Chapter 1: Expelled to Greatness
eyes for the first time, he knew two things with absolute certainty.
First—he was no longer the broke university student who'd been cramming for exams while surviving on instant noodles and pure caffeine.
Second—something had gone very, very wrong.
The memories came flooding in like a tidal wave, each one clicking into place with the precision of a cosmic joke. He was still Lin Xian, but also... not. This Lin Xian had spent the last eighteen years in the cultivation world, born to a merchant family in a small village, discovered to have spiritual roots at age twelve, and subsequently taken under the wing of a mysterious elder in the Frost Moon Sect.
The original Lin Xian had been—what was the term?—ah, yes. Trash-tier. His spiritual roots were weak, his constitution was fragile, and his cultivation progress had been painfully slow. Eighteen years of effort, and he was still only at Qi Condensation stage—the very first step on the cultivation ladder.
And now, because of him, his master was being expelled too.
"You're awake."
The voice was like spring water over smooth stones, melodic and refreshing. Lin Xian turned his head—wincing at the dull ache in his temples—and felt his heart perform an acrobatic routine that would have impressed Olympic judges.
She was stunning. Aggressively, absurdly, impossibly beautiful.
Her hair was silver—not white, but actual silver, like liquid mercury cascading down her back to pool around her hips. Her eyes were the color of amethysts, glowing with an ethereal light that spoke of power beyond comprehension. Her features were perfect in a way that seemed unnatural, as if the heavens had sculpted her from moonlight and dreams. Her figure was everything a woman could be and more, wrapped in flowing white robes that seemed to be woven from clouds and starlight.
No one knew how old she was. No one knew where she came from. No one knew her true cultivation level—not even the sect leader himself.
She was simply known as Elder Yue, the mysterious Core Elder who had appeared at the Frost Moon Sect a century ago, taken one look at the young boy with weak spiritual roots, and declared him her disciple.
"Master... Yue?" Lin Xian accessed the scattered memories, finding the name attached to this divine woman.
Su Yue. A name that meant nothing and everything at the same time. She never spoke of her past. She never discussed her origins. When asked about her cultivation, she would simply smile that ethereal smile and change the subject.
No one in the entire Frost Moon Sect knew how powerful she truly was.
"You've been unconscious for three days," Su Yue sat on the edge of his bed, her fragrance enveloping him like a gentle embrace—roses and winter snow, somehow both warm and cold. "I was so worried, Xian'er. When the elders brought you back after your failed breakthrough attempt..."
She trailed off, her perfect features creasing with worry. The expression made her look even more heartbreakingly beautiful.
"The expulsion," Lin Xian croaked, his throat dry. "What happened?"
Su Yue's expression darkened. "The High Council decided that your failure to breakthrough—after seven years at Qi Condensation—was a sign of divine disapproval. They claimed your presence in the sect was bringing bad luck to the entire faction. They voted to expel both of us."
Lin Xian stared at her. "That's insane. The expulsion makes no sense. Your cultivation—"
"I argued," Su Yue interrupted, her voice carrying a hint of something cold—something that made Lin Xian shiver despite the warmth of the room. "But the High Council has been looking for an excuse to remove me for years. My status as an Elder, my voice in Council decisions, my... secrets."
Her amethyst eyes flickered with something ancient and unreadable.
"They fear what they don't understand. And they understand very little."
She reached out, her cool fingers touching his cheek with tenderness that made his heart flutter. Her touch was strange—sometimes warm, sometimes cold, sometimes neither. It was like being touched by the concept of temperature itself.
"I could have fought them, Xian'er. I could have destroyed every single one of them and made sure you remained in the sect." Her voice dropped to a whisper, soft as falling snow. "But then they threatened to harm you if I resisted."
Her eyes deepened, becoming windows to something vast and infinite—something that made Lin Xian's soul tremble with instinctive fear.
"I couldn't let that happen. So I agreed to leave voluntarily."
She fell silent, her gaze drifting toward the window.
"One day," she murmured, almost to herself, "they will understand exactly what they have thrown away."
** SYSTEM ACTIVATED **
Welcome, Host. The Heavenly Disciple System has been successfully bound.
Lin Xian's vision filled with a glowing interface, words appearing before him like a video game HUD. The light was invisible to anyone else—to Su Yue, he was simply staring at nothing, his eyes slightly unfocused.
** HEAVENLY DISCIPLE SYSTEM **
Core Functions:
1. Harvest of Ascension When disciples transcend to higher realms (ascension, dimensional transfer, or true death followed by rebirth), Host receives cultivation rewards equal to 100% of the disciple's cultivation at transcendence, multiplied by loyalty level.
2. Disciple Link Every cultivation breakthrough made by any disciple grants Host double that amount instantly.
3. Legacy Inheritance Each new disciple grants Host a skill or power perfectly compatible with their cultivation path. Instant mastery included.
4. Sect Foundation Establishing a sect provides base cultivation bonuses. Each member contributes to collective power.
** HOST STATUS **
Name: Lin Xian Cultivation: Qi Condensation Stage Sect: None (Expelled) Disciples: 0 Skills: Basic Sword Techniques (Novice), Elementary Fire Meditation (Beginner)
"You're thinking very loudly," Su Yue's voice broke through his shock. She was watching him now, her head tilted slightly, curiosity dancing in those mysterious amethyst eyes. "What is it, Xian'er?"
Lin Xian looked at her—at this beautiful, powerful woman who had abandoned everything for him—and made a decision.
"Master," he said slowly, "I know this might sound crazy. But I don't want to just survive. I want to build something. A sect. Our own sect."
Su Yue blinked, her perfect eyebrows rising slightly. She didn't speak—just waited, her expression unreadable.
"We'll need resources," she finally said, her voice neutral. "A location. Disciples. Cultivation techniques suitable for different constitutions."
"I've thought about that," Lin Xian replied, gaining confidence. "The major sects control everything in the central regions. But there are frontier territories—lands too wild or too distant for the great factions to bother with. If we went somewhere far from here..."
Su Yue studied him for a long moment, her eyes searching his face for something he couldn't identify. Then, slowly, she smiled—and it was like watching the sun rise after an eternal night.
"You know," she said softly, "this is one of the reasons I chose you, Xian'er. Your stubbornness. Your refusal to accept defeat. The world sees you as trash, but I see..."
She paused, her smile deepening.
"...potential."
She stood, her robes flowing around her like water. "Very well. I have connections in distant lands—people who owe me favors. Old debts that have been waiting to be collected."
She extended her hand to him, her fingers long and elegant.
"Trust me, Xian'er. Let me take you somewhere special."
Three months later, Lin Xian stood at the edge of a massive mountain range, his jaw hanging open like a fool.
The land stretched out before him was called the Wild Frontier—an untamed region on the far edges of the known cultivation world. Here, there were no major sects, no High Councils, no restrictions. Just endless mountains, ancient forests, and scattered villages filled with aspiring cultivators who had nowhere else to go.
The spiritual energy here was different—wilder, rawer, more primal than the carefully cultivated qi of the central territories. It was chaos, waiting to be shaped.
Perfect for building an empire.
"The Azure Mountain Range," Su Yue explained, standing beside him with her silver hair streaming in the wind. "It's unclaimed territory. The spiritual energy here is dense, the veins of the earth are strong, and there's an ancient formation in the central peak that would make an excellent sect foundation."
Lin Xian turned to look at her—this woman who had abandoned her position, her status, everything—for him. "Master, why are you doing all this for me? I'm just trash—someone who couldn't even breakthrough after seven years. I don't understand why you chose me, why you're helping me..."
"Questions," Su Yue interrupted, her voice carrying a hint of amusement. "You always ask too many questions, Xian'er."
She turned to face him fully, her amethyst eyes locking with his. Up close, he could see things in those eyes—shadows and depths that seemed to go on forever, like staring into a bottomless abyss.
"Some answers are not meant to be spoken aloud," she said quietly. "But know this—"
She reached up, cupping his face in her hands. Her touch was cool and impossibly gentle.
"—everything I have done, everything I will do... it is because I chose you. Because you are mine."
Her gaze intensified, becoming something almost possessive.
"And I protect what is mine. Always."
Before Lin Xian could respond, she released him and turned away, walking toward the mountain path.
"Now come," she called over her shoulder, her voice light and playful once more. "We have a sect to build, Xian'er. And I expect great things from you."
The first month was brutal.
Lin Xian and Su Yue established a basic camp at the foot of Azure Peak—the central mountain Su Yue had chosen. They built a simple wooden pavilion, planted some spirit herbs, and began the slow work of establishing a presence.
But more importantly—Lin Xian started searching for disciples.
The Wild Frontier was full of cultivators who had been rejected by the major sects. Orphaned children with no guidance. Elders whose sects had been destroyed. Young men and women with potential but no resources.
And on the third week of their arrival, Lin Xian found her.
Her name was Lin Qingyi, and she was dying.
She was perhaps seventeen years old, with jet-black hair matted with dirt and blood. Her cultivation had been forcibly collapsed—a punishment from some unknown enemy—and the spiritual energy raging through her meridians was slowly destroying her from the inside.
"Please," she gasped, collapsing at the edge of their camp. "Please... help me..."
Lin Xian knelt beside her, examining her condition with growing alarm. Her meridians were shattered. Her dantian was cracked. Any normal healer would say she was beyond saving.
But Lin Xian wasn't normal. And neither was his system.
** POTENTIAL DISCIPLE DETECTED **
Name: Lin Qingyi Age: 17 Constitution: Phoenix Rebirth Body (Unique/One-in-a-Million) Current Status: Dying (Meridian Collapse) Cultivation History: Core Formation (Destroyed) Loyalty: 85% (Desperate) Potential: God-tier (if saved and cultivated properly)
Required Resources:
Phoenix Blood Essence (Extremely Rare)Soul Restoration Pills (Extremely Rare)10 Years of Specialized Cultivation
Recommendation: SAVE HER.
"Master," Lin Xian turned to Su Yue, who was watching the dying girl with calculating eyes. "Can you help her?"
Su Yue raised an eyebrow—that perfect, elegant eyebrow that seemed to convey entire conversations without words. "She's going to be difficult to save. The Phoenix Rebirth Body is legendary—it's been extinct for thousands of years. Whoever destroyed her cultivation knew exactly what they were doing."
"Can. You. Help. Her?"
Su Yue was silent for a long moment, her amethyst eyes fixed on the dying girl. There was something in her expression—recognition, perhaps, or memory.
"Leave it to me, Xian'er," she finally said, her voice carrying a strange weight. "I know someone who owes me a favor. Someone who has Phoenix Blood to spare."
She vanished into thin air—without a flash of energy, without a sound, simply gone—as if she had never been there at all.
Lin Xian stared at the empty space where she had stood, his mind racing. He had lived with Su Yue for seven years, and he still had no idea how she did things like that.
Three days later, Su Yue returned with a vial of glowing red liquid—and the faintest hint of exhaustion on her usually perfect features.
"Here," she handed him the vial. "This should stabilize her condition. The rest will require time."
She didn't explain where she had gone. She didn't explain who owed her a favor. She simply walked past him, her white robes brushing against his arm, and disappeared into her own private quarters.
The healing took another month. During that time, Lin Xian stayed by Lin Qingyi's side, feeding her spiritual energy, helping her repair her meridians, and—in his capacity as a future sect leader—giving her cultivation guides.
"Here," he said one evening, handing her a thick book bound in silver leather. "This is a cultivation technique I developed. It should work well with your Phoenix Rebirth Body."
Lin Qingyi stared at the book like he'd handed her a mountain of spirit stones. "You... you created this? For me?"
"You're my disciple now," Lin Xian smiled warmly. "I told you—when you wake up, I'll give you the tools to become stronger than anyone who's ever hurt you. This is just the beginning."
** NEW DISCIPLE ACQUIRED **
Name: Lin Qingyi Age: 17 Constitution: Phoenix Rebirth Body Current Cultivation: Qi Condensation Stage (Recovering) Loyalty: 95% (Unshakeable) Specialization: Fire Manipulation, Phoenix Techniques
Legacy Inheritance Triggered:
Skill Acquired: Phoenix Soul Fire (Intermediate) Description: A unique flame that burns the soul as well as the body. Cannot be extinguished by normal means. Scales with the user's cultivation.
Skill Acquired: Rebirth Protocol (Beginner) Description: The legendary ability of the Phoenix Rebirth Body. Upon death, the user has a chance to resurrect with full cultivation restored. At beginner level: 10% resurrection chance, requires 100 years to recharge.
The moment Lin Qingyi accepted him as her master, Lin Xian felt power surge through him—foreign but natural, like finding a missing piece of himself.
His cultivation base exploded upward. Qi Condensation layer one became layer three, then five, then seven—all from the inheritance alone.
And when Lin Qingyi began to recover—when her cultivation started climbing from nothing back toward her former Core Formation—Lin Xian felt every breakthrough echo through his own meridians.
She was at Qi Condensation ninth layer now, preparing for Core Formation.
He was at Foundation Establishment fourth layer.
** HOST STATUS UPDATE **
Name: Lin Xian Cultivation: Foundation Establishment Stage Sect: None (In Progress) Disciples: 1 (Lin Qingyi) Skills: Phoenix Soul Fire (Intermediate), Rebirth Protocol (Beginner), Basic Sword Techniques (Novice), Elementary Fire Meditation (Beginner) Active Bonuses:
Disciple Link: +200% cultivation gains from Lin QingyiSect Bonus: Pending (Establish sect required)
"You're staring at that nothing again."
Lin Xian looked up to find Su Yue standing beside him, a tray of tea in her hands, her silver hair glowing in the moonlight. She had a habit of appearing silently—that was another thing no one could explain about her.
"Thinking about the future," Lin Xian admitted. "We need more disciples. More talent. The Frost Moon Sect wronged us—they cast us out like garbage. One day, I want to show them exactly what they threw away."
Su Yue set down the tea and sat beside him, close enough that their shoulders touched. She didn't respond immediately—just looked up at the stars, her expression distant and unreadable.
"You know," she finally murmured, her voice carrying a hint of something Lin Xian couldn't identify, "the path you're walking is dangerous, Xian'er. Building a sect from nothing, competing with established powers... it will not be easy."
"I know," Lin Xian replied. "But I'm not doing this for easy. I'm doing this because I want to prove that the rejects can become the legends."
Su Yue turned to look at him, her amethyst eyes gleaming with something that might have been pride. Or desire. Or something else entirely.
"You continue to surprise me," she whispered. "Every day, you show me something new."
She leaned closer, her breath warm against his ear.
"Very well. I will support you in this. But know this—" her voice dropped to something dangerously soft, "—if you ever surpass me in power, I will..."
She paused, a smile playing at her lips.
"...have to find new ways to keep your attention."
Lin Xian's face flushed bright red. "M-Master, I don't know what you—"
"Shh." She pressed a finger to his lips, her eyes dancing with amusement. "You talk too much, Xian'er. Sometimes, silence is more... eloquent."
She stood and walked away, leaving Lin Xian with a racing heart and an even more racing mind.
The next morning, Lin Xian descended into the nearest village.
The Wild Frontier was full of cultivators seeking a chance—a sect that would accept them, a master who would teach them, a path to power that didn't require selling their souls to the highest bidder.
And Lin Xian was going to find the best of them.
He passed through the village square, his eyes scanning the crowd. Most were ordinary—farmers with no cultivation potential, merchants with minor talents, guards with decent but unremarkable abilities.
But then he saw them.
Two children—one boy and one girl—sitting in the corner of the square, their heads bowed in defeat. They couldn't be older than twelve, and their spiritual fluctuations were... interesting.
** POTENTIAL DISCIPLES DETECTED **
Boy:
Name: Xiao FengAge: 11Constitution: Dual Yin-Yang Spirit Root (Extremely Rare)Potential: God-tier
Girl:
Name: Xiao LingAge: 12Constitution: Celestial Sound Body (Very Rare)Potential: Supreme-tier
Recommendation: ACCEPT BOTH IMMEDIATELY.
Lin Xian approached slowly, not wanting to startle them.
Are you two orphans?"
The boy looked up first—his eyes were dark and guarded, filled with the wisdom of someone who had seen too much at too young an age. He couldn't be more than eleven, but his gaze carried the weight of abandonment and betrayal.
"What's it to you?" the boy demanded, his voice rough. "We're not begging. We're just resting."
"I'm not here to give you charity," Lin Xian crouched down to their level, making himself appear less threatening. "I'm looking for disciples. People with potential who need guidance. I can offer you cultivation techniques, resources, and a path to power."
The girl laughed bitterly—she was slightly older, perhaps twelve, with delicate features and eyes that flickered between hope and suspicion. "Everyone makes promises. No one delivers. We've been rejected by six sects already. The Black Flame Sect wanted to sell us. The Iron Fist Sect said we weren't worth the resources. Even the Medicine Valley turned us away."
"Six sects," Lin Xian repeated, his heart aching at the thought of these children being rejected over and over. "That's a lot of disappointment."
"It's called being realistic," the boy snapped. "We're trash. Everyone says so. Our constitutions are too strange, our potential too volatile. No one wants to waste time on us."
Lin Xian smiled—and it was a warm smile, genuine and reassuring.
"Then let me be the seventh," he said softly. "But this time, I actually mean it."
He extended his hands to both of them—palms up, empty, showing no weapons, no traps.
"My name is Lin Xian. I'm building a sect at Azure Peak—it's small now, nothing but wooden huts and dreams. But one day, it'll be the greatest power in the cultivation world. And I want you both to be part of it."
The children exchanged glances—years of abandonment and betrayal flashing between them in a single look. The girl seemed to be the more trusting one; she reached out first, her small hand trembling as it touched Lin Xian's palm.
Immediately, the systemated.
** POTENTIAL DISCIPLE CONFIRMED **
Name: Xiao Ling Age: 12 Constitution: Celestial Sound Body (Very Rare) Current Cultivation: None Loyalty: 75% (Cautious Hope) Potential: Supreme-tier
Specialization: Sound-based Combat, Musical Cultivation
Acceptance Probability: High
The boy—Xiao Feng—watched his sister take the stranger's hand. His expression was conflicted, torn between desperate hope and years of learned cynicism.
"You're serious," he said slowly. "You actually want us?"
"More than anything," Lin Xian replied. "I've been where you are. I've been called trash, worthless. I know what it feels like to be discarded by everyone who should have believed in you."
He extended his other hand to Xiao Feng.
"But here's the thing—the people who call us trash? They're wrong. They're blind to potential because they're too afraid of what might surpass them. I don't have that fear. I see two children with more potential than anyone I've ever met. And I want to help you unlock it."
Xiao Feng stared at the offered hand for a long moment. His jaw was tight, his eyes wet with tears he was fighting desperately to hold back.
Finally—slowly, hesitantly—he reached out and took it.
** NEW DISCIPLES ACQUIRED **
Disciple 2:
Name: Xiao FengAge: 11Constitution: Dual Yin-Yang Spirit Root (Extremely Rare)Current Cultivation:** None Loyalty: 80% (Growing Trust) Specialization: Yin-Yang Techniques, Balance Cultivation
Disciple 3:
Name: Xiao LingAge:** 12Constitution:** Celestial Sound Body (Very Rare) Current Cultivation: None Loyalty: 80% (Growing Trust) Specialization: Sound-based Combat, Musical Cultivation
Legacy Inheritance Triggered:
Skill Acquired: Yin-Yang Mirror (Intermediate) Description: A technique that allows the user to balance opposing forces. Can neutralize any attack by converting it to its opposite element. At current level: blocks attacks up to Foundation Establishment, reflects 50% damage back to attacker.
Skill Acquired: Heavenly Melody (Intermediate) Description: A cultivation technique that uses sound waves to attack, defend, and heal. At current level: basic sonic attacks, minor healing frequencies, detection of hidden enemies through sound.
Power surged through Lin Xian like a tidal wave—not just the cultivation boost, but the knowledge, the understanding, the muscle memory of skills he had never learned but now possessed completely.
He could feel the balance between yin and yang, could sense the vibrations of the world around him, could hear the hidden songs of spiritual energy flowing through the air.
"How do you feel?" he asked the children, still holding their hands.
Xiao Feng's eyes were wide with shock. "I... I can feel it. The qi. It's everywhere. I've never felt it so clearly before."
Xiao Ling was crying silently, tears streaming down her face. "It's so beautiful," she whispered. "The world sounds so beautiful. I never knew..."
Lin Xian smiled, releasing their hands gently. "This is just the beginning. Come—let me take you to your new home."
As they walked up the mountain path toward Azure Peak, Lin Xian checked his updated status.
** HOST STATUS UPDATE **
Name: Lin Xian Cultivation: Foundation Establishment Stage Sect: None (In Progress) Disciples: 3
Lin Qingyi (Phoenix Rebirth Body) - Loyalty: 95%Xiao Feng (Dual Yin-Yang Spirit Root) - Loyalty: 80%Xiao Ling (Celestial Sound Body) - Loyalty: 80%
Skills:
Phoenix Soul Fire (Intermediate)Rebirth Protocol (Beginner)Yin-Yang Mirror (Intermediate)Heavenly Melody (Intermediate)Basic Sword Techniques (Novice)Elementary Fire Meditation (Beginner)
Active Bonuses:
Disciple Link: +200% cultivation gains from all disciplesSect Bonus: Pending
Three disciples. Three inheritances. And his cultivation had jumped three more layers just from accepting them.
This system was absolutely ridiculous.