They Trained in Lightning? At Dawn?!"
"Reality is optional. Reputation is permanent." — Li Qingyu
---
Azure Wind Sect — Inner Hall
A single report landed with a slap atop the jade table.
Sect Master Han Mu's brow furrowed.
"Recruits?" he repeated.
The spy twin knelt, pale. "Y-Yes, Sect Master. At least thirty. No uniforms at first, but now they all wear matching robes—roughly stitched."
"And?"
"They… appear to be practicing breathing techniques. Some genuine spiritual movement. One of them… was using a chicken."
The silence grew thick.
"…A chicken?" Han Mu asked.
"He was… holding it like a sword."
Han Mu's fingers twitched.
"…They're pretending to be a real sect," he muttered. "Which means… we need to treat them as one."
---
Eternal Radiance Divine Sect — Pre-Dawn
In the courtyard shrouded in fog, groggy disciples shuffled into formation, blinking in confusion.
"Why are we up this early?"
"I heard it's… lightning training?"
"Lightning what?"
CRACK—BOOM!!
A dazzling arc of violet lightning tore across the sky. The illusion formation—cobbled together from spiritual stones, scrap copper, and Ye Wuxia's spiritual gum—sent ripples through the air. Mist churned. Thunder rumbled.
Li Qingyu stood atop the main hall roof, arms folded, silhouetted by flickering light.
"You dare sleep through Lightning Baptism?" he shouted.
"LIGHTNING WHAT?!"
Half the disciples panicked. The other half dropped into seated meditation from pure fear.
Behind the roof beam, Ye Wuxia crouched by the illusion array, blinking. "…They're actually doing it."
"Fear builds devotion," Li Qingyu replied, nodding solemnly.
---
Later — Sect System Shop
> DING! System Shop Unlocked.
Available Items: – Sect Uniform (Tier 1)
– Basic Spirit Pill Recipe
– Formation Blueprint: Chicken Coop Defense Array
– Random Cultivation Manual (Beginner Tier)
Li Qingyu's eyes glimmered.
> "Let's see what the heavens have cursed us with."
He tapped "Random Cultivation Manual."
> You have received: Heavenly Mud Turtle Breathing Scripture (Beginner Tier) — strengthens internal defense; allows breath-holding underwater for up to 15 minutes.
"…Perfect."
Tap.
> Seven Clucks of the Daoist Rooster — boosts spiritual attunement when meditating near poultry.
"…Better."
Tap.
> Palm of the Sleeping Cow — enhances qi accumulation while lying down.
"…We're building monsters," he whispered.
Tap.
> Mystic Donkey Step of Chaos — unpredictable footwork that confuses both enemies and allies.
Tap.
> Ninefold Path of Sitting Very Still — encourages cultivation through prolonged inactivity.
He stopped. "That one's for Hu Daniu."
---
Outer Training Field — Morning
Rows of nervous disciples stood in anticipation.
Li Qingyu strode in dramatically, holding five scrolls like they were divine artifacts. Hu Daniu followed, dragging a small gong.
"Today," Li Qingyu announced, "marks the beginning of your path toward legend."
He unfurled the scrolls one by one with exaggerated flair:
> Seven Clucks of the Daoist Rooster
Heavenly Mud Turtle Breathing Scripture
Palm of the Sleeping Cow
Mystic Donkey Step of Chaos
Ninefold Path of Sitting Very Still
Gasps echoed across the field.
"These names… they sound ancient!"
"They must be forbidden techniques!"
One disciple whispered, "I think I heard a wandering cultivator mention the Daoist Rooster once… in fear."
Hu Daniu blinked. "Sect Master, some of them are weeping."
"Good," said Li Qingyu. "Let them believe in their destiny."
---
Training Field — One Hour Later
Chaos.
One disciple stood atop a boulder, flapping his arms and clucking violently.
"I feel the Dao!"
Another had laid flat under a table, inhaling with turtle-like slowness.
"I… I'm still breathing."
Hu Daniu sat in lotus position with the Ninefold Path of Sitting Very Still scroll draped over his head.
"I've achieved stillness level three," he muttered.
Lin Ziyan stood off to the side with arms crossed, watching the madness unfold. "This place is cursed."
A girl near the edge of the group attempted the Mystic Donkey Step and accidentally tripped three other disciples in the process.
"I think I'm getting it!" she said as the others groaned.
Another group tried to decipher Palm of the Sleeping Cow, only to lie on the ground and fall asleep mid-meditation.
"Qi… is flowing… I think…"
---
System Notification
> Mission Progress: Outer Training Initiation (20%)
> Disciples have begun attempting to understand cultivation scrolls. Progress depends on continued usage, comprehension, and results. Warning: Training outcomes may vary.
Li Qingyu read the message and nodded.
"They don't need to succeed yet," he said. "They just need to believe."
---
Middle City — Bulletin Board
A freshly nailed rumor scroll fluttered in the wind.
> "BREAKING: Eternal Radiance disciples now train under heavenly lightning. Entry requires passing the Trial of Thunderous Enlightenment. Rumored forbidden techniques include the Rooster Cluck Scripture and Mystic Chaos Donkey Step. No refunds."
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Main Hall Balcony — [Fixed Version with Lin Ziyan]
Li Qingyu stood sipping tea, watching as a disciple yelled "I am the rooster!" and launched himself off a fence.
"Legend," he said proudly, "is built one step at a time."
Lin Ziyan appeared beside him, arms crossed. "One brain cell at a time, maybe."
He sipped. "And yet… they believe."
---
Azure Wind Sect — Spy Camp
The twin spies stared at the latest intel scrolls.
"'Mystic Donkey Step of Chaos'?"
"That's… a real movement style?"
"Well, it's definitely confusing."
The other nodded. "Let's report it. But phrase it carefully."