Morning in the Eternal Radiance Divine Sect began, as usual, with Hu Daniu screaming.
"SOMEONE STOLE OUR CHICKEN!"
Li Qingyu blinked awake from his half-dreams of fame and fried dumplings. He looked out the window to see Daniu pointing at a single, muddy footprint in the courtyard, holding the empty chicken coop door like it had personally betrayed him.
"We had a chicken?" asked Ziyan, appearing at his side with a towel around her neck and a sword in her hand.
"I raised her from an egg!" Daniu sniffled. "She was going to lay spiritual eggs one day!"
Su Jian leaned in from the side, sipping tea. "Based on her diet of moldy rice and weeds, I suspect she was spiritually malnourished."
"That's slander," Daniu hissed.
Li Qingyu raised a hand. "Alright, enough. Daniu, you can grieve later. Right now, we have bigger problems."
"Bigger than poultry kidnapping?" Su Jian asked.
"Yes. Today is Sect Registration Day in Stone Ridge City."
Ziyan narrowed her eyes. "And?"
"And…" Li Qingyu smiled, "we are going to officially register the Eternal Radiance Divine Sect and prove we exist."
Everyone stared.
"…We don't already exist?" Daniu asked hesitantly.
"We exist spiritually. Not bureaucratically."
---
[Ding! Side Mission: Register Your Sect with the Stone Ridge Cultivation Union!]
[Rewards: Sect Fame +1, Basic Formation Array (Defensive), +100 Sect Points]
[Warning: Registration is limited to one representative per sect. Competition expected.]
Li Qingyu donned his cleanest robes—meaning the ones with only three patches—and adjusted his jade token of leadership.
"Ziyan, Su Jian. You're in charge while I'm gone. Daniu, you're… also here."
"I'll guard the chicken shrine," Daniu said solemnly.
"We don't have a—"
"I SAID I'LL GUARD IT."
---
Stone Ridge City was unusually crowded today. Hundreds of sect representatives, wandering cultivators, and spiritual vendors lined the wide central square. A massive platform stood at the center, with a golden banner reading:
"SECT REGISTRATION COMPETITION: ONLY ONE SHALL STAND (LEGALLY)."
Li Qingyu muttered under his breath, "I knew there'd be a catch."
Beside the platform stood a robed official with a clipboard and a heavenly sense of superiority. He spoke into a voice-amplifying jade talisman.
"All sects wishing to register must participate in today's challenge. The winner will be granted official status, entry into the regional registry, and one complimentary attack waiver coupon."
Li Qingyu raised a hand. "Excuse me. What's the challenge?"
The official smiled like a debt collector.
"Simple. Every sect will nominate one disciple to fight in a single-round elimination tournament."
Li Qingyu blinked. "We're doing a fighting tournament just to sign paperwork?"
"Yes."
"What happened to scrolls? Stamps? A simple spirit mark?"
The official shrugged. "Budget cuts."
---
Back at the sect, Ziyan was testing her new sword technique on bamboo stalks. Each slash sent a crack of force through the air.
Su Jian approached. "How long do you think our esteemed sect master will last?"
Ziyan paused. "That depends. Is he actually fighting?"
"Yes."
She sighed. "We might need a new sect master."
---
Back in Stone Ridge, Li Qingyu sat cross-legged, watching two sects pummel each other off the platform with techniques that rattled the sky.
One disciple screamed, "FLAMING CRANE PALM!"
Another shouted, "TWELVE STORM NEEDLES!"
"Note to self," Li Qingyu muttered. "We need cooler move names."
When it was finally his turn, the official called, "Eternal Radiance Divine Sect—send forth your chosen warrior!"
Everyone looked around.
Li Qingyu stood, smiled, and walked onto the platform.
Laughter rippled through the crowd.
"Is that the janitor?"
"He's carrying a broom."
"Maybe it's a flying weapon?"
"Maybe he's just lost."
His opponent stepped onto the stage—a giant of a man from the Iron Bone Fist Sect. Muscles like bricks. Aura like a thundercloud. A scar ran down his face, and his fists crackled with condensed spiritual energy.
"I won't go easy," the man rumbled.
"Good," said Li Qingyu, still smiling. "Because neither will I."
---
[Ding! Activating Sect Master Battle Boost: 'Founder's Defiance'.]
[Temporary Stat Boosts: +Agility, +Spiritual Pressure, +Charm. Duration: 5 minutes.]
"Let's get this over with," the man growled.
He charged with a roar, fist like a battering ram.
Li Qingyu moved like wind.
He sidestepped, tapped the man's shoulder with his broom, and whispered, "You missed."
The crowd gasped.
The Iron Bone Fist disciple roared and swung again.
Li Qingyu crouched, spun, and smacked the broom across the man's shin.
The sound was comical.
But the result wasn't.
The man stumbled, slipped, and landed flat on his back with a thud that cracked the stage.
Silence.
Then—"...Did he just trip him?"
The official hesitated. "Uh… Winner: Eternal Radiance Divine Sect?"
The crowd erupted. Some in disbelief. Others in laughter. A few cultivators began taking notes.
Li Qingyu dusted off his robes and whispered, "Style over strength, baby."
---
[Ding! Sect Registered Successfully!]
[Rewards Gained:]
+100 Sect Points
+1 Sect Fame
Defensive Array Unlocked: "Whirling Grass Formation"
+1 Reputation Among Rogue Cultivators
Li Qingyu strolled out of the plaza, sipping tea.
Behind him, a dozen scouts whispered, "Who is that guy?"
"A wandering expert?"
"Maybe a reincarnated elder!"
---
Back at the sect, Ziyan was in the middle of explaining sword maintenance to Daniu when she felt the air shift.
Then a pulse of energy shimmered across the sky. A ring of symbols lit up around the entire mountain.
"What… is that?" Daniu breathed.
Su Jian adjusted his glasses. "That… is a formation array."
A moment later, Li Qingyu walked into the courtyard whistling.
"We're official now," he said casually.
"You fought?" Ziyan asked, eyes narrowing.
"I won," he said smugly.
"How?"
He leaned forward and whispered, "With footwork, physics, and flair."
Su Jian clapped. "Congratulations, Sect Master."
"Also," Li Qingyu added, "they gave me a free token. We now have one Attack Waiver Coupon, usable to avoid death from one sect raid."
Daniu cheered. "We're unstoppable!"
"We're now barely legal," Ziyan corrected. "That's not the same as unstoppable."
Li Qingyu grinned.
"Give us time."