System's Super Sect Chapter 1: Super Sect System
"How ridiculous!"
After hurling this insult, the young woman flicked her sleeves sharply and strode away, leaving behind a faint trail of perfume. She climbed into a waiting carriage with a look of pure irritation.
"What is the meaning of this? Your lack of talent and failure to meet the requirements of our Immortal Sect is the problem, not me. Why are you labeling me as crazy?"
Wen Ping threw his hands up in frustration. He searched the faces of the nearby crowd, hoping to find just one person who felt he was in the right.
It was a futile effort.
Not a single person supported him. Instead, the onlookers stared at him with bizarre expressions, as if they were observing a fool.
"Sect Leader Wen, your Immortal Sect doesn't even hold a 1-star status. Why are you lost in such a delusion?"
"A youth of fifteen at the fifth level of the Body Refinement Realm? Even 3-stars sects would be fighting over such a talent! Why would they ever choose your Immortal Sect?"
"I think you must have truly lost your mind."
"Let us leave. We honestly should head elsewhere. He may act as though he thinks little of us, but in truth, we all look down on his pathetic Immortal Sect." A seven-year-old child chewing on a tanghulu* huffed in disdain, sniffing back a bit of snot as he glared at Wen Ping.
Woosh~
The crowd began to chatter among themselves before quickly dispersing.
"Hey kid, come back here. I promise I won't kill you. Have you even been weaned yet? How could you be so rude to me!"
Wen Ping stood his ground, though his face was flushed with embarrassment.
Once the registration area was empty, Wen Ping gazed toward the heavens and sighed deeply.
(Oh heavens! Is it impossible for me to make a comeback, even with a system by my side?)
(System, you are a complete fraud. Why create such impossible standards?)
Cultivation begins with the refinement of the body. Generally, a child might achieve the first level by age ten, but reaching the fifth level requires at least a decade of hard work, unless one is an absolute prodigy destined for the path of Cultivation.
Because of this, children who attain the fifth level of the Body Refinement Realm before they turn fifteen are exceptionally rare. Once their potential becomes known, even 2-stars and 3-stars sects will personally travel to recruit them.
With this reality in mind, why would such a small, non-ranked sect demand such high entry requirements?
The explanation for this began one afternoon, exactly a week ago.
...
As usual, Wen Ping stood at the stone steps at the mountain's base, waving his hands as he peered idly down the street.
Behind him stood the sword monument of the Immortal Sect, carved from towering steelstone. It reached five meters in height and one meter in width, shaped like a blade aimed at the heavens. The characters for the Immortal Sect were etched deeply into its surface.
These characters were carved by the sect’s founder, who was also Wen Ping’s great-great-great-great grandfather. Indeed, leaving marks upon steelstone was proof of transcending the Body Refinement Realm; not even the most powerful experts at the thirteenth level could achieve such a feat.
Individuals at that level of Cultivation were considered absolute hegemons.
The Immortal Sect. These three words alone held a majestic and piercing aura. In years past, even the City Lord of Cangwu City would approach the monument to pay his respects, and over ten thousand people would walk past the site every single day.
But now, Wen Ping could only stand before it to bid others farewell.
"Goodbye!"
With that final word, the last ten remaining disciples of the Immortal Sect departed.
From this moment forward...
The Immortal Sect, once a prestigious 2-stars sect that dominated hundreds of lis* of land, held nothing but an 18-year-old sect leader, an elderly man named Uncle Wang who handled chores, and a mountain dog named 'Haha'.
The Immortal Sect remained in name only; in practice, it was a dead organization.
Just then, a voice echoed in Wen Ping’s ears.
"Activating... the Super Sect System."
The voice was entirely mechanical, stripped of all emotion.
Wen Ping jumped in surprise, quickly glancing at the patches of greenery beside him.
"Show yourself! Who is there?"
"Host, abandon your search. I am within your mind. Unless you intend to split your skull open, you will never find me."
"Who exactly are you?"
"I am neither human nor living. I am your destined partner—the Super Sect System."
"A Super Sect System?"
"That is correct."
A pop-up window suddenly shimmered into view before his eyes.
....
Wen Ping
Gender: Male
Cultivation Base: Seventh level of Body Refinement
Sect Status: None
....
[Super Sect System: To successfully establish a sect, one needs more than just elite disciples and powerful instructors. The most critical factor is possessing sufficient resources to attract talent. Therefore, this system will provide unique resources—from dumbbells to teleportation arrays—to help the host build a supreme, legendary sect!]
Wen Ping ignored his personal stats, focusing instead on the system’s explanation.
Could it actually help him rise again? Could it truly revive the legacy of the Immortal Sect?
Before he could react, the system’s voice chimed in right on cue. "Given the host’s current predicament, rebuilding the Immortal Sect will be a massive undertaking. Therefore, the first bonus mission has been issued."
[Main Mission - Remodel the main hall]
[The main hall serves as the face of your sect and your administrative hub, thus it should not appear dilapidated. It must project an aura of majesty and reverence to truly highlight the greatness of your sect.]
[The first remodeling session is complimentary. Time required: 10 hours]
[Reward for completion: a 3x gravity field]
...
A free remodel with special benefits?
A year had passed since an outside expert destroyed a section of the wall, and Wen Ping had avoided the building ever since. Although, he still remembered the ruin clearly. In the past, sect Elders often suggested renovations, but he had always declined the requests.
The reason was simple: the sect was completely bankrupt.
Following his father's death and the resulting lack of funds, Wen Ping had abandoned any hope of restoring the Immortal Sect.
However, since the heavens had seen fit to grant him the Super Sect System, saving the sect had now become a mandatory path. It wasn't about seeking vanity or being waited on by others; he simply wanted to reclaim the authority that belonged to a sect leader.
In those days, a single command from his father was law for ten thousand people. No matter where his father traveled, others addressed him as 'Sect Leader Wen'. Furthermore, clan Elders would often offer their daughters to become disciples, hoping to curry favor with his father...
Imagining it alone was invigorating.
"Let's leave and return home!"
Watching the last group descend Cloudmist Mountain, Wen Ping turned and began the trek back up the stairs.
Midway up, he encountered Uncle Wang and his weathered, wrinkled face, scurrying down with a broom in hand. Alongside him, the mountain dog, 'Haha'—a beast half the size of a human—trotted along calmly.
Wang Bo exclaimed, "Sect Leader, something terrible has happened. The main hall is suddenly surrounded by thick fog. I heard many strange noises coming from inside. It appears demons may have invaded our Immortal Sect!"
Wen Ping flinched. He immediately sprinted toward the main hall.
Demons? Nonsense. Why would demons target the Immortal Sect?
Upon reaching the plaza and stopping 100 meters from the hall, Wen Ping finally beheld the white mist enveloping the structure. It was truly an extraordinary sight.
Though it was dubbed fog, it was far thicker than natural mist, as even his own perception failed to peer through it.
However, as he approached, Wen Ping felt a wave of relief as a notification materialized within the mist.
[Time remaining for remodeling: 9 hours 55 minutes]
[1] Sugar-coated hawthorn: A classic, extremely sweet candy found in China.
[2] 1 li = 0.5 km