The Sect Master's Resolve

Li Wei charged forward, shouting like a madman, his arms flailing wildly.

The bandits blinked in confusion, unsure whether to laugh or take him seriously.

"What is he doing?" one of them asked, scratching his head.

"Scaring you with my unorthodox techniques!" Li Wei yelled, though his voice cracked halfway.

Xuan Tian slapped his forehead. "This idiot..."

The bandit leader sneered and swung his greatsword, the blade humming as it sliced through the air.

Li Wei ducked instinctively, his heart racing. "Whoa! No one said anything about oversized weapons!"

The system's voice rang in his mind: "Host, you're embarrassing yourself. Focus!"

"I'm trying, okay?!" Li Wei retorted internally, barely dodging another swing.

The bandits closed in, surrounding him like wolves circling prey.

Li Wei gritted his teeth, feeling the faint stir of spiritual energy within him. "Alright, time to use that new skill!"

He raised his palm, summoning his meager spiritual power. "Iron Palm Strike—uh, version one!"

A burst of energy shot out, hitting the nearest bandit square in the chest.

The man flew backward, crashing into a tree with a loud thud.

The other bandits stopped, their sneers faltering.

"Did… did he actually do something useful?" Xuan Tian muttered, his brows lifting in surprise.

Li Wei stood tall, trying to mask his trembling legs. "Yeah, that's right! Who's next?!"

The bandit leader growled, stepping forward. "Don't get cocky, kid. You've got a long way to go."

"Tell me something I don't know," Li Wei mumbled, raising his hands defensively.

The leader lunged at him, his greatsword cleaving downward with terrifying force.

Li Wei rolled to the side, barely avoiding the blow, and retaliated with another Iron Palm Strike.

The leader blocked it with his blade, the force pushing him back slightly.

"Not bad, kid," the leader admitted, his tone grudgingly respectful. "But you're still too green."

Li Wei gulped. "Green is a lucky color, right? I'll take it!"

Before the leader could respond, Xuan Tian stepped in.

"Enough playing around, Li Wei. Finish this quickly," he said, his aura pressing down on the battlefield.

Li Wei glanced at him, his heart pounding. "Easy for you to say! You're not the one being turned into sashimi!"

The system chimed in: "Host, additional skills are now available for purchase. Would you like to proceed?"

"Yes! Give me something flashy!" Li Wei thought desperately.

"Skill purchased: Flaming Sword Slash."

"Wait, sword? I don't even have—"

Before he could finish, a faint glow surrounded his hand, and a spiritual blade materialized in his grip.

The sword blazed with flames, its heat radiating outward.

The bandits took a step back, their confidence wavering.

Li Wei grinned, his fear momentarily forgotten. "Oh, now we're talking!"

He swung the sword, sending a fiery arc toward the leader.

The man raised his greatsword to block, but the flames exploded on impact, forcing him to his knees.

Li Wei took a deep breath, his voice steady for the first time. "You're done. Surrender, or I'll roast the rest of you like skewers."

The remaining bandits exchanged nervous glances, their bravado fading.

"Boss, this kid's not normal," one of them whispered.

The leader spat on the ground, glaring at Li Wei. "You win this round, but don't think this is over."

He signaled to his men, and they retreated into the forest, disappearing into the shadows.

Li Wei collapsed to the ground, the flaming sword vanishing from his hand. "That… was terrifying."

Xuan Tian approached, shaking his head. "You're reckless, unrefined, and lucky. But… you did well."

Li Wei looked up at him, grinning weakly. "Did I just get a compliment? Mark the calendar!"

The woman they had saved stepped forward, bowing deeply. "Thank you… for saving me. My name is Lin Yue, and I owe you my life."

Li Wei waved her off, trying to look cool. "All in a day's work for the sect master of the soon-to-be-great Heavenly Cloud Sect!"

Xuan Tian sighed. "Don't let it get to your head. This was a small skirmish. Bigger challenges await."

Li Wei nodded, his grin fading. "Yeah, I figured. But hey, we survived. That's a win, right?"

As the trio made their way back to the sect's crumbling grounds, the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows across the valley.

Unbeknownst to them, a pair of cold eyes watched from the forest, a sinister smile curling on unseen lips.

"Interesting," the figure murmured. "The Heavenly Cloud Sect is rising again… but not for long."