Crimson Blade Sect did not wait long.
Two days after the failed tribute collection, dust rose on the road leading to Heavenly Ember Sect.
Not five cultivators this time.
Ten.
And at the center—
A Core Formation Elder.
Mu Jian saw them first from the watch platform.
"Sect Master… they brought an Elder."
Lian Zhou did not look surprised.
"What level?" he asked calmly.
Mu Jian swallowed.
"…Core Formation Early."
Silence settled briefly.
Chen Wei clenched his fists.
"We can't win against that."
Lian Zhou stood from his seat.
"No," he agreed.
Chen Wei blinked.
"No?"
"No. You can't."
He walked toward the courtyard.
"But that doesn't mean we lose."
Outside the broken gates, the Crimson Blade Elder stood with hands behind his back.
His presence alone suppressed the air.
Foundation disciples would struggle to breathe under that aura.
When Lian Zhou stepped out, the Elder's eyes narrowed slightly.
"So," the Elder said, "this is the Heavenly Ember Sect that refuses tribute."
"Yes," Lian Zhou replied.
The Elder's aura expanded deliberately.
Core Formation pressure rolled forward like a wave.
Mu Jian staggered back instantly.
Xiao Rin nearly collapsed.
Chen Wei gritted his teeth but stayed upright.
Lian Zhou did not move.
He allowed the pressure to hit him fully.
Then he adjusted his breathing.
Not resisting.
Not fighting.
Just aligning his Qi flow with the pressure.
The Elder noticed.
"You're calm."
"Yes."
"Foundation Early."
"Yes."
"And you think you can defy us?"
"Yes."
The Elder's eyes grew colder.
"On what basis?"
Lian Zhou smiled faintly.
"Cost."
Silence.
The Elder frowned slightly.
"Explain."
"If you destroy us," Lian Zhou said calmly, "you gain nothing."
The Elder laughed lightly.
"We gain territory."
"You gain ruins."
The Elder's gaze shifted briefly around the courtyard.
Cracked walls.
Three disciples.
Minimal resources.
It was true.
There was nothing valuable here.
"Then why refuse tribute?" the Elder asked.
"Because if we pay once," Lian Zhou said evenly, "we pay forever."
Silence stretched.
The Elder studied him more carefully now.
"You speak like someone with backing."
"I speak like someone calculating risk."
The Elder stepped forward.
"Risk?"
"Yes."
"You have none."
Lian Zhou tilted his head slightly.
"If you kill us today, what happens?"
"Nothing."
"Incorrect."
The Elder's expression tightened.
"You escalate to annex a dying sect," Lian Zhou continued. "Nearby sects observe. They see Crimson Blade expanding aggressively. They form alliances."
The Elder's eyes flickered slightly.
He had considered that.
"But if you allow us to exist," Lian Zhou said, "we remain irrelevant."
Silence.
"Until you grow," the Elder said.
"Yes."
"And then?"
"Then you deal with us."
Direct.
Honest.
The Elder stared at him.
"You admit future conflict."
"Yes."
"You're confident you'll survive that long?"
"Yes."
There was no arrogance in his tone.
Only clarity.
The Elder's aura tightened.
He released a sudden burst of pressure toward Chen Wei specifically.
Testing.
Chen Wei's legs trembled but he held.
The Elder's eyes narrowed again.
"Your disciple's foundation is clean."
"Yes."
"Too clean."
"Yes."
The Elder took a step closer.
"Did you use forbidden methods?"
"No."
That was technically true.
The system was not forbidden.
It was beyond classification.
The Elder remained silent for a long moment.
Then he withdrew his pressure.
"For now," he said, "we suspend tribute."
Chen Wei's eyes widened.
Mu Jian nearly exhaled in relief.
"But," the Elder continued, "if you step beyond your boundary… we won't talk again."
"Understood," Lian Zhou replied.
The Crimson Blade cultivators turned and left.
Not defeated.
But cautious.
When they disappeared down the road, Mu Jian collapsed to the ground.
"You just negotiated with a Core Formation Elder," he whispered.
"Yes."
Chen Wei looked at Lian Zhou carefully.
"You weren't afraid."
"No."
"Why?"
Lian Zhou turned toward the hall.
"Because fear doesn't improve odds."
Inside the system interface, new notification appeared.
[Major Sect Confrontation Resolved Without Loss.]
[Evaluation: Strategic Handling.]
[Reward: 10 Talent Points.]
Lian Zhou stopped walking.
Ten.
That was significant.
He opened the interface immediately.
[Available Talent Points: 18]
Now things became interesting.
Unlock Hidden Constitution required 10.
He could now transform someone fundamentally.
But who?
Chen Wei was already upgraded.
Mu Jian was steady but average.
Xiao Rin—
The weakest.
Qi Gathering 5th Layer.
Poor talent.
Quiet.
Overlooked.
Sometimes the worst starting material had the best hidden return.
He called them all to the courtyard.
From today onward, Heavenly Ember Sect would no longer survive by defense.
It would begin producing strength deliberately.