Chapter Two – The Return Begins
Ryan stared at the golden notification floating before him, his heart pounding. After three years of waiting, the system had finally appeared.
But it didn't grant him overwhelming power… instead, it gave him a cleaning task.
He exhaled slowly, looking around him—scattered ruins, dust covering everything, and tangled weeds crawling through the cracks.
"Well then…" He clenched his fists. "If I have to start here, so be it!"
[Mission Accepted: Clean the Sect's Front Courtyard.]
He began moving debris and removing small rocks. With each stone he lifted, he felt the weakness in his body. This wasn't what he imagined martial arts cultivation to be, but he pressed on anyway.
After hours of labor, a new notification appeared before him:
[Mission Completed!]
[Reward: 10 Evolution Points.]
[Unlocked Feature: Celestial Sect Map.]
"Map?"
The moment he thought about it, a semi-transparent layout of the sect appeared before him. There were many buildings, but most were either destroyed or locked.
One point on the map glowed faintly.
"A hidden chamber?"
He followed the guidance until he reached a cracked stone wall in one corner of the courtyard. After some searching, he found a faded carving of a winged tiger—the symbol of the Celestial Sect.
Removing some stones, a narrow entrance revealed itself. He stepped inside cautiously, discovering an ancient room filled with dusty scrolls and books.
He pulled a book from a shelf and read its title quietly:
"Cultivation Technique: Hidden Heavens Fist"
But the pages were torn, rendering it incomplete.
Next to the books, he noticed a broken, old armor piece bearing the sect's emblem, stirring his curiosity about the sect's history.
"So… this sect wasn't weak in the past."
He looked at the walls. There were faint ancient inscriptions, but they carried powerful words:
"Do not forget the glory, for the heavens bear witness."
The phrase stirred something within him. As if the sect hadn't vanished entirely… but had simply been waiting to return.
He stepped out of the room, but suddenly—
"Who's there?!"
He turned quickly to find a thin young man standing at a distance, dressed in tattered clothes, eyes wide with shock.
His breath was unsteady, as if seeing someone here was the last thing he expected. He stared at Ryan for several seconds before muttering in disbelief:
"You… you're the sect master?!"
Ryan frowned. "What? Who are you?"
The young man hesitated before quickly bowing, his voice filled with both confusion and excitement.
"I'm Ling Xiao! I heard rumors about this sect, but I never expected to find someone here!"
Ryan examined him carefully. He looked weak, but there was something rare in his eyes… hope, or perhaps a deep, burning passion.
A new notification appeared:
[Potential Follower Found!]
[Would you like to recruit Ling Xiao?]
"Recruit?" Ryan thought for a moment, then said, "Accept."
[Ling Xiao has been recruited.]
[Current Members: 1/100.]
Ling Xiao looked at Ryan with sparkling eyes upon hearing those words.
"D-Does this mean… the Celestial Sect will return?"
Ryan glanced around briefly before returning his gaze with a firm look. "That depends on us."
But inside, he felt a sliver of doubt. "This kid… does he have any talent?"
Suddenly, a new notification popped up:
[Skill Activated: Appraisal!]
[Target: Ling Xiao]
[Talent: High-grade]
"High-grade talent?!"
Before he could even process the shock, another notification explained the talent system:
[Talent Grades:]
Weak – Rarely achieves anything in cultivation.
Medium – Can reach good levels with hard work.
High – Great potential, capable of reaching elite ranks.
Excellent – Can surpass normal limits and reach high levels quickly.
Legendary – Extremely rare, surpasses conventional limits, often forms unforgettable legends.
Ryan read through it quickly, then looked at Ling Xiao with newfound surprise. "High-grade talent… he really could become powerful!"
But that made him wonder… "If that's his talent, why is he in this state? Was he never discovered, or is there more to the story?"
Suddenly, a new system interface appeared: Disciple Management.
But there was no time to explore it, because another alert appeared:
[New Mission: Rebuild the Main Hall.]
[Reward: 50 Evolution Points – Unlock General Sect Management Feature.]
Ryan stared at the words before him, then looked at the vast, deserted courtyard.
The future was uncertain, but for the first time in a long while… he felt he had found his purpose.
This wasn't just some old sect… it was a new story waiting to be written from the very beginning.
At that moment, a gentle breeze blew—
As if
the world itself was anticipating the beginning of a new era.
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End of Chapter Two