The regional gathering was held at Green River Sect.
Unlike Heavenly Ember, Green River's gates were intact.
Their outer courtyard alone was larger than Lian Zhou's entire sect.
Dozens of small and mid-tier sects had gathered.
Crimson Blade stood near the center.
Confident.
Arrogant.
Watching.
When Heavenly Ember entered—
The murmurs began immediately.
"That's them."
"The sect that refused tribute."
"They only have three disciples."
"And one Foundation?"
Impossible whispers followed them like wind.
Lian Zhou walked calmly at the front.
Chen Wei on his right.
Xiao Rin on his left.
Mu Jian half a step behind.
They didn't rush.
They didn't shrink.
They simply entered.
At the center of the courtyard stood a massive stone array platform.
Green River's elder stepped forward.
"As tradition," he announced, "we begin with talent and cultivation verification."
It wasn't optional.
Every sect's disciples would step onto the array.
The formation would measure:
Cultivation stability
Meridian quality
Constitution resonance
Potential trajectory
The results would be projected above the platform.
Public.
Unfiltered.
Humiliating if weak.
Glorious if strong.
Crimson Blade's disciples went first.
Two Foundation Early.
One Foundation Mid.
Their results appeared above the array in glowing script.
[Foundation Early — Stable]
[Potential: Moderate]
[Foundation Mid — Stable]
[Potential: Moderate]
Respectable.
Nothing exceptional.
The Crimson Blade Elder nodded.
Satisfied.
Green River Sect's top disciple stepped forward next.
Foundation Late.
The array glowed brighter.
[Foundation Late — High Stability]
[Potential: Upper Tier]
Murmurs rose.
That was impressive.
Then—
"Heavenly Ember Sect," the elder called.
Silence fell more sharply this time.
Lian Zhou nodded to Chen Wei first.
"Go."
Chen Wei stepped onto the array.
The formation activated.
Light spread beneath his feet.
His aura expanded naturally.
The array scanned.
For a moment—
It flickered.
Unexpected.
Then the projection appeared.
[Foundation Mid — High Structural Integrity]
[Meridian Capacity: Above Standard]
[Potential: Rising Tier]
The courtyard went quiet.
Above standard?
Rising tier?
That classification meant upward trajectory beyond current realm.
The Crimson Blade Elder frowned.
"He was average before," one of his disciples whispered.
"Something changed," the Elder muttered.
Chen Wei stepped down calmly.
No pride.
Just composure.
Next—
"Xiao Rin."
Xiao Rin walked forward.
Some sect leaders were already leaning forward.
They felt something.
The array activated.
This time—
The glow intensified immediately.
Heat spread faintly through the platform.
The formation lines burned brighter than before.
Then—
A pulse.
The projection appeared.
[Foundation Early — Exceptional Stability]
[Constitution Detected: Ember Spirit Body]
[Affinity: High Fire Resonance]
[Potential: High Tier]
The entire courtyard froze.
Ember Spirit Body.
High-tier constitution.
In a dying sect?
Whispers turned sharp.
"That's rare."
"Green River doesn't even have that."
"Crimson Blade definitely doesn't."
The Crimson Blade Elder's jaw tightened visibly.
Even Green River's elder narrowed his eyes.
"Ember Spirit Body," he repeated quietly.
Luo Han stood at the side and looked toward Lian Zhou.
Now he understood.
Heavenly Ember wasn't lucky.
It was deliberate.
Xiao Rin stepped down quietly.
His face calm.
But his presence had shifted.
He was no longer overlooked.
Now—
He was an asset.
A target.
Only Mu Jian remained.
He stepped forward.
Body Tempering 9th Layer.
Normally unimpressive.
But when the array scanned him—
It paused briefly.
[Body Tempering 9th Layer — Reinforced Skeletal Density]
[Meridian Stability: Improved]
[Potential: Moderate → Increasing]
Increasing.
Not high.
But upward trend.
Even Mu Jian looked surprised.
The system upgrades were being recognized publicly.
Not as artificial.
But as structural.
When Heavenly Ember stepped back together—
The narrative had shifted.
They were no longer the dying sect.
They were the sect that produced:
A Rising Foundation Mid
A High-Tier Fire Constitution
An Upward Trend Body Cultivator
And a calm sect master behind them.
Crimson Blade's Elder stepped forward suddenly.
"Talent is one thing," he said loudly.
"But strength is another."
He looked directly at Lian Zhou.
"Will Heavenly Ember accept sparring matches?"
The courtyard went quiet again.
This was not random.
This was challenge.
Publicly.
Lian Zhou looked at him calmly.
"Yes."
No hesitation.
Chen Wei felt his heartbeat steady.
Xiao Rin's eyes burned faintly.
Mu Jian clenched his fists.
This was the moment.
Across the courtyard, two larger sects had begun whispering among themselves.
"Ember Spirit Body…"
"That boy shouldn't stay in a minor sect."
Recruitment thoughts were already forming.
Exactly as the system warned.
The regional gathering had just begun.
And Heavenly Ember had just stepped onto the board.