The sun began to bleed over the horizon, painting the broken tiles of the Fallen Star Sect in hues of violent orange.
Jiang Chen sat in the center of the courtyard, staring at a tarnished bronze token in his hand. It was etched with the symbol of a soaring hawk—the insignia of the Mystic Cloud Sect, one of the colossal powerhouses of the Southern Region.
"Old man," Jiang Chen muttered, rubbing the token. "You really were a failure."
He remembered the day he had been recruited. His Master had stood tall, claiming to be the leader of a massive, hidden organization. He had bestowed upon Jiang Chen the majestic title of "Supreme Elder of Law Enforcement."
Jiang Chen had been thrilled... until he realized there were no other disciples to enforce laws on.
It was only on the old man's deathbed that the humiliation was revealed.
"I wasn't just a hermit," his Master had wheezed. "I was a High Elder of the Mystic Cloud Sect! They banished me because I couldn't find an heir! They said an Elder without disciples is useless trash!"
The old man had shoved the bronze token into Jiang Chen's hand. "Unless we return with three true geniuses to inherit the lineage, my seat is revoked forever! I spent fifty years trying to scam—I mean, recruit—geniuses, but I only got you."
Jiang Chen gripped the cup tighter. The sect wasn't just a scam; it was a desperate bid for redemption.
"You failed because your lies were weak," Jiang Chen whispered to the spirit tablet. "But I am different. I already have two. Ye Kai, the Muscle Monster. Su Ling, the Luck Goddess. I just need one more."
"Master," Ye Kai whispered loudly from the bushes. "Why are we sitting in the open? Should we not be digging trenches?"
"Silence," Jiang Chen said, tucking the token into his sleeve. "This is the 'Empty Fort Strategy'. If we hide, they will burn us out. If we stand openly, they will hesitate."
BOOM!
The remaining hinge of the front gate finally gave up. The heavy wooden door disintegrated under a massive force.
A figure stepped through the dust. Massive. Armored. The Elder Zhao of the Iron Fist Hall.
[Enemy Detected: Elder Zhao] [Cultivation: Qi Condensation Level 9 (Peak)]
"Is this it?" Zhao's voice boomed. "The Black Bear Gang said a powerful expert lived here. But all I see is a beggar drinking dirty water."
Jiang Chen placed a chess piece on the board. Clack.
"The water is dirty only if the mind is dirty," Jiang Chen said, his voice steady. "Leave now, Junior. I am waiting for an old friend."
[Passive Effect Activated: Tongue of the Deceiver.]
Zhao paused. No Qi fluctuations? But such arrogance? "You call me Junior?" Zhao laughed, stepping forward. "I am the Bone-Crusher! Show me your power, or die kneeling!"
Jiang Chen sighed. "Ye Kai."
"Yes, Master!"
Ye Kai exploded out of the bushes, shirtless and vibrating with energy. "Who dares disturb my Master's tea time?!"
Zhao sneered. "No Qi? Just a body cultivator? Trash!"
He lunged, his fist glowing with metallic grey light. "Iron Breaking Fist!"
Jiang Chen's heart stopped. 'Dodge it, you idiot!'
But Ye Kai didn't dodge. He puffed out his chest to tank the hit.
BAM!
A metallic CLANG echoed like a sledgehammer hitting an anvil.
Ye Kai stood unmoving. The Ancient God Body (1%) absorbed the impact like it was a gentle breeze.
"Is that it?" Ye Kai looked down at the fist on his chest. "Master said the enemy was strong. Why are you tickling me?"
Zhao's eyes bulged. "Tickling?" He unleashed a flurry of punches. Bam! Bam! Bam!
Ye Kai yawned. "Junior Sister, is he trying to massage me?"
Up in the tree, Su Ling watched with wide eyes. 'Senior Brother is an Invincible Vajra!'
Zhao backed away, bleeding and terrified. "Monsters... you are all monsters!"
Jiang Chen stood up slowly, releasing pure disdain. "Ye Kai, remove him. Do not kill him. Blood is hard to wash off."
"Yes, Master!"
Zhao turned to run. "You wait! The Iron Fist Hall will—"
Slip.
Su Ling had silently dropped a handful of marbles on the path. Zhao's feet flew out from under him. He cracked his head against the stone gatepost.
CRACK.
Elder Zhao lay face down, unconscious. Defeated by a pectoral muscle and a marble.
Ding!
[Mission Complete: The Wrath of Iron Fist.] [Reward: Basic Guardian Formation.]
"Strip him," Jiang Chen commanded.
Ye Kai stripped the Elder in seconds, handing Jiang Chen a tattered blue book. "Master, a manual! The Iron Breaking Fist."
Jiang Chen took the book. He didn't read it. He fanned the pages. Thwip-thwip.
In that split second, the Supreme Comprehension he possessed deconstructed the technique.
"Trash," Jiang Chen scoffed. "It channels Qi through the liver. Practice this and you die."
He grabbed a brush, scribbled for ten seconds, and tossed it back. "I rerouted the flow to the kidneys. It is now Black Tier. Learn it if you're bored."
Ye Kai caught the book, trembling. "You fixed a legacy technique in ten seconds?"
"Disposal," Jiang Chen pointed to the cliff.
Ye Kai grabbed Zhao by the ankle. "Safe travels!"
YEET.
Elder Zhao flew into the valley below. "Mommmyyyyy!"
Jiang Chen grabbed the bag of Spirit Stones. "Pack your things. We are going down to the city."
As they descended the winding mountain path, Ye Kai adjusted the heavy bag of loot.
"Sect Leader," Ye Kai asked reverently. "Now that we have defeated the Iron Fist Hall, will we expand the Fallen Star Sect? Should I recruit more disciples?"
Su Ling nodded, scanning for traps. "Yes. We need watchtowers. And a moat filled with acid."
Jiang Chen stopped. He turned to look at them, his gaze piercing the clouds.
"Expand?" Jiang Chen scoffed. "You are thinking too small."
He pulled the tarnished bronze token from his sleeve again.
"The 'Fallen Star Sect' is merely a vessel," Jiang Chen whispered. "We are not some third-rate mountain bandit clan. Our true home is the Mystic Cloud Sect."
"The Mystic Cloud Sect?" Su Ling gasped. "The hegemon of the Southern Region?"
"The very same. My Master... your Grandmaster... was a High Elder there. We were exiled by jealous fools."
Jiang Chen straightened his back.
"Right now, I am your Sect Leader. But when we storm their gates and prove your genius, I will reclaim my seat. I will cease to be a Sect Leader and ascend to my rightful title: Supreme Elder."
He pointed at the distant northern peaks.
And you... you will be Core Successors. We are not building a home here. We are raising an army to take back our throne.
Ye Kai's blood boiled. "I understand! We are not expanding... we are invading!
Infiltration. Sabotage. Reclaiming birthrights," Su Ling muttered, a dark smile forming. "I love it."
Jiang Chen nodded, satisfied. He had successfully reframed their homelessness as a 'covert operation.'
Exactly. Now move. Royalty needs to eat breakfast.