When the old sect master died, the disciples didn't cry.
They calculated.
Because the moment he died, the sect became weak.
And weak sects get swallowed.
Lian Zhou stood in the main hall, staring at the cracked ancestral tablet.
Three disciples.
One broken courtyard.
No resources.
And a sect name that once meant something.
Heavenly Ember Sect.
Now it meant nothing.
Lian Zhou was twenty-two.
Foundation Realm Early.
And completely unqualified to be sect master.
"Young Master…" one disciple said carefully, "the Crimson Blade Sect sent word."
Lian Zhou didn't look up.
"They want tribute?"
"Yes."
"How much?"
"Half our spirit stones."
Lian Zhou laughed once.
Half of nothing was still nothing.
The sect treasury had twelve low-grade spirit stones left.
That was it.
After the disciples left, he sat alone in the empty hall.
He had inherited a dying sect.
In three months, it would be absorbed.
He knew that.
Because he remembered.
Not from life.
From memory.
He wasn't originally from this world.
He had died in another one.
Woke up here.
Inside the body of a background sect heir who would be killed during a sect raid.
He knew the timeline.
He knew the ending.
And he knew—
He was weak.
He closed his eyes.
"If there's anything," he muttered quietly, "now would be a good time."
Silence.
Then—
A voice.
Mechanical.
Cold.
[System Binding Complete.]
Lian Zhou's eyes snapped open.
"…What?"
[System Activated: Talent Manufacturing System.]
He stood up immediately.
"Repeat."
[Host identified as Sect Leader.]
[System Core Function: Manufacture Geniuses.]
Silence.
He blinked.
"Manufacture… geniuses?"
[Correct.]
A blue interface appeared before him.
[System Authority: Sect Master Rank 1]
[Current Sect Level: Declining]
[Number of Disciples: 3]
[Available Talent Points: 0]
Lian Zhou frowned.
"How do I get Talent Points?"
[By nurturing disciples.]
"…They're already weak."
[Correct.]
"That doesn't help."
[Incorrect.]
The screen shifted.
[Select Disciple for Evaluation.]
Three names appeared.
Chen Wei — Foundation Early (low potential)
Mu Jian — Body Tempering 8th Layer (average)
Xiao Rin — Qi Gathering 5th Layer (poor)
Lian Zhou rubbed his forehead.
"This is useless."
[Incorrect.]
[Manufacturing Potential Available.]
The screen glowed.
[Upgrade Option: Enhance Bone Structure — Cost: 1 Talent Point]
[Upgrade Option: Expand Meridian Capacity — Cost: 2 Talent Points]
[Upgrade Option: Unlock Hidden Constitution — Cost: 10 Talent Points]
His breathing slowed.
"You're telling me… I can change their talent?"
[Correct.]
"And what do I get?"
[System Growth.]
"Be specific."
[The stronger your disciples become, the higher your authority level rises.]
"And?"
[You unlock higher-tier upgrades.]
"And?"
[Host cultivation speed increases proportionally to sect growth.]
Silence.
Lian Zhou's eyes sharpened.
"So instead of me becoming stronger directly…"
[You create strength.]
"And I benefit."
[Correct.]
He leaned back slowly.
In this world, geniuses ruled.
But geniuses were rare.
If he could create them—
That changed everything.
He opened Chen Wei's profile.
Low potential.
Ordinary meridians.
Weak bone density.
Hardworking.
That was important.
Hardworking could be molded.
"How do I get Talent Points?" he asked again.
[First Achievement Available.]
[Task: Raise one disciple to next minor realm.]
[Reward: 5 Talent Points.]
Lian Zhou stared at the interface.
Chen Wei was Foundation Early.
If he reached Foundation Mid—
Five points.
Enough to modify something.
A slow smile formed.
He called out.
"Chen Wei."
Footsteps approached quickly.
The young disciple entered nervously.
"Yes, Sect Master?"
Lian Zhou looked at him differently now.
Not as a burden.
As investment.
"How long have you been stuck at Foundation Early?"
"…Two years."
"Good."
Chen Wei blinked. "Good?"
"Yes."
Lian Zhou stood.
"From today onward, you train under me personally."
Chen Wei looked shocked.
"But… I'm not talented."
Lian Zhou smiled slightly.
"That's about to change."
Outside the sect walls, the Crimson Blade Sect prepared to collect tribute.
They had no idea—
The dying Heavenly Ember Sect had just activated something far more dangerous than talent.
It had activated production.