"Liu Ming?"

"Yes, master?"

"Sit here and lend me your power."

Following Ren's instructions, he sat facing his master before the two extended out their hands until their palms came in contact. Strings of golden qi from Ren whirled around their arms, making their way into Liu Ming's forehead. When one penetrated him, his consciousness was sucked into Ren's mental galaxy.

He saw himself levitating above the gigantic black hole which was surrounded by four stars.

Staring into it, a dark heavy fear immediately enveloped his senses, sending chills through every part and organ of his body until his consciousness began experiencing pain.

He screamed pulling his hair, wriggling, and rolling in the air.

Everything subsided when Ren showed up and placed his hand on Liu Ming's shoulder.

"Master, it hurts," he said weakly.

"It's over. Now. Go back to your body."

His consciousness disintegrated into white dust before disappearing, leaving Ren by himself.

After a glance at the void hole which seemed to fluctuate now that he had found the thing Liu Ming had said, Ren left the space.

#############

A sect meeting in...an inn.

The three disciples sat still, quietly waiting for their master to initiate the meeting.

Ren opened his eyes and the golden glow faded out from the corners, leaving his normal red color.

"We've found a suitable place to build the sect. A hill outside the city, two carriage hours away. All we need is to start building. I'm here to assign you all different tasks so that we can start the building process. We'll need, constructors, labourers, and all that."

"Master?" Liuyue raised her hand. "Can we ask for help from the nearby sects?"

"No. If we want to maintain an independent reputation from the beginning, we have to do everything ourselves."

"Oh!"

The meeting went on for an hour as they discussed what and who was needed before putting all those decisions on the side until they got proper financial advice. That was the first task assigned to Wu Tao who had more experience with the mundane world than the two.

Liuyue was asked to look for laborers from the most unexpected places, while Liu Ming was to gather information about where to purchase the best materials.

Soon, word spread out about the new sect that was under construction on a lifeless hill. While the gossip was intense for the first few weeks, it died down quickly because of the location. Some even started ridiculing them for choosing the hill and doubted their seriousness. Going as far as mocking the disciples of Dragon Sword Sect.

Such information didn't, of course, fail to reach the ruling sects, and they, like the others, dismissed Dragon Sword Sect as another wannabe. Only one person knew that the said sect would soon send waves of power throughout the city and even beyond... Xu'er's master.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

After the meeting with Ren, he had gone back to his peak and entered his seclusion early. He couldn't understand why a person like Ren, who wasn't even in the nascent soul stage, could possess such a mysterious aura. He had felt his high cultivation level when they fought the assassins.

He, who was at the Late nascent soul stage, was weaker than a young man who had shown up from nowhere. The shame couldn't let him breathe a minute in peace.

In the second month, Ren and his disciples moved into a small courtyard that was already completed, saving them in expenses.

A temporary shelter for the beasts was also constructed, giving all of them a place to live.

#############

"As expected, the money we have now cannot complete the construction. We need to find ways to earn more," Wu Tao suggested during their first meeting in their sect; which was in the empty room in the courtyard.

"Then sell the gifts we brought from Xiayang City," said Ren, who was seated on the floor meditating. "Most of them are worthless to us."

"Master is right. Father just collected some of them for his status. If we sell them, we will get a lot," Liuyue supported springing on her feet. "I'll be in charge of that task, please master."

"Haa!" Ren sighed. "Very well then. You'll ask for the ring from Wu Tao later."

As she sat back down, Liu Ming spotted the fan he had gifted her months ago hanging from her waist. This brought him a smile, which she noticed. "Little brother, are you growing foolish? Why are you smiling at the air?"

He always found it adorable when she'd address him as her little brother even though he was older than her.

"I just had a pleasing memory," he lied looking away to hide his faint blush.

"Liu Ming, you haven't reported on your task."

His eyes widened, cursing himself for getting distracted by Liuyue. "Master...I...I..."

"What are you stuttering about?" Liuyue questioned smacking his head. "Speak!"

"Master, the sellers I talked to all had prices above five hundred gold bars for the high-grade grade weapons. None of them wanted to negotiate the prices, so I didn't buy any."

"Liuyue, what about the posters I asked you to distribute?"

"All done, Master. I instructed the inn owner to alert us if anyone came to her. "

"Mmm...good job, all of you."

"Master?" Wu Tao called turning around from his stool. "What is the source you found? Liu Ming said it wasn't a spiritual vein."

Suddenly, all of them turned their curious faces at Ren, even Liu Ming.

"I don't know what it is yet. All I can say is that it is not a natural source and it's deep in the core of this world. I do not know yet how to unlock it, but that will be my problem. You only need to do your duties or there will be punishments."

"Master!" Liu Ming jumped to his feet. "Someone is coming. Their energy is dark."

"What is to come has come," Ren muttered to himself. "Liuyue, go, give our guest a 'warm' welcome."

She bowed, "Yes, Master."

#############

Her black hair danced to the wind blowing past her, and so did her clothes.

With the determination to prove to her master how much she had grown, Liuyue did not dare show any cowardice even though the person she was facing was stronger than her.

"Turn back and leave and you will not have to suffer."

The woman standing in the air with her fiery red hair and red clothes cackled. "Stop spouting nonsense and bring out the person who killed my dear disciple. I will give you all a quick death."

Liuyue gripped her sword firmly in her right hand, channeling her qi into it. "Nobody threatens my Master!" She cried out and slashed the air, sending a white blade qi at the intruder.

Cackling, the female in the air whose forehead was bound by a black cloth, brought forward her right palm. Countless smoke skulls emerged, hissing and gnawing the air as they moved down to counter the attack. They bit into the sword qi as if they were biting a carrot, shattering it before proceeding to attack Liuyue.

She gasped, jumping out of the way, and the skulls covered in black smoke struck the ground, creating a three-foot hole.

Liuyue swallowed the fear that the missed hit had instilled in her. 'Demon magic. Why is a person from the Demon sect here?'

The answer did not matter as what her master had told her to do.

She infused more qi into her sword and cut the air in a double slash, her breathing growing heavier due to the energy she was burning.

More skulls formed around the female calling in the sky, mocking Liuyue's effort to survive. "Why do you waste what is left of your pathetic life? Is it not better to just die in peace?"

"Shut up!" She yelled spinning around to create a curved blade qi that was twice the intent of the previous

Just like before, the smoke skulls hissed meeting the blade whooshing up at the opponent. But the strong sword intent in the attack sliced half of them before they could finally bite it from existence.

Despair blossomed in Liuyue, which was felt by Ren as he watched the fight from the door. 'Summon something,' Ren instructed.

'But Mas-'

'But nothing! Do it!'

She did a backward jump, and once she was out of the way, she activated her summoning array.

*Voom* *Voom*

The array fluctuated while Liuyue opened the portal, seeking any life form that would aid her defeat her opponent.

"Come out!" She screamed and a white light appeared in the array.

The summoning consumed what was left of her strength. Her body began falling. 'I have failed, master,' she whispered, her tears falling.

"You haven't," Ren assured catching her body before she hit the ground. "Now, command me to do your bidding."

"Mas...ter." She smiled weakly against his chest. "Take care of...her." Her eyes closed, drained of all of her qi.

Ren opened a void portal and sent her into the arms of Liu Ming to focus on the fight.