The morning sun bled gold over the Crimson Sect's newly cultivated terraces, shimmering off the delicate strands of Qi-infused dew. From above, the mountain looked less like a fortress and more like a garden of spiritual abundance.
Jin Zhen watched as rows of disciples plowed the spirit-soaked fields. It was not just training—it was cultivation. Each drop of sweat they shed nourished not only their bodies, but the sect's future.
[System Notification][Crimson Bloom Project Progress: 21%][Daily Spirit Grain Yield (Est.): 5.6 kg][New Trait Acquired: Agricultural Resonance - Spirit crops near host gain +10% growth speed.]
He smiled. "Even the land itself is responding."
Suddenly, the door to the central hall opened. A tall figure entered—the Sect's Beast Master, Elder Wen, cloaked in fur with a long staff carved from volcanic ashwood.
"Sect Master," Wen bowed, his tone cautious. "The Spiritback Ridge has seen movement. Flame-back Boars have descended into the valley."
Jin Zhen raised an eyebrow. "They've never come this low before."
Wen nodded grimly. "They're agitated. Something is stirring underground. But... their hides would make perfect armor. Their cores, excellent trade."
Jin Zhen's lips curled. "Dispatch a team. Take Lan Yuer and Fang Mu. Let this be their trial."
[System Quest Generated][Quest: Flame-back Boar Hunt (Elite)][Objective: Defeat 10 Flame-back Boars, Secure 5 Cores, Retrieve 1 Alpha Pelt][Reward: +3 SP, 800 Spirit Coins, Unlock: Boar Taming Option]
Meanwhile, Lan Yuer led the team through dense brush near the Spiritback Ridge. Qi detectors pulsed softly at her hip.
Fang Mu drew a crimson-tipped arrow. "They're close. I sense seven... no, eight heartbeats."
Suddenly, the earth trembled. Trees split. A wall of bristling muscle and tusks crashed through the underbrush.
"Formation Beta!" Lan shouted.
The team shifted instantly. Three disciples pinned the lead boar with barriers, while Fang loosed a bolt straight through its eye.
BOOM!
The creature shrieked and collapsed. But behind it, five more burst into view.
"Now it's a real test..." Lan muttered, activating her Flame Needle Array.
Back in the sect, Jin Zhen stood before the Flame Vault. The Spirit Flame Avatar bowed and stepped aside as he entered.
Inside, the walls gleamed with veins of spirit jade and glowing seals. He approached the treasury's central platform and opened his palm.
[Resource Transfer Active][Stored Wealth: 2,320 Mid-Grade Stones, 9 High-Grade Stones, 15 Mystic Material Fragments]
He reached toward the vault core and murmured: "Let's turn currency... into legacy."
[SP Expenditure Confirmed: 5 SP][Project Initiated: Flame Construct Workshop – Tier 1][Estimated Build Time: 3 Days. Assistants Required: 10 Spirit Artificers.]
As he stepped back, another notification appeared.
[SP Remaining: 2]
He nodded. "Enough for today."
At dusk, Lan Yuer returned—bruised but triumphant. Her team dragged in the bodies of ten boars, their hides scorched from controlled bursts of Flame Qi.
She dropped a massive core at Jin Zhen's feet. "One Alpha. Mission complete."
[Quest Completed][+3 SP, +800 Spirit Coins, New Option Unlocked: Boar Mount Breeding Pen (Locked: Requires Construction)]
Jin Zhen gave her a rare nod. "You've done well. From now on, you'll lead the Outer Patrol Division."
Lan Yuer's eyes widened. "I... I won't disappoint you, Master."
He turned to the others. "This is only the beginning. You will rise, because I will rise. And the Crimson Sect shall become a furnace the world cannot ignore."
His voice echoed across the mountains like thunder.