Heavenly Ember Sect was still broken.
Cracked tiles.
Collapsed walls.
Dust in the corners of the main hall.
But something had changed.
The air felt organized.
Not stronger.
Structured.
Four disciples now stood in the courtyard.
Chen Wei — Foundation Mid
Xiao Rin — Foundation Early
Mu Jian — Body Tempering 9th Layer
Yan Shu — Qi Gathering 3rd Layer
Four completely different trajectories.
Exactly how Lian Zhou wanted it.
Yan Shu spent the first day walking silently around the sect.
Measuring distances.
Studying wall angles.
Observing where wind entered the courtyard.
By sunset, he approached Lian Zhou.
"This sect wastes energy," he said.
"Explain."
"The courtyard leaks Qi at the northeast corner. The meditation hall traps stagnant air. The training ground absorbs heat unevenly."
Chen Wei blinked.
"You can see that?"
Yan Shu shrugged.
"It's inefficient."
Lian Zhou opened the system quietly.
[Spirit-Enhanced Mind Resonance: 12% Activated]
Already?
He hadn't even upgraded him yet.
Some talents required activation.
Others simply required environment.
That night, Lian Zhou selected Yan Shu's panel.
[Spirit-Enhanced Mind — Dormant]
[Minor Activation Boost — Cost: 6 TP]
[Major Cognitive Calibration — Cost: 15 TP]
He chose Minor Activation Boost.
He didn't rush into major.
[Confirm?]
"Yes."
Yan Shu, sitting alone in the courtyard, felt something shift.
Not heat.
Not pressure.
Clarity.
His thoughts sharpened unnaturally.
Background noise filtered automatically.
His breathing synced perfectly with surrounding airflow.
He suddenly saw—
The courtyard wasn't just leaking Qi.
It was misaligned.
Very slightly.
Three degrees off.
He stood immediately.
By morning, he had repositioned two stone slabs.
Not flashy.
Not obvious.
But when Chen Wei began cultivating—
His Qi flow felt smoother.
"What changed?" Chen Wei asked.
Yan Shu didn't look up.
"I reduced loss."
Inside the system:
[Spirit-Enhanced Mind Activation: 28%]
[New Subskill Unlocked: Micro-Formation Awareness]
Good.
Very good.
Yan Shu was not combat strength.
He was optimization.
The kind that compounds.
Meanwhile—
Mu Jian was training alone.
Harder than usual.
Faster strikes.
Heavier impacts.
Sweat soaked through his robe.
He stopped only when his knuckles bled.
Lian Zhou approached quietly.
"You're forcing."
"Yes."
"Why?"
Mu Jian didn't look at him.
"Because I don't have hidden constitution."
Silence.
Honest insecurity.
Good.
"You don't need one," Lian Zhou said calmly.
Mu Jian finally looked up.
"Then what do I have?"
"Durability."
Mu Jian frowned.
"That's not special."
"It can be."
Lian Zhou opened Mu Jian's panel.
New option had appeared after Authority Rank 2.
[Body Path Specialization Available]
[Path 1: Reinforced Frame (Tank-Oriented)]
[Path 2: Impact Conversion (Damage Reflection)]
[Path 3: Foundation Anchor (Stability Amplifier)]
Interesting.
He had not expected branching paths.
System was adapting to disciple personality.
He studied Mu Jian carefully.
Stubborn.
Resilient.
Emotionally steady once resolved.
Not flashy.
He chose Path 3.
Foundation Anchor.
[Cost: 12 Talent Points.]
He confirmed.
Mu Jian felt the change immediately.
His bones did not grow stronger outwardly.
His muscles did not enlarge.
Instead—
His internal alignment shifted.
When he circulated Qi—
It didn't leak.
It didn't fluctuate.
It locked.
Stable.
Unshakeable.
He stood slowly.
"What did you do?" he asked quietly.
"Stand," Lian Zhou said.
Mu Jian did.
"Chen Wei," Lian Zhou called.
"Strike him."
Chen Wei blinked.
"What?"
"Strike."
Chen Wei stepped forward carefully and delivered a controlled palm strike.
Impact landed cleanly.
Mu Jian didn't move.
Not because he resisted.
Because the force dispersed through his structure evenly.
Chen Wei's eyes widened slightly.
"That's different."
"Yes," Lian Zhou said.
Mu Jian inhaled slowly.
His breathing felt anchored.
Grounded.
Solid.
Inside the system:
[Foundation Anchor Path Activated.]
[Stability Multiplier: +40%]
[Breakthrough Resistance: High]
Mu Jian might not advance the fastest.
But when he reached Foundation—
His core would be harder to shake than others'.
Every sect needed someone who did not collapse under pressure.
Now Heavenly Ember had one.
Yan Shu approached again later.
"The northeast corner still leaks," he said.
"I know," Lian Zhou replied.
"We need formation stones."
"Yes."
"We don't have any."
"Not yet."
Yan Shu nodded calmly.
He wasn't discouraged.
He was planning.
Inside the system, another notification appeared.
[Sect Structure Efficiency Increased by 8%.]
That wasn't from upgrades.
That was from Yan Shu's adjustments.
He hadn't even broken into Foundation yet—
And he was already improving sect performance.
That was the true value of mental cultivators.
That night, Lian Zhou reviewed the structure:
Chen Wei — Combat Efficiency
Xiao Rin — High-Tier Offensive Core
Mu Jian — Stability Core
Yan Shu — Optimization Core
Four pillars.
Different.
Complementary.
Heavenly Ember was no longer accidental.
It was structured.
Far away—
Crimson Blade's elder slammed a jade table.
"They recruited another talent?"
"Yes."
"Green River allowed it?"
"Yes."
Silence.
Then the elder spoke quietly.
"We issue formal challenge."
Not sparring.
Not gathering.
Official sect duel.
That meant—
Land.
Reputation.
And possible annexation.
Back at Heavenly Ember, Yan Shu looked up at the cracked gates.
"We should prepare," he said calmly.
"For what?" Chen Wei asked.
"For attack."
He said it like calculation.
Not fear.