Raeshan looked at the system panel and tapped the [Receive] button.
[Receiving Rewards...]
A brilliant golden light erupted from the screen.
Before he could react, an overwhelming torrent of spiritual energy surged into his body.
Boom!
His cultivation began to soar.
The spiritual qi within his dantian expanded at an astonishing rate, becoming denser and purer with every passing moment.
Third Stage of Qi Refining...
Fourth Stage...
Fifth Stage...
Sixth Stage...
Seventh Stage...
The bottleneck that had trapped the original Raeshan for years shattered effortlessly.
His aura continued to rise.
Foundation Building Realm...
Early Spirit Core Realm...
Mid Spirit Core Realm...
Late Spirit Core Realm...
Finally...
Peak Spirit Core Realm.
An immense pressure erupted from his body before quickly subsiding as he instinctively restrained his aura.
At the same time, another flood of information poured into his mind.
Blazing Sun Divine Art.
The cultivation technique unfolded within his consciousness. Every circulation path, every profound mystery, and every insight became as familiar as though he had cultivated it for decades.
Before he could fully absorb it, another inheritance followed.
Nine Heavens Sun Sword.
Countless sword forms flashed through his mind.
Each strike was profound and domineering, capable of splitting mountains and scorching the heavens.
Almost instinctively, Raeshan raised two fingers and formed a sword seal.
A strand of blazing sword qi shot into the sky.
Boom!
A distant mountain peak trembled as a massive boulder was cleanly split in half.
Raeshan stared at his fingers in stunned silence.
"I only used a trace of spiritual qi..."
"And it was already this powerful?"
He took a slow breath.
The original Raeshan had struggled for years just to reach the Third Stage of Qi Refining.
Now, in the blink of an eye, he had reached the Peak Spirit Core Realm and mastered two supreme inheritances.
The transformation was so sudden that it almost felt unreal.
Just then, another notification appeared.
[Host has successfully received all rewards.]
[Would the Host like to open the Sect Construction Pack?]
Raeshan looked at the floating system panel and smiled.
"Of course."
"Let’s see what kind of sect this system can build."
The system responded immediately.
[Opening Sect Construction Pack...]
Another burst of golden light erupted.
[Congratulations!]
[Sect Hall ×1]
[Disciple Residences ×10]
[Spirit Gathering Formation ×1]
[Tier-One Protective Formation ×1]
[Spirit Herb Garden ×1]
[Would the Host like to deploy all sect buildings?]
Raeshan slowly rose to his feet.
He looked across the abandoned ruins surrounding him.
A grin spread across his face.
"...Deploy everything."
Rumble!
The earth shook violently.
The mountain trembled as cracks spread across the ground.
Raeshan instinctively stepped back.
The collapsed ruins around him dissolved into countless particles of golden light.
Broken walls, shattered pillars, and weathered stone paths vanished one after another, as though time itself were being reversed.
The surrounding spiritual qi surged toward the mountain peak.
High above the sect, a massive vortex of spiritual energy formed.
The sky darkened.
Clouds churned as thunder rumbled in the distance.
From the heart of the golden light, an enormous hall slowly rose from the earth.
Its pillars were carved from white jade, while its roof was covered with crimson glazed tiles that gleamed beneath the setting sun.
Two golden dragons coiled around the entrance, their eyes radiating an imposing aura.
Behind the main hall, ten elegant courtyards emerged one after another.
Each residence was surrounded by bamboo groves and flowering spirit trees, with clear streams winding through polished stone gardens.
The barren land surrounding the sect transformed into lush fields.
Rows of rare spiritual herbs burst from the earth, filling the air with a rich medicinal fragrance.
Deep beneath the mountain, countless streams of spiritual qi converged.
Boom!
A brilliant pillar of light pierced the heavens.
The Spirit Gathering Formation activated.
The spiritual qi surrounding the mountain became several times denser than before.
A cool breeze swept through the sect.
Raeshan took a deep breath.
The surrounding spiritual qi flowed into his body almost on its own.
"What incredible concentration..."
Moments later, a transparent barrier spread outward, enveloping the entire mountain before fading from sight.
[Tier-One Protective Formation Activated.]
[Outsiders will be unable to detect the sect unless they deliberately attack the formation.]
The mechanical voice echoed once more.
[Sect deployment complete.]
[Blazing Sun Hall successfully established.]
Raeshan smiled.
"So this is Blazing Sun Hall."
His eyes swept across the transformed mountain.
Compared to the crumbling ruins from before, it now resembled the residence of an ancient immortal sect.
A gentle cough came from inside the hut.
Raeshan turned toward the sound.
"...Looks like my first disciple is finally awake."
He walked inside.
Scarlet was slowly opening her eyes.
She blinked several times, her crimson eyes filled with confusion.
"...Where am I?"
She tried to sit up, but a sharp pain shot through her back, forcing her to lie down again.
Raeshan stepped forward.
"Don’t move."
"Your injuries have only just stabilized."
Scarlet turned toward the unfamiliar voice.
A young man dressed in black and dark-blue Daoist robes stood a few steps away, holding a wooden bowl filled with warm herbal medicine.
It was the same man she had seen before losing consciousness.
"You..."
"It was you who saved me?"
Raeshan remembered the Mid-Grade Healing Pill he had already given her and smiled faintly.
"I suppose you could say that."
Scarlet lowered her eyes.
Fragments of her memories gradually returned.
The Dead Warriors. The Phoenix Empress, The sea of crimson flames...
She remembered briefly waking while someone carried her through the mountains.
"So... it wasn’t a dream."
Raeshan handed her the bowl.
"Drink this."
"It’ll help you recover."
[Readers: Where the hell did this bowl of herbal medicine come from?
Author: I don’t know. ;)]
Scarlet hesitated for a moment before accepting it.
The warm herbal aroma filled her senses.
She took a small sip.
A gentle warmth spread through her body, easing the lingering pain in her meridians.
After finishing the medicine, she lowered the bowl.
"Thank you."
Raeshan smiled.
"No need."
"I simply couldn’t leave someone to die."
Scarlet looked at him quietly.
After a long silence, she asked,
"Who are you?"
"My name is Raeshan."
"Hall Master of Blazing Sun Hall."
Scarlet glanced around the hut.
The wooden walls were old, the furniture was simple, and there was barely anything of value inside.
Yet outside, she could sense an astonishingly rich concentration of spiritual qi unlike anything she had ever experienced.
She frowned.
"This place..."
"The spiritual qi here is incredibly dense."
Raeshan simply smiled.
The Spirit Gathering Formation was far beyond anything Scarlet had ever encountered.
She looked back at him.
"Why did you save me?"
"We’ve never met before."
Raeshan met her gaze.
"Does there have to be a reason?"
She fell silent.
In the cultivation world, kindness without expecting something in return was almost unheard of.
Most people acted only for their own benefit.
Yet this stranger had used a precious healing pill on her and even brought her back to his home.
She couldn’t understand it.
After a moment, Raeshan broke the silence.
"Rest for now."
"We can talk once you’ve recovered."
He turned toward the door.
Just before stepping outside, he stopped.
"Oh, one more thing."
Scarlet looked up.
"You don’t have to worry."
"No one will harm you while you’re in Blazing Sun Hall."
The words were simple.
Yet they carried a quiet confidence that made Scarlet’s heart tremble.
She watched him leave the hut.
For the first time since her father’s death, she felt that perhaps heaven had not abandoned her after all.
***
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