The gathering did not end immediately.
But the atmosphere around Heavenly Ember had changed.
They were no longer ignored.
They were being evaluated.
Measured.
Targeted.
Azure Mountain's elder did not argue publicly after Xiao Rin refused.
He simply nodded once and returned to his seat.
But that calm reaction was more dangerous than anger.
Lian Zhou knew that.
Powerful sects rarely pressured openly.
They pressured structurally.
After the sparring session ended, smaller sect leaders began approaching Heavenly Ember.
Polite smiles.
Curious questions.
"Where did you acquire your manuals?"
"How long has the Ember Spirit Body been active?"
"Do you accept outer disciples?"
Lian Zhou answered carefully.
Minimal information.
Maximum composure.
Chen Wei stood quietly beside him.
Xiao Rin said almost nothing.
Mu Jian observed everything.
Then a Green River elder approached privately.
"Azure Mountain does not like refusal," he said quietly.
"I know," Lian Zhou replied.
"They might offer resources next."
"And if refused again?"
"Pressure."
Lian Zhou nodded slightly.
Expected.
That night, Heavenly Ember was given temporary quarters within Green River Sect.
Modest rooms.
But guarded.
For safety, officially.
For observation, realistically.
Inside his room, Lian Zhou opened the system.
New notification blinked.
[Major Loyalty Event Registered.]
[New Authority Subfunction Unlocked.]
His eyes sharpened.
The panel expanded.
[External Talent Detection — Passive Scan Available.]
He leaned forward slightly.
"What does it detect?"
[Scans surrounding environment for individuals with latent high potential.]
[Range: 500 meters.]
[Activation Cost: 2 Talent Points.]
Interesting.
He had 17 Talent Points now.
He selected Activate.
A faint ripple spread outward from his position.
Not physical.
Structural.
The interface shifted.
Three dots appeared on a small spatial map.
Two green.
One faint gold.
His breathing slowed.
Gold.
Higher than Chen Wei's current classification.
He adjusted the focus.
The gold dot was within Green River's main compound.
Not Azure Mountain.
Not Crimson Blade.
Green River.
He expanded the profile.
[Unregistered Talent Detected.]
[Age: Approximately 12.]
[Current Realm: Qi Gathering 3rd Layer.]
[Latent Potential: High — Spirit-Enhanced Mind.]
Spirit-enhanced mind.
That was rare.
Not physical talent.
Mental structure.
Potential for formation mastery, alchemy, strategic computation.
He closed the panel slowly.
Green River didn't even know.
Or they would have already elevated that child.
A knock sounded at the door.
Mu Jian.
"Sect Master."
"Yes."
"I don't want to be left behind."
Direct.
Honest.
Lian Zhou looked at him calmly.
"You won't be."
Mu Jian clenched his jaw slightly.
"Xiao Rin is Foundation. Chen Wei is rising. I'm still Body Tempering."
"You are structure," Lian Zhou said evenly.
Mu Jian frowned slightly.
"I don't understand."
"You will."
After Mu Jian left, Lian Zhou reopened the system.
He had to make a choice.
Push internal strength further.
Or expand outward.
If he recruited the gold-potential child—
Heavenly Ember would gain strategic depth.
But that meant challenging Green River indirectly.
He smiled slightly.
Small sects survived by hiding.
Growing sects survived by expanding carefully.
The next morning, Azure Mountain's elder approached privately.
"You refused publicly," he said calmly.
"Yes."
"I respect loyalty," the elder continued. "But I also respect opportunity."
He extended a jade token.
"If your disciple changes his mind, Azure Mountain's gates are open."
Lian Zhou accepted the token without bowing.
"Understood."
The elder studied him carefully.
"You're not afraid."
"No."
"You should be."
"Not yet."
Silence lingered.
The elder turned and left.
Across the compound, Crimson Blade's elder was watching the exchange.
If Azure Mountain couldn't buy Heavenly Ember—
They would test them differently.
Soon.
That evening, Lian Zhou walked alone through Green River's inner courtyard.
He stopped near a smaller training yard.
A boy sat there.
Thin.
Quiet.
Qi Gathering 3rd Layer.
Practicing alone.
His movements were unremarkable.
But his eyes—
Sharp.
Calculating.
Every strike measured.
Every breath regulated.
The gold dot pulsed faintly in Lian Zhou's vision.
Spirit-Enhanced Mind.
The kind of disciple who could design arrays.
Refine pills.
Predict outcomes.
Not flashy.
But irreplaceable.
The boy looked up suddenly.
He sensed being watched.
Lian Zhou did not hide.
"What is your name?" he asked calmly.
"Yan Shu," the boy replied.
"Why train alone?"
"No one else wants to."
Honest.
Interesting.
The system panel updated quietly:
[Recruitment Opportunity Detected.]
This was not just sect defense anymore.
This was expansion.
Back in his quarters, Lian Zhou reviewed everything.
Heavenly Ember now had:
Chen Wei — Combat Core
Xiao Rin — Constitution Core
Mu Jian — Structural Core (pending)
What it lacked—
Was a mind.
Yan Shu could be that.
But recruiting him would mean competing with Green River.
He smiled slightly.
Manufacturing geniuses was one thing.
Acquiring them was another.