The transformation of the chicken coop had been subtle, but as Lei Jun walked past it, he could feel a shift. The birds didn't just look healthier; they moved with a sharp, rhythmic intent that hadn't been there before.
"If a simple coop can do this," he murmured, his eyes turning toward the dilapidated structure at the center of the peak, "what could the heart of a sect become?"
The Sect Main Hall.
To any wandering cultivator, it was a crumbling ruin. To Lei Jun, it was the key. He didn't just want the 5% increase in spiritual Qi; he wanted the safety net.
In the treacherous path of cultivation, a 5% boost to the success rate of breaking through minor realms could mean the difference between a long life and a shattered dantian.
He checked his storage pouch. 203 low-grade spirit stones.
"Not much for a Sect Leader," he sighed, "but enough for a start."
These spirit stones are his hard earned savings for the last two years and he has to do tremendous amount of work to save them, but now they they are all going to end.
The Trip to Yu Town---
Wasting no time, Lei Jun slapped a Qianfeng Charm onto his thigh. These charms are of lower first grade and are very cheap but handy for such situations and don't cost much just two spirit stones for one.
Lei Jun got hand on these kinds of treasures from his late master storage bag. The storage bag was the sect's hairloom passed from generations, and finally he got his hands on it.
As for why did he used such charms for traveling because it saves the time and ofcourse his life .
Green energy surged through his legs, and he blurred into a streak of motion toward the nearby Yu Town.
The town was a bustling hub of low-level cultivators and mortal merchants. Lei Jun moved through the streets with practiced anonymity.
He headed straight for the hundred Treasure Hall, a reputable establishment that didn't ask too many questions.
"I need roof tiles, seven sets of spirit-wood tables, and silk futons," Lei Jun stated, keeping his voice neutral. "And seven logs of First-Grade Iron Wood."
The clerk tallied the cost. "For low-grade spirit wood and standard silk? That will be twenty-eight stones for the furniture. Seven stones for the tiles. The Iron Wood is sturdier—thirty-five stones for the lot."
"Seventy spirit stones," Lei Jun muttered, counting out the glowing gems. It felt like a physical wound to his wallet, leaving him with only 133 stones.
On his way back, he took no chances. He ducked into narrow alleys, changing his outer robes three times and weaving through the crowds until he was certain no greedy eyes were following the "wealthy" customer.
Back at the sect, Lei Jun didn't head for his meditation mat. Instead, he went to the storage room—now labeled the Miscellaneous Hall by his system interface—and grabbed a rusted sickle.
For hours, the Sect Leader of the Eternal God Sect (population: one) bent his back against the stubborn weeds choking the main hall. By sunset, his robes were stained with sweat and soil.
"Never thought being a Sect Leader involved so much gardening," he joked weakly, wiping his brow.
Despite his Mid-Stage Qi Refining cultivation, the physical labor combined with the mental strain of his trip had drained him.
He climbed onto the roof, the old tiles groaning under his weight as he replaced them one by one.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in bruises of purple and gold, a sudden wave of loneliness hit him. He sat on the ridge of the roof, looking out over his empty mountain.
"Is this it?" he whispered. "Just me and a bunch of magic chickens?"
His heart began to race—a sign of mental instability. He quickly closed his eyes, chanting the Heart Calming Sutra. "The heart is like still water, reflecting the moon without ripples..." Slowly, the unrest faded.
Under the cover of night, lit only by a dim charcoal stove, Lei Jun arranged the new furniture.
He placed the tables in two neat rows for the non-existent elders and set his own seat at the head of the hall. Finally, he piled 100 spirit stones in the center of the floor.
He called up the interface.
[Sect Main Hall (Level 0)
Effect: Spiritual Qi Gathering +5%, Minor Realm Breakthrough Success +5%.
Upgrade Conditions: Complete roof tiles (Check), Clean hall (Check), Reconstruct seats (Check), 100 Low-Grade Spirit Stones (Check).]
Confirm Upgrade?
"Confirm," Lei Jun whispered.
The world didn't just shake; it rewrote itself.
The spirit stones vanished into motes of light. The cracks in the walls didn't just close—the stone seemed to melt and reform into polished slabs.
The shabby tables he'd just bought suddenly darkened, the grain of the wood deepening and emitting a faint, ancient fragrance.
Lei Jun gasped, running his hand over his new desk. "This... this isn't low-grade spirit wood anymore. This is First-Grade High-Level Wood, at least a few centuries old!"
To an outsider, the hall still looked modest—perhaps a bit "rustic." But Lei Jun felt the air thicken. The Qi was swirling, centering itself right where he stood.
[Sect Main Hall (Level 1)— ACTIVE]
[Effect: Spiritual Qi Gathering +5%, Minor Realm Breakthrough Success +5%.]
Elated, he checked the requirements for Level 2. His smile instantly vanished.
[Sect Main Hall (Level 2)]
[lvl 2 Effect: Gather more spiritual qi in the main hall by 8% , success rate for breakthrough of minor realms + 10%]
[Upgrade Conditions: Build two 2nd-Grade High-Level Spirit Gathering and Soundproof Arrays, 5,000 Low-Grade Spirit Stones.( Not achieved)]
"Five thousand?!" Lei Jun roared, his voice echoing in the empty hall. "The chicken coop only went from ten to two hundred! This is a jump to a different world!"
At his current income, it would take him decades of scavenging to save that much. He slumped into his new, high-quality chair, the weight of the future pressing down on him.
But then, he noticed something. Below the wall of text, a small, pulsing icon of a silk pouch had appeared—something he hadn't noticed before.
He focused his mind on it, and a new window flickered into existence.