Chapter 1: Born a Sword Maniac
âFrom today onward, you shall be the Sect Master of the Clear Sky Sect. From now on, take good care of your junior brothers and sisters.â
After leaving behind those words, the former Sect Master, Lin Xunfeng, turned and departed without hesitation. His back faced his disciples, and on that face, which looked no older than thirty, was an expression filled with unwavering resolve.
Walking down along the mountain path, Lin Xunfengâs azure robes fluttered lightly in the wind, exuding the air of a free-spirited wanderer of the martial world.
It was already dusk. The crimson glow of the sunset dyed the sky, and the distant ridges of the mountains looked as though they were lined with threads of fire. The setting sun was both beautiful and sorrowful.
Standing before the mountain gate, Li Qingqiuâs face was full of indignation. He had tried his best to persuade his Master, but the latter refused to listen, insisting on going down the mountain to seek immortality.
As the eldest disciple of the Clear Sky Sect, Li Qingqiu was only sixteen. His six junior brothers and sisters were even youngerâthe youngest was barely ten.
Leaving him to raise them⊠wasnât that ruining his life?
He, too, wanted to roam the world with a sword in hand and live freely. He had long grown tired of the idle days atop this mountain. He even found himself missing the days of his past lifeâplaying intense shooting games at home, then lying on the sofa scrolling through short videos when he was exhausted.
âMaster! If I ruin the Clear Sky Sect, donât blame me!â
Li Qingqiu shouted loudly, his slightly childish voice echoing through the mountains. Lin Xunfeng, who had already reached the edge of the forest, merely raised his hand slightly without turning around.
A small hand suddenly reached out and tugged at the hem of Li Qingqiuâs robe. He turned his head and saw his youngest junior sister, Li Sijin, timidly looking up at him. âSenior Brother⊠will you abandon us too?â
Li Qingqiuâs anger instantly dissipated. He glanced aroundâaside from that annoying third junior brother, Jiang Zhaoxia, all his other junior brothers and sisters were watching him with anxious or worried expressions.
He suddenly felt the weight of responsibility pressing down upon him.
But this wasnât the kind of transmigration life he wanted!
Just then, lines of glowing text appeared before his eyes:
ăYou have become the leader of a sect for the first time. Dao Lineage activated. Beginning to assess the Clear Sky Sect.ă
ăAssessment successful. Starting evaluation of Clear Sky Sect.ă
ăEvaluation complete. Rank: Unclassified.ă
ăAs you have become a sect leader for the first time, you have obtained one Fate Selection and one Dao Lineage Inheritance reward.ă
Li Qingqiu froze as he read the prompts, thinking he was hallucinating. Yet after rubbing his eyes, the text remained.
He glanced aroundânone of his junior brothers or sisters seemed to notice anything.
Could it be⊠his cheat had finally awakened?
Li Qingqiuâs heart raced. He wondered if he could hide the text. The moment he thought about it, the words vanished. When he wanted to see them again, they reappeared.
That confirmed itâthis wasnât an illusion.
Having lived two lifetimes, Li Qingqiuâs mental fortitude far surpassed that of an ordinary sixteen-year-old. He immediately said, âWhat I said earlier was just out of anger at Master. Since Master wishes to leave, then let him go. From now on, weâll rely on each other.â
Upon hearing this, his junior brothers and sisters broke into smiles. They depended more on Li Qingqiu than on Lin Xunfeng, since their Master had often been away from the sect. Most of the time, Li Qingqiu made the decisions. Except for Jiang Zhaoxia, all the others clung to him closely.
After comforting them for a while, Li Qingqiu could hardly wait to return to his room to examine that mysterious Dao Lineage prompt.
âYuchun, go cook. Dongyue, keep an eye on Manâer, Sifeng, and Sijin.â
After giving out instructions, Li Qingqiu turned and hurried into the courtyard.
Despite its grand-sounding name, the Clear Sky Sect only had eight peopleâand now, with Lin Xunfeng gone, seven remained. The sect had only three courtyards: one for Lin Xunfengâs cultivation, one for the disciplesâ lodging, and one for storage.
As the eldest disciple, Li Qingqiu had his own small room, much to the envy of his juniors.
Sitting on his bed, Li Qingqiu wondered how to access his Dao Lineage. Suddenly, a translucent panel appeared before him, filled with lines of text:
ăSect: Clear Sky Sect (Rename available)ă
ăSect Master: Li Qingqiuă
ăNumber of Disciples (View details): 7ă
ăEvaluation Rank: Unclassified (View development details)ă
ăProtective Formation: Noneă
ăGuardian Beast: Noneă
ăAvailable Fate Selections: 1ă
ăAvailable Inheritance Rewards: 1ă
Li Qingqiu felt as though he were playing a game. In his previous life, he had loved cultivation-themed mobile games, so his curiosity toward this Dao Lineage system grew immensely.
He decided to open the disciple list first. Instantly, the panel shifted, displaying seven portraits with names beside themâincluding his own.
They were listed by seniority: Li Qingqiu, Zhang Yuchun, Jiang Zhaoxia, Li Dongyue, Wu Manâer, Li Sifeng, and Li Sijin.
All seven of them were orphans Lin Xunfeng had brought up the mountain. Their backgrounds varied, but Lin Xunfeng had never spoken of their pasts. However, Li Qingqiu, who retained memories from a previous life, knew his own origins clearly.
Even though Lin Xunfeng had left, he had no intention of seeking out his biological parents. In his heart, that connection was long severed.
He focused on Zhang Yuchunâs portrait, and a new window appeared:
ăName: Zhang Yuchună
ăGender: Maleă
ăAge: 15ă
ăLoyalty (to Sect Master / Sect): 89 / 23 (Max: 100)ă
ăCultivation Aptitude: Averageă
ăComprehension: Goodă
ăFate Traits: Domestic Affairs Comet, Forbearanceă
Li Qingqiu raised an eyebrow. His second junior brotherâs loyalty to him was 89, but to the sect, only 23?
Did that mean Zhang Yuchun might leave the sect once he grew up?
He checked the details of the Fate Traits next. Domestic Affairs Comet meant a talent for management; Forbearance meant the ability to endure and restrain oneself.
Li Qingqiu found it fascinatingâthrough this panel, he could see every discipleâs aptitude, comprehension, and loyalty. With such a system, managing and nurturing his disciples would be effortless.
Next, he looked at his third junior brother, Jiang Zhaoxia.
When they were younger, Jiang Zhaoxia had been quite attached to him, but over the past two years, he had become rebellious, often clashing with Li Qingqiuâmuch to the latterâs frustration.
Yet Jiang Zhaoxiaâs loyalty surprised him.
His loyalty to Li Qingqiu was 96, even higher than Zhang Yuchunâsâbut his loyalty to the sect was only 1. That meant he could betray the sect at any time.
Whatâs wrong with this kid?
He likes me so much but still argues with me every day?
Then, as he continued reading, Li Qingqiuâs eyes lit up.
ăCultivation Aptitude: Excellentă
ăComprehension: Exceptională
ăFate Traits: Born Sword Maniac, Hidden Dragon in the Mortal Worldă
ăBorn Sword Maniac: A natural sword cultivator with extraordinary understanding and mastery over the way of the sword.ă
ăHidden Dragon in the Mortal World: Born under hardship. Upon overcoming destined calamities, one shall transform into a dragon; their fortune shall be unstoppable.ă
Good heavens!
That was incredible.
Suddenly, everything made sense. No wonder Jiang Zhaoxia had been resentful these past two yearsâtwo years ago, Lin Xunfeng had rewarded Li Qingqiu with a treasured sword.
There were only two swords in the entire sect. Jiang Zhaoxia had asked for it, but Li Qingqiu had refused.
He had only done so out of concernâJiang Zhaoxia had been just twelve at the time. Giving a deadly weapon to a child was too dangerous.
A Born Sword Maniac, denied a sword⊠no wonder the boy resented him. Had they not been close, Jiang Zhaoxia might have done anything to claim that blade.
Li Qingqiuâs irritation toward his junior brother instantly vanished, replaced with pity.
Third Junior Brother, I misunderstood you. Donât worryâone day, Iâll give you a sword worthy of you. Youâll shine brightly for the Clear Sky Sect.
With the Dao Lineageâs aid, Li Qingqiu had fully stepped into the mindset of a sect leader, already thinking long-term.
He continued examining the others. Li Dongyue, Wu Manâer, Li Sifeng, and Li Sijin all had decent loyalty levels, though none surpassed Jiang Zhaoxia.
Their aptitudes were better than Zhang Yuchunâs, but not as impressive as Jiang Zhaoxiaâs.
Among them, Wu Manâerâs Fate Trait stood outâTigerâs Body, Elephantâs Strength.
The boy had been unusually strong since childhood, though his mind was still immature.
The only one that made Li Qingqiu uneasy was his sixth junior brother, Li Sifeng.
Li Sifeng and his younger sister Li Sijin were siblings brought by Lin Xunfeng together.
They hadnât originally borne the surname Li; Lin Xunfeng had given them the same surname as Li Qingqiu.
At twelve, Li Sifeng was lively and mischievous. Li Qingqiu adored him, always bringing him along in play.
But his Fate Traits were Wolfâs Ambition and Ruthless Means.
The names spoke for themselvesâambitious, insatiable, and willing to do anything to achieve his goals.
If that boy ever set his sights on the Sect Masterâs seat⊠would he one day turn against me?
Yet when Li Qingqiu checked his loyalty, he relaxed a bit.
Li Sifengâs loyalty to him was 92, though only 40 to the sect. He would simply have to keep an eye on him.
After reviewing all their profiles, Li Qingqiu felt confidentâthe Clear Sky Sect had great potential.
The only regret was that he couldnât view his own aptitude and comprehension.
Jiang Zhaoxia could become the sectâs chief combatant, Zhang Yuchun its administrator. He had both brains and brawn.
He couldnât help but admire Lin Xunfengâs discernment. The man had met countless orphans during his wanderings, yet chose only these seven. Clearly, he had an eye for talent.
In daily life, Lin Xunfeng had taught them martial arts, but to Li Qingqiu, those were nothing more than basic tricks.
He moved on to the sectâs development tabâit was practically empty, as expected for such a small sect.
Then he focused on his Fate Selection and Dao Lineage Inheritance.
ăFate Selection: Choose one Fate Trait from among your disciples to copy as your own.ă
ăInheritance Reward: Randomly obtain a cultivation technique, spell, divine ability, martial art, formation, or miscellaneous knowledge.ă
Li Qingqiuâs excitement surged. He finally had peopleâbut nothing to teach them.
Now, with the Dao Lineageâs inheritance, the Clear Sky Sect could truly grow.
He had both a Fate Selection and an Inheritance Rewardâenough to begin his rise.
Without hesitation, he clicked on Jiang Zhaoxiaâs portrait again, eyes locking onto his Fate Traits.
Junior Brother⊠your talent is mine now!