At dawn, the Eternal Radiance Divine Sect was alive with the sounds of... mostly chaos.
Clanging pots. Distant screaming. And Hu Daniu shouting, "It's in my pants! It's in my pants!"
Lu Ziyan sipped spiritual tea (still just hot water) with the calm of someone who had made several life mistakes and was learning to live with them.
Inside the main hall, Li Qingyu stood proudly before a glowing jade scroll hovering in the air.
> [Ding! Reward Claimed: Cultivation Room Unlock Token Activated.]
[Location Designated: East Storage Shack.]
[Transformation in Progress… Loading Charm Array… Installing Bamboo Aesthetic… Patching Holes…]
The east shack, once used for storing spoiled cabbages and Hu Daniu's "secret candy stash," shook violently.
With a flash of light, the shack transformed into a serene wooden pavilion—its floor inlaid with spiritual runes, a soft fog drifting from the corners, and a large stone slab that radiated cultivation energy.
Li Qingyu gasped. "It worked! Our first cultivation facility! The foundation of a great sect has been laid!"
Hu Daniu poked his head out of the door. "Master! There's a glowy stone in here, and the chicken thinks it's her egg!"
He stepped back inside.
The door sealed with a clack.
"…Uh-oh."
> [Ding! Cultivation Pavilion successfully unlocked!]
[Warning: Security Formation active. Pavilion will remain sealed for 6 hours unless manually overridden.]
[Current occupants: Hu Daniu, One (1) Spirit Chicken.]
Li Qingyu rubbed his temples. "He'll be fine. Probably."
Lu Ziyan stared at him. "Are all your sect members this… accident-prone?"
Li Qingyu held up a finger. "No. Only him."
A beat.
"…And the broom."
---
Meanwhile, outside the sect gates…
A frazzled scholar in brown robes wandered up the hill holding a scroll and mumbling, "Where is the public latrine…? The sign said thirty paces south of the radiant sect gate, but—wait, what radiant sect?"
He looked up to see a majestic, glowing sign that read:
Eternal Radiance Divine Sect
Free Enlightenment! No Down Payment! Destiny Approved!
He blinked. "That wasn't there yesterday…"
Li Qingyu, who had been waiting behind a nearby rock for exactly this kind of lost soul, leapt out dramatically.
"Welcome, honored guest! I sensed your noble spirit from afar! Are you here to seek the Dao?"
The scholar nearly dropped his scroll. "What? No, I—I was looking for the toilet!"
"Ah!" Li Qingyu clapped his hands. "The path to enlightenment begins with releasing worldly burdens. You have the mindset already!"
> [Ding! System Feature Unlocked: Prestige Bluff Mode.]
[Activating Aura Enhancement: Fog of Mystery + Voice Reverb Lv.1]
Suddenly, mist coiled around his feet. His robes fluttered. His voice echoed with a holy bzzzt.
"Join us… and ascend beyond mortal limits."
The scholar squinted. "Is there… a fan under your robes?"
Li Qingyu looked down. "No comment."
Behind them, Lu Ziyan was holding a fan labeled Mystical Props Department.
The scholar's eye twitched. "I just wanted directions…"
"But you need purpose!" Li Qingyu said, handing him a scroll. "Behold — this is a basic cultivation technique! Master it, and you'll finally understand why birds fly south and why you always forget your dreams!"
The scholar blinked. "…That's just a breathing exercise and a pancake recipe."
"Ancient secrets often take unusual forms."
"…Fine. I'll join for a week. But if I don't see any results, I'm leaving."
Li Qingyu clapped joyfully.
> [Ding! 3rd Disciple Acquired (Temporary): Scholar Chen, Potential Grade: B]
[Reward: Sect Mission Board Unlocked.]
Lu Ziyan sighed. "At this rate, we'll be a sect of lost travelers and livestock."
As if on cue, the spirit chicken burst out of the cultivation room, wings glowing, now radiating faint Qi.
"…Is it cultivating?" Lu Ziyan asked.
Li Qingyu rubbed his chin. "If it reaches Foundation Establishment before Daniu, I'm promoting it."
From inside: "I heard that, Master!!"
---
Later that evening…
A new wooden board had been nailed to the front wall, labeled:
Mission Board – Official Sect Assignments
> Current Missions:
Fix the Roof (Again)
Find Hu Daniu's Left Shoe
Stop the Mop and Broom from Fighting
Recruit 1 More Disciple to Unlock Pavilion Construction Feature
Li Qingyu nodded at it. "There. Now we're official."
Lu Ziyan muttered, "This place is officially insane."
Hu Daniu stumbled out of the cultivation room, glowing faintly and missing an eyebrow. "Master! I broke through to Second Qi Stage!"
"…Did the chicken?"
"Yes."
Li Qingyu coughed. "Ahem. Great! We're… making progress!"
---