The golden light of the system notification had barely faded when the air in the Sect Main Hall thickened, turning heavy with a pressure that made Lei Jun's lungs seize.
He blinked, and his heart nearly leaped out of his throat.The hall was no longer empty.
Six figures occupied the seven seats he had just painstakingly arranged.
The silence was absolute, broken only by the crackle of the small stove, but the invisible aura radiating from these men was like a physical weight.
Each one felt more formidable than his late master; even the shopkeeper of the Thousand Treasure Hall, whom Lei Jun had always considered a powerhouse, seemed like a flickering candle next to these six suns.
Experts... they're all experts on a level I can't even fathom, Lei Jun thought, his palms slick with cold sweat. If they wanted to, they could turn me to ash with a single breath.
"Sect Master," a calm, weathered voice broke the tension. "What is troubling you?"
Lei Jun's gaze snapped to the speaker. An old man in grey attire sat to his right.
He looked fragile—his hair and beard were as white as winter frost, and though he looked fragile enough for a stiff breeze to knock over, the power rolling off him made Lei Jun feel like he was standing before a volcano.
Lei Jun froze, his mind racing. Then, he noticed the detail he had missed in his panic: they were sitting on the very tables and futons he had just bought.
Lei Jun swallowed hard, forcing his trembling knees to lock. He remembered the system's 'Beginner Reward.' This has to be it.
"Elder," Lei Jun said, his voice cracking slightly before he steadied it. He stood upright, trying to mimic the dignity of his late master. "Can you... explain your situation? To be specific,.... your purpose for being here?
The old man stroked his beard, a hint of amusement dancing in his eyes. "Sect Leader, I am here because of your special invitation."
My invitation? The system... it didn't just upgrade the building; it summoned the staff.
Those words hit Lei Jun like a melody. Sect Leader. He wasn't just a boy hiding on a mountain anymore; he was a master governing a sect.
Lei Jun felt a surge of hysterical laughter bubbling in his throat, but he suppressed it. He turned his gaze toward the others, and as he did, the system panel in his mind flickered to life, feeding him their stats like a deck of cards.
As he looked at them, a blue semi-transparent panel flickered into his vision, detailing the first man's soul.
[Name - Xiao Gang
Cultivation - True Yuan Realm first stage
Role - scripture pavilion master
Technique practiced - Earth spirit art ( xuan grade low )
Talent - xuan grade-mid
Comprehension - medium ]
To the left sat a man with a jagged eye-patch. Zhen Fei, a Weapon Refining Master at the Peak of the Qi Wheel Realm.
[Name - Zhen fei
Cultivation - Qi wheel realm peak stage
Role - weapon refining master( 3rd grade peak)
Technique practiced - Fire and metal control art ( xuan grade low )
Talent - xuan grade-low
Comprehension - low ]
One by one, as his gaze shifted, the panels updated.
Beside him was a bald man named Wu Zhen, a True Yuan Realm 4th Stage Array Master whose eyes seemed to calculate the very geometry of the room.
[Name - Wu Zhen
Cultivation - True Yuan Realm fourth stage
Role - Array master ( 3rd grade late stage)
Technique practiced- Heavenly Zhen manual(xuan grademid )
Talent - xuan grade- high
Comprehension - high]
Then there was the man who radiated a stillness so profound it felt like the world slowed down around him.
"Liang Yi," Lei Jun whispered as he read the panel.
Liang Yi, the Ancestral Hall Priest, sitting at the Peak of the True Yuan Realm. He was the strongest among them, a true titan of cultivation.
[Name - Liang yi
Cultivation - True Yuan Realm peak
Role - ancestral hall priest
Technique practiced - True nine water Scripture (xuan grade high )
Talent - di grade-low
Comprehension - medium]
After reading his information through panel Lei Jun came to realisation that this calm guy is indeed worthy of his demeanor as he was the strongest among all of the six present.
Next was a muscular man clutching a black saber, his aura fiery and predatory. Situ Zen, the Training Hall Master.
[Name - Situ Zen
Cultivation - True Yuan Realm 2nd stage
Role - Training Hall master
Technique practiced - nine saber art of destruction (xuan grade- low )
Talent - xuan grade-high
Comprehension - low]
And finally, a plump man with notably long ears and a jovial face: Piao Mojun, the Treasurer.
[Name - Piao Mojun
Cultivation - Qi wheel realm 8th stage
Role - Treasurer
Technique practiced - True Golden body secrets (xuan grade- high)
Talent - xuan grade-mid
Comprehension - low]
As Lei Jun processed their stats, a final panel appeared—his own.
[Name -Lei Jun]
Cultivation - Qi Refining Realm, 4th Stage
Technique practiced - Fire spirit art (yellow grade mid)
Talent: xuan Grade-Mid
Comprehension: Medium
I really am the weakest here, Lei Jun thought with a dry chuckle. His xuan Grade-Mid talent was decent—one in ten thousand among mortals—but compared to these veterans, he was a mere seedling in cultivation .
From this he also came to a realisation that the talent is divided into such grades -- such as yu for common or even trash talent, xuan for decent talent, whereas di stands for earth level genius and tian are heavenly talents.
Yet, the realization didn't discourage him. With these "hands" to help, the development of the Thunder God Sect would accelerate a hundredfold.
"The spiritual Qi here..." Liang Yi spoke, his eyes still closed, his voice like the deep tolling of a bell. "It is barren. My cultivation feels as though it is treading through mud."
The others murmured in somber agreement. Lei Jun's heart sank. He knew the spiritual vein was destroyed, but he had hoped to delay the reconstruction due to the astronomical cost.
Now, looking at these men, he realized he didn't have a choice. If the Qi didn't improve, their cultivation would regress.
"I am aware," Lei Jun said, stepping into the center of the hall. "The spiritual vein must be restored. But a project of that magnitude requires a mountain of spirit stones—stones we do not currently possess."
He looked at the six masters. "I propose a massive purge of the demon beasts in the surrounding mountains. We sell the materials—hides, cores, and meat—in Yu Town and the neighboring cities. With your strength, we can gather enough wealth in a fraction of the time."
The room remained quiet. Situ Zen, the man with the black saber, stood up, his eyes gleaming with a martial light. "The blade is thirsty. I will hunt."
Lei Jun smiled, expecting the others to follow suit. Instead, Xiao Gang coughed into his hand. "My back isn't what it used to be, Sect Leader. I have scrolls to catalog."
"I must calibrate the furnace," Zhen Fei grumbled, looking at his eye-patch.
"The arrays of this hall require my constant focus," Wu Zhen added smoothly.
One by one, they offered excuses, their expressions polite but distant. Lei Jun felt a wave of frustration.
They're testing me. They see a Qi Refining kid and think they can just coast while one man does the work.
He closed his eyes, his mind screaming for a way to assert himself. Suddenly, a line of bold text flashed in his consciousness:
[Sect Master Authority is absolute for ranks below him. Subjects are bound by system-enforced loyalty to the Sect.]
Lei Jun opened his eyes, a new, cold light shining in them. He realized he didn't need to beg. He didn't need to be stronger than them to lead them.
"Elder Piao," Lei Jun said, his voice dropping to a commanding tone as he looked at the fat treasurer. "You say you are a man of coins. If we do not have Qi, your 'treasures' are nothing but useless metal. Do you agree?"
Piao Mojun blinked, his long ears twitching. "Well... yes, Sect Leader, but—"
"No 'buts'," Lei Jun interrupted. "I am not asking for volunteers. I am setting the foundation for our survival. Elder Situ will lead the hunt. The rest of you will prepare the infrastructure to process and sell what he brings back. If the spirit stones do not flow, this hall remains a tomb. Is that understood?"
The air in the room shifted. The elders looked at each other, surprised by the sudden iron in the young man's voice.
The system's authority rippled through the hall, and for the first time, the "Absolute Authority" of the Sect Master was felt by all.
" And don't worry, i am not a person whom forget your hardwork and will definitely help you improve your cultivation." Lei Jun said.
At this everyone first went stunned because they already knew themselves that they are past their prime and had already hit their ceilings.
But if their is even a slight chance and opportunity....
They all looked at each other and finally agreed.