chen Beixuan… Half-Step Immortal King Realm… come, come, my Guardian Elder!
"System, use a Basic Summoning Card."
[Ding! Basic Summoning Card used successfully. Congratulations to the Host for summoning a Nascent Soul Realm Sect Guard—Wang Lin!]
Another Nascent Soul Realm powerhouse. Qin Wucheng nodded in satisfaction. For a Basic Card, this was decent. If a Grand Sea Realm had crawled out, he would've scolded the System's ancestors for eighteen generations.
He raised his head, eyes falling on the blood at Luo Xueyao's sleeve. The handsome facade softened just a hair.
"Xueyao, your identity isn't simple, is it? Speak. What happened?"
Disciple joins the door; the Sect Master must carry the sky. Otherwise, how would the disciple's heart stay steady?
"Yes, Sect Master."
Luo Xueyao bowed respectfully, then bit her lip. Her voice trembled with anger she'd held back too long.
"My surname is Luo. I am the eldest princess of the Grand Xu Dynasty."
Zhao Han and even Wang Ming's eyes flickered. Zhao Han sneaked a glance at Qin Wucheng's face, trying to read the calm.
Luo Xueyao continued, "Half a month ago, the Feather Transformation Dynasty massed troops at the border. On the surface, they claimed to be 'hunting rebels.' In truth, they pressed into our territory inch by inch. Father—His Majesty—sent envoys to negotiate; they used the envoys' heads for border markers."
Her hands clenched, drawing blood from her own palm. "Three days ago, the Feather Transformation Dynasty dispatched a Half-Step Great Saint Realm general, Baifeng, to lead their elites and force battle outside our capital. Our two Grand Commanders fought him to a standstill, but our losses were heavy. Yesterday, assassins slipped into the palace. Father forced me to flee the capital with two clan Elders while he stayed behind."
Her breath wavered. "By the time we reached Lian Province's outer mountains, the Feather Transformation assassins had already caught up. If my two clan Elders hadn't diverted them, I would never have made it to this Forbidden Land."
She lifted her eyes to Qin Wucheng. They were clear, but stubborn. "Sect Master, I request the Lingxiao Sect's aid. If you help the Grand Xu Dynasty repel the Feather Transformation Dynasty, I, Luo Xueyao, will… will swear life-long allegiance to the Sect."
Qin Wucheng blinked slowly, making sure his face remained the picture of composure. Inside, his thoughts ran laps.
Princess? Royal identity. Big flag. Big plot.
Half-Step Great Saint Realm general at the border… our current force: me at Nascent Soul Realm, three Nascent Soul Realm guards, one Half-Step Immortal King Realm Guardian Elder who just materialized…
He coughed lightly, then nodded with the dignity of a great senior. "The Lingxiao Sect doesn't fear entanglement. Since you have entered my sect, your enemy is my sect's enemy."
Zhao Han's eyes shone. "Sect Master is mighty!"
Wang Ming and Wang Xuan bowed in unison. "We await orders."
"Mn." Qin Wucheng clasped his hands behind his back again, the flutter of white sleeves perfectly timed. "For now, you will remain within the Lingxiao Sect to heal. Wang Ming, escort Princess Luo to the Inner Peaks' Rest Pavilion. Wang Xuan, guard the mountain gate. Zhao Han, follow me."
"Yes!"
Wang Ming stepped forward. Luo Xueyao bowed. "Many thanks, Sect Master."
As they moved, Qin Wucheng sent his voice through the air. "System, status of the Guardian Elder Hall?"
[Ding! Guardian Elder Hall has been perfected. Guardian Elder Chen Beixuan currently resides within. Number of Guardian positions available: 5. Current filled: 1.]
"Good. Notify Chen Beixuan to stand by for an audience."
[Ding! Notification delivered.]
Qin Wucheng's mood soared. Half-Step Immortal King Realm… if he just stands at the back and breathes, that's already deterrence. He could practically see the Lingxiao Sect plaque shining brighter.
They climbed the sky ladder, mists curling around their ankles. The ancient halls of the sect rose and fell across the mountain like a slumbering dragon. Even empty, the place had a grandeur that swallowed sound.
Zhao Han whispered, "Sect Master… our sect is really something."
Qin Wucheng nodded gravely. "Naturally."
Naturally… empty.
He kept walking.
They passed the Disciple Pavilion—newly "perfected" by the System. Carved beams, soaring eaves, not a single disciple in sight. Zhao Han's gaze turned reverent anyway. One day, this place will be full. I'll sit at the very top and look down at those who called me trash…
At the Guardian Elder Hall, the air shifted.
A tall man in green stood at the center of the hall, hands behind his back, eyes like deep wells. His aura was withdrawn—too withdrawn. If he relaxed even a thread, the entire mountain would feel the pressure.
Qin Wucheng stepped in like he'd owned the place for a thousand years. "Chen Beixuan?"
The man turned, cupped his hands. "This humble one, Chen Beixuan, greets the Sect Master."
His voice was clear, calm. Just standing there, he felt like a sword wrapped in silk—edge completely hidden, threat more terrifying for it.
Qin Wucheng nodded, trying not to grin. "From today, you are the Guardian Elder of Lingxiao Sect. For now, remain in the shadows and watch the mountain. If an Immortal King Realm enemy appears, reveal yourself and kill without mercy."
Chen Beixuan's eyes rippled faintly. "As you command."
Zhao Han's blood boiled. Half-Step Immortal King Realm… This is the legendary level that can scare a dynasty to death!
Qin Wucheng put his hands behind his back a little higher, chin lifted a little more. The "handsome senior brother who has everything under control" act sat perfectly on his bones. "We'll be recruiting more disciples soon. When the first batch enters, arrange a basic training program."
He paused, then added modestly, "I will personally handle advanced instruction."
Zhao Han: "Sect Master is omniscient."
Qin Wucheng: "…Naturally."
He turned, his robe flicking like a brush stroke. "Let's go."
They left the hall. Outside, clouds drifted low; the mountain wind carried a chill. Qin Wucheng looked down the sky ladder. At its base, the two stone pillars carved with "Lingxiao" watched like silent guardians.
He exhaled slowly. One princess, one prodigy, three Nascent Soul Realm guards, one Half-Step Immortal King Realm Guardian Elder. Not bad for day two, dog system. Not bad.
As if hearing him, the System chimed.
[Ding! Host currently holds: Basic Summoning Card ×1. Random draw chances: 0. Sect buildings perfected: Disciple Pavilion, Guardian Elder Hall. Hidden Evaluation: Barely passable.]
Qin Wucheng's smile froze. "Barely passable?"
[Ding! Please keep up the hard work.]
"…System, go eat rocks."
He rubbed his forehead, then waved to Zhao Han. "Come. We'll set the entry ritual for new disciples. Also, prepare proper robes. If we want to act like a great sect, we have to look like a great sect."
Zhao Han nodded vigorously. "Understood!"
From below, Wang Xuan's voice rose. "Sect Master, two strangers are testing the mountain path formations."
Qin Wucheng's eyes sharpened. "Are they from the Feather Transformation Dynasty?"
"Not like soldiers. More like wandering cultivators."
Qin Wucheng thought, then smiled a little. "Let them climb. If they pass the first three steps, bring them to the square."
He looked up at the sky. "System, draft a standard entry test."
[Ding! Draft complete. Three tests: Bone Temper, Heart Flame, and Step of Clouds. Passing all three grants Outer Disciple qualification. Exceptional performance may be promoted directly to Inner Disciple.]
"Good." He clapped his hands once, crisp. "Then—"
A distant bell tone rolled across the peaks. Wang Ming's voice arrived with it. "Sect Master, the princess has been settled. Her wounds are stable."
Qin Wucheng nodded to the air. "Wang Ming, guard the Inner Peaks for now. Without my order, no strangers enter."
"Understood!"
He turned back toward the Main Hall, thoughts cooling into lines.
Grand Xu's crisis, Feather Transformation's ambition, Baifeng at Half-Step Great Saint Realm, and a capital under siege…
Lingxiao Sect's first step might have to be war.
He almost laughed. What slumbering powerhouses? What hidden great sect? It's just me faking it till the mountain believes me… but with Chen Beixuan behind the curtain, I suppose we can fake louder.
Footsteps echoed softly as he and Zhao Han entered the Main Hall again. The plaque above the doors read "Lingxiao." The characters seemed a little bolder than yesterday.
He took the seat of the Sect Master. The hall was empty, a vast sea of silence. Qin Wucheng folded his hands, eyes half-lidded, face steady.
A moment later, Zhao Han hurried in. "Sect Master, about the princess…"
Qin Wucheng opened his eyes. "We'll hear her full account. A sect that accepts a disciple must not ignore her enemy."
He leaned back slightly, voice unhurried. "Call her in."
"Yes!"
Soon, soft steps approached. Luo Xueyao entered, dressed in a clean white robe from the sect, hair tied high. The pallor hadn't faded, but her back was straight. She bowed.
"Sect Master."
Qin Wucheng gestured. "Speak from the beginning. Don't leave out details."
"Yes."