Chapter 17: Crimson Roots

Dawn had only just crept over the horizon when Jin Zhen stood atop the highest balcony of the sect's core pavilion. The sky blushed crimson—his kind of omen.

From this vantage point, he could see the revitalized fields stretching like green veins across the mountain slope. Spirit grain shimmered faintly under dew, and newly sprouted crimson lilies bloomed around irrigation channels carved with glowing runes.

[System Notification][Spirit Bloom Integration: Complete][Field Yield: +22%][Medicinal Properties: Minor Recovery Boost for Low-Grade Cultivators]

Jin Zhen nodded in satisfaction. He'd bent this world's rules—and soil—to his will. But he wasn't done.

Inside the strategy hall, Lan Yuer, Fang Mu, and two new inner disciples stood around a glowing spirit map.

"The patrol routes now cover the foothills, forest borders, and the river delta," Lan Yuer reported.

"One incident in the southern woods—bandits, probably rogue cultivators," added Fang Mu, flipping a roasted boar stick casually in one hand. "Left behind one sword and a very unfortunate smell."

"Did you question the survivors?"

"They were too unconscious for answers. So I took their spirit stones instead."

Jin Zhen grinned. "Efficient. Bandits don't deserve generosity, just taxes."

He turned to the two new disciples.

"Report."

The first bowed. "Disciple Lin Tao, former alchemist apprentice from Broken Ember Sect. My talent is Mid Earth Grade, but I possess a Flame-Forged Constitution."

The second stepped forward. "Disciple Su Mei, dual-affinity—Wood and Water. Formerly of Jade Mirror Sect. I… request asylum, Sect Master."

Jin Zhen raised a brow. "Running from someone, or running toward power?"

She hesitated. "Both."

He liked her already.

[System Alert][New Potential Recruits Detected][Recruitment Bonus: +200 Spirit Coins, +1 Sect Reputation][Special Option Unlocked: Invest in 'Crimson Root Doctrine' – Cost: 2 SP]

He didn't hesitate.

[2 SP Used][Crimson Root Doctrine Activated][Effect: New recruits gain accelerated cultivation adaptation, +10% efficiency for 1 month. Loyalty formation chance increased.]

"Welcome," Jin Zhen said, his voice like a blade sliding into velvet. "You now grow under the Crimson Root. I suggest you thrive."

Meanwhile, deeper in the sect's herbalist gardens, a robed elder examined the strange hybrid plant that had sprouted overnight.

"It's... breathing," he muttered.

The roots pulsed faintly with Qi, and small motes of crimson light drifted into the air.

When Jin Zhen arrived, the elder bowed. "Sect Master, the lilies have mutated. It seems your irrigation glyphs interacted with spiritual ash from the Flame Boars."

"Useful mutation?"

"Very. These lilies now have minor explosive properties when dried. Alchemists would kill for them."

Jin Zhen smiled. "Then we'll sell them before they realize that."

[System Notification][New Trade Resource: Ember Lilies][Market Value: High – volatile component for explosive pills][Trade Opportunity Unlocked: Nomadic Alchemy Caravan approaching in 3 days]

"Send out the merchant flag. And ready samples. Only the second-best batch—we don't sell perfection, we use it."

Later that afternoon, Jin Zhen sat in meditation under the shade of an ancient cherry tree behind the Sect Hall. His Flame Puppet stood nearby, trimming grass with a heated blade while humming off-key.

[Status Update]SP: 0Wealth: 3,860 Spirit Coins | 2,200 Mid-Grade Spirit StonesSect Rank: C- (Rising)

His mind touched the flow of energy in the air. Spirit pulses rose from the field, spiraling through the roots of his sect. The Crimson Overlord was no longer just a name—it was becoming a legend in the dirt, in the Qi, in the whispered awe of merchants and rivals.

Then, from a distance, a voice echoed toward him.

"SECT MASTER! EMERGENCY!"

It was a junior disciple, flailing with panic.

"What now?" Jin Zhen muttered, standing.

The boy skidded to a halt. "T-the chickens! They… evolved!"

"...The chickens?"

"They're glowing! And... flying!"

Jin Zhen sighed deeply. "Of course. I give the world spiritual enlightenment, and it gives me attack poultry."

The Flame Puppet saluted. "Shall I cook them, Overlord?"

"Not yet. Let's see if we can tame them first. A flying chicken division might be more terrifying than I want to admit."

That night, under lanterns made of fire jade and laughter echoing from training halls, Jin Zhen wrote a single line in the sect's record:

"To rule the world, one must first grow roots no wind can tear."

The Crimson Sect had begun to flourish—not just in power, but in people, purpose, and very strange poultry.