Qinghe City lay ahead.
From where Shen Yuan stood, he could already see the outer walls, the flow of people entering and leaving, and the faint shimmer of protective formations embedded into stone and steel. It was not an impressive city—but it was alive, active, and filled with cultivators at every stage of the lower realms.
A perfect place to observe.
A terrible place to be careless.
Shen Yuan did not enter immediately.
Instead, he stopped beneath a withered tree at the edge of the road, his posture relaxed, gaze steady. He let his spiritual sense spread naturally—no probing, no pressure—just awareness.
Only then did something shift.
Not in the world.
Within him.
"Milestone confirmed."
Shen Yuan's eyes narrowed slightly.
"System?"
The response came at once, clearer than before.
"Host has entered the cultivation world independently.""Survival phase concluded.""Founder path acknowledged."
Shen Yuan remained silent, listening.
"Conditions met for Novice Founder Gift."
So this was that moment.
"…What kind of gift?" Shen Yuan asked calmly.
There was no dramatic buildup.
No fanfare.
Only certainty.
"Issuing Novice Gift Pack."
A strange sensation washed over Shen Yuan's eyes.
Not pain.
Pressure.
As though the world itself had leaned closer.
He closed his eyes instinctively—and when he opened them again, the world was no longer the same.
Heavenly Discernment Eye (Novice Authority)
Information did not flood him.
It resolved.
People in the distance were no longer vague shapes. Around them, faint layers appeared—some thick, some thin, some fractured.
Talent.
Potential.
Hidden suppression.
False brilliance.
Shen Yuan's breathing slowed.
So this is what's usually hidden, he thought.
A passing cultivator glowed brightly—then flickered, hollow at the core.
Over-refined. Foundation damaged.
A mortal porter shimmered faintly, threads of potential tangled and ignored.
Untouched. Not weak.
A young cultivator near the gate appeared dull at first glance—until Shen Yuan focused.
A seal.
Crude. External.
Suppressing something far more dangerous than the person realized.
Shen Yuan immediately withdrew his focus.
His eyes returned to normal.
"…That's enough," he said quietly.
"Eye ability stabilized,"the Heavenly Sect Creation System reported."Passive mode enabled."
Good.
He had no intention of walking around dissecting people like artifacts.
The system continued.
"Novice Gift Pack contents summarized."
Shen Yuan listened carefully.
Novice Gift Pack – Founder Tier1. Heavenly Discernment Eye (Bound)
Detects talent, aptitude, bloodline, seals, and false cultivation
Reveals compatibility with sect philosophy
Cannot be deceived by illusions or altered auras
Operates passively unless focused
A founder's eye.Not a weapon.
2. Origin Foundation Stabilization (One-Time Effect)
Shen Yuan felt it immediately.
Not power—but finality.
His Core stabilized completely, every fluctuation settling into perfect equilibrium. Any lingering instability from rapid advancement vanished without trace.
"Foundation locked,"the system confirmed."Future growth unrestricted."
Shen Yuan exhaled slowly.
That alone was priceless.
3. Sect Authority Seed (Dormant)
Something intangible took root within his soul.
"Authority Seed registered.""Will activate upon first disciple acceptance."
Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow.
"So nothing flashy yet."
"Correct."
He approved.
4. Founder's Insight (Passive)
This was subtle.
Too subtle for most to notice.
But Shen Yuan felt it—a quiet clarity whenever he considered teaching, inheritance, or cultivation paths for others.
Not answers.
Direction.
So I won't accidentally ruin someone, he realized.
That mattered more than power.
The system fell silent.
No follow-up mission.
No pressure.
Just… readiness.
Shen Yuan looked once more toward Qinghe City.
With his new perception, the place looked different—not richer, not safer, but clearer.
He could already see:
Who would burn out early
Who would be crushed by sect systems
Who had potential but no chance
And who was not worth his time.
He stepped forward at last.
"One thing at a time," he murmured.
Behind him, the road vanished into the forest.
Ahead lay the cultivation world—and somewhere within it, the first person who would eventually call him Master.
Not today.
But soon.