The wind was restless that day.
It did not howl, nor did it rage—it wandered. Like a question left unanswered, brushing across the broken hills and barren soil, stirring dust where once life had stood proudly.
At the edge of that forgotten land stood a young man.
He was not dressed like a king, nor did he carry the overwhelming presence of a supreme cultivator. His robe was simple, his posture relaxed, yet his eyes… his eyes did not belong to a man who merely wandered.
They belonged to someone who had decided something irreversible.
Lui Ming
Twenty-five years of age. A newly advanced Foundation Establishment cultivator.
And today .... he chose to build something that should not exist in this world.
Behind him stood eleven figures.
Not an army. Not followers. Not yet.
They were elders .... each one a cultivator who had walked their own path, survived their own battles, and carried their own beliefs. Some stood calmly. Some observed quietly. Some doubted openly.
And some… had not yet decided if they would stay.
Lui Ming did not turn around immediately. He simply looked ahead, at the empty valley below.
"This place," he said calmly, "will become a sect."
Silence followed.
It was not the silence of agreement.
It was the silence of skepticism.
Finally, a voice broke it.
"You chose a wasteland."
The speaker stepped forward.
He wore white robes ..... clean, simple, but dignified. His hair, streaked with age but not weakness, was tied neatly behind him. His gaze was steady, experienced, and difficult to deceive.
Zhou Lui.
The senior-most among them.
Not the strongest .... but the one who had seen the most.
Lui Ming smiled faintly.
"Yes."
Zhou Lui narrowed his eyes slightly. "Then you must have a reason."
Lui Ming turned.
Now, he faced them all.
"I do."
His voice was calm ..... not loud, not forceful ..... but it carried.
"I am not building a sect to compete."
A few brows frowned.
"I am not building a sect to dominate."
A few eyes sharpened.
"I am building a place… where chaos is not the default."
Now, they reacted.
One of the elders scoffed.
"A dream."
Another crossed his arms. "Naive."
A third simply shook his head.
But Lui Ming did not argue.
He simply continued.
"You can still fight here."
"You can still hate."
"You can still leave."
"I will not stop you."
That made them pause. No one expected that. He took a step forward.
"I will not control you."
"I will not force you."
"I will not demand loyalty."
A breeze passed through them.
"But if you stay…"
His gaze sharpened .... not with dominance, but with clarity.
"You accept one thing." Silence deepened.
"We solve problems." No one spoke.
"No matter the conflict."
"No matter the origin."
"No matter how difficult."
"We do not default to chaos."
A long pause followed.
Then .....
A soft laugh. It came from the right.
A woman stepped forward. She wore light armor ... not heavy, but refined. Practical. Her figure was balanced between strength and elegance, her long hair flowing behind her, partially covering her ears. Her spear rested lightly against her shoulder, yet even without movement, it radiated a quiet lethality.
Her name was Lin Yue.
"Sounds ideal," she said, smiling faintly. "But what if someone refuses?"
Lui Ming looked at her.
"Then they leave."
No hesitation.
Lin Yue tilted her head slightly. "And if they don't?"
Lui Ming's expression did not change. "Then they are not welcome."
A faint tension filled the air.
This time, another voice spoke. Gentle. Soft. Almost playful.
"So strict already?"
A second woman stepped forward.
Rabbit ears rose slightly above her head, twitching faintly as she observed the group. Her eyes were bright, intelligent, and filled with a quiet curiosity. She held a bundle of herbs in her arms, fingers absentmindedly brushing across the leaves as if listening to them. Her name was Bai Tu.
"Will people really follow something like that?" she asked, tilting her head.
Lui Ming looked at her. "Not many."
He said it simply.
"No one who seeks power alone will stay."
"No one who thrives in chaos will stay."
"No one who refuses to face themselves will stay."
He paused.
"And that is exactly the point."
Zhou Lui finally stepped forward again.
"You are not building a sect," he said slowly.
"You are filtering people."
Lui Ming smiled.
"Yes."
That answer lingered.
One of the elders - a middle-aged man with sharp eyes - snorted.
"And what happens when stronger sects come?"
"Or when demonic cultivators invade?"
"Or when beasts decide this land belongs to them?"
"Will your 'solutions' stop them?"
The tension sharpened.
This was no longer philosophy.
This was reality.
Lui Ming met his gaze.
"No."
The answer came instantly.
"They won't."
The elder smirked slightly.
"So you admit it."
Lui Ming nodded.
"Yes."
Then—
"We fight."
The air shifted.
Not violently.
But clearly.
"We train."
"We cultivate."
"We grow stronger."
"Power still matters."
His voice remained calm.
"But it is not everything."
He looked at each of them.
"If you believe strength alone creates order…"
He paused.
"Then this place is not for you."
Silence.
Heavy.
Real.
This was the moment.
Some looked away.
Some frowned.
Some hesitated.
One of the elders turned slightly, as if already considering leaving.
Another sighed quietly.
But Zhou Lui…
Zhou Lui watched Lui Ming closely.
"You are young," he said.
"Yes."
"You are inexperienced."
"Yes."
"You may fail."
"Yes."
No denial. No defense.
Zhou Lui's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Then why do it?"
Lui Ming looked back at the valley.
The wind passed again.
This time, it felt different.
"I don't seek peace."
The words were quiet.
"I seek a world where chaos is no longer the default."
He turned back.
"And if no one builds it…"
"Then it will never exist."
That was all.
No grand declaration. No overwhelming aura. Just a decision.
A long silence followed.
Then....
Zhou Lui nodded.
"Then I will stay."
The first to decide.
Not because he fully believed.
But because he understood.
Lin Yue smirked slightly.
"Well… this sounds more interesting than wandering aimlessly."
She spun her spear lightly before resting it again.
"I'll stay."
Bai Tu smiled softly.
"I want to see if herbs grow better in a place like this."
She stepped forward.
"I'll stay too."
One by one....
Not all.
But some.
A total of eleven elders stood there.
Each one with different thoughts.
Different reasons.
Different doubts.
But for now....
They remained.
Lui Ming nodded.
"Then we begin."
He turned toward the valley again.
"This place needs three things first."
Zhou Lui folded his arms.
"Say it."
Lui Ming raised one finger.
"Food."
A second.
"Shelter."
A third.
"Stability."
Lin Yue raised an eyebrow.
"No talk of formations? No talk of treasures?"
Lui Ming shook his head.
"Those come later."
"If we cannot solve basic needs…"
He glanced at them.
"Then everything else is meaningless."
Bai Tu smiled faintly.
"I like that."
One of the doubtful elders spoke again.
"And what about rules?"
Lui Ming paused.
Then....
"No unnecessary rules."
They frowned.
"That sounds dangerous."
Lui Ming nodded.
"It is."
He turned back fully.
"But we will create systems."
"Not control."
"Not enforcement."
"Support."
Zhou Lui's eyes sharpened slightly.
"You want people to choose order."
"Yes."
"And if they don't?"
Lui Ming's voice did not change.
"Then they leave."
Again.
The same answer.
Clear.
Unwavering.
The wind blew stronger this time.
As if something unseen had begun to move.
Lui Ming stepped forward.
Down the slope.
Into the empty land.
No grand entrance.
No dramatic aura.
Just footsteps.
But behind him—
They followed.
Not all with certainty.
Not all with belief.
But enough.
For something to begin.
That day.....
There was no sect.
No buildings.
No power.
No reputation.
Only an idea.
Fragile.
Unproven.
Almost foolish.
But alive.
And in a world where chaos ruled by default -
That alone…
Was the most dangerous thing of all.
End of Chapter 1