Li Fei stood at the entrance courtyard, staring at the ruined buildings surrounding him.
Broken halls.
Cracked stone pathways.
Collapsed statues covered in moss.
It looked less like a sect and more like the forgotten remains of an ancient battlefield.
Li Fei blinked in confusion.
"This… is really a sect?"
Yan Fu walked ahead calmly, his long white robes flowing in the wind.
"Yes."
Li Fei looked around again.
"There isn't even a single intact building…"
Yan Fu simply smiled.
"That's why we're rebuilding it."
He slowly walked deeper into the sect while Li Fei followed behind him.
"This used to be the main courtyard," Yan Fu explained.
They passed a broken training platform made of cracked jade stone.
"In the past, disciples practiced their techniques here."
A little further ahead stood a half-destroyed hall with shattered pillars.
"And that," Yan Fu said, pointing toward it, "was the main cultivation hall."
Li Fei scratched the back of his head.
"Used to be is the key word here…"
Yan Fu laughed softly.
"Don't worry."
He stopped walking and turned toward Li Fei.
"Soon, this entire place will change."
Li Fei tilted his head.
"You sound very confident for someone with only one disciple."
Yan Fu raised a finger.
"Correction."
He smiled.
"One very talented disciple."
Li Fei rolled his eyes.
"Flattery won't make me stronger."
Yan Fu's eyes gleamed slightly.
"But I can."
Li Fei paused.
"What do you mean?"
Yan Fu walked toward him.
"Your body is extraordinary."
Li Fei looked down.
"I know my talent is good, but—"
Yan Fu interrupted him.
"Good?"
He shook his head.
"You have one of the rarest physiques in the entire Dongxu World."
Li Fei's eyes widened.
"What?"
Yan Fu gently raised his hand and placed two fingers against Li Fei's chest.
"Your meridians are mostly sealed."
"That's why you haven't been able to cultivate properly."
Li Fei frowned.
"That's impossible. I've tried countless cultivation techniques."
Yan Fu chuckled.
"That's because none of them were meant for someone like you."
Before Li Fei could ask more—
Yan Fu released a tiny portion of his true cultivation.
BOOM.
The air across the entire mountain trembled.
The sky above Ji Xia Sect suddenly darkened slightly as an overwhelming pressure filled the surroundings.
Li Fei froze.
His body felt like it was standing before an endless ocean.
"Th-this…"
His voice trembled.
"This is your real power…?"
Yan Fu quickly suppressed the aura again.
The mountain returned to normal.
Li Fei stared at him in shock.
"You could destroy entire sects with that power…"
Yan Fu shrugged casually.
"Maybe."
Then he tapped Li Fei's chest again.
"Now focus."
Warm spiritual energy began flowing into Li Fei's body.
It traveled through his blocked meridians like a powerful river breaking through stone.
Crack.
Crack.
Crack.
Li Fei suddenly gasped.
His body felt like chains were snapping inside him.
The sealed meridians began opening one after another.
A massive surge of spiritual energy rushed into his dantian.
The surrounding spiritual energy of the mountain started gathering around him.
Li Fei clenched his fists.
"I feel… stronger…"
Yan Fu nodded.
"Your cultivation path has finally opened."
But he wasn't finished yet.
Yan Fu raised his hand again.
"This is the real gift."
A powerful celestial energy flowed from his palm into Li Fei's body.
Deep inside Li Fei's spiritual core—
Something ancient awakened.
A pink flame suddenly burst into existence.
WHOOSH!
A phantom phoenix appeared behind Li Fei.
Its feathers shone like pink jade, and its eyes burned with royal authority.
Yan Fu spoke calmly.
"I hereby awaken your true physique."
"The Celestial Body: Pink Jade Phoenix Emperor."
Li Fei's eyes turned bright pink as power surged through his veins.
His cultivation suddenly skyrocketed.
Qi Gathering Realm…
Mid Qi Gathering…
Late Qi Gathering…
Then—
BOOM!
He broke through to the Foundation Establishment Realm.
The phantom phoenix cried loudly before fading back into his body.
Li Fei collapsed to his knees, breathing heavily.
"That… was incredible…"
Yan Fu crossed his arms.
"Get used to it."
But before he could say anything else—
A glowing screen suddenly appeared in front of him.
The system's voice sounded urgent.
[Emergency Side Quest Activated]
Yan Fu frowned slightly.
"Emergency?"
The screen displayed several lines rapidly.
[Objective: Summon Three Guardian Beasts for Ji Xia Sect]
Purpose: Unlock Sect Celestial Renovation]
Li Fei looked up.
"What is that?"
Yan Fu ignored the question as he read the rewards.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
[Reward 1: Sect Renovation – Celestial Level]
[Reward 2: Celestial Barrier x9]
[Reward 3: Divine Weapon – Phoenix Bow]
Yan Fu slowly smiled.
"Now that…"
"…is a very interesting reward."
The system continued.
[Warning: Quest must be completed soon.]
[Guardian Beasts are necessary for sect defense.]
Li Fei stood up slowly.
"What's going on?"
Yan Fu looked toward the distant mountains surrounding Ji Xia Sect.
Three faint spiritual beast auras could be sensed far away.
He pointed toward the horizon.
"We're going hunting."
Li Fei blinked.
"Hunting?"
Yan Fu planted his white staff firmly into the ground.
"For our sect."
His hazel-green eyes glowed slightly.
"We need three guardian beasts."
And somewhere in the distant mountains—
Three powerful creatures had just unknowingly become Yan Fu's next targets.