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Once a loyal disciple of a righteous sect, Jin Zhen was betrayed, crippled, and cast off a cliff by those he once called family. Left to die with shattered bones and a broken spirit, he awakens in the ruins of a forgotten temple—only to find that fate has granted him the [Crimson Sect System].

The mission?
Build the most powerful and loyal sect of maidens the world has ever seen.

For every talented beauty he recruits, every realm he ascends, and every enemy he crushes—he grows stronger, deadlier, and one step closer to his ultimate revenge.

With an overpowered system, a villain's heart, and a burning desire to dominate the cultivation world, Jin Zhen sets out to create a sect that will enslave the heavens, charm the goddesses, and destroy anyone who dares oppose him.

The righteous will tremble.
The beauties will kneel.
And the world... will burn in crimson.

Crimson Overlord: The Evil Sect Master

Dawn painted the skies above Crimson Sect in brilliant shades of fire and rose.

Jin Zhen stood atop the Flame Lotus Pavilion, watching as smoke curled from dozens of chimneys below—spirit furnaces firing up, disciples laboring in the herb fields, irrigation channels humming with energy. The sect no longer felt like a fledgling haven. It felt alive.

[Daily Sect Revenue: +5,430 Spirit Stones]

[Herbal Trade Standing (Local): Rising – You are being noticed.]

[New Interest Detected: Azure Crane Merchants – Investigating Your Sect]

"Let them come," he muttered. "Let the world know the Crimson Sect is open for business... and dominance."

In the council hall, the high-ranking disciples and elders gathered.

Lan Yuer arrived in crimson robes lined with spirit-thread. Her brow was stern, but Jin Zhen caught a faint smirk—likely from her discovery of a rare herb that cured flatulence in spirit beasts. Fang Mu, however, arrived late and munching on roasted spirit potatoes.

"I bring wisdom," he declared, tossing a potato core at a junior elder.

"You bring indigestion," Lan Yuer replied dryly.

He snapped his fingers, projecting a glowing map over the council table.

"Our territory is expanding, but we need structure. Today we formalize the Ember-Forged Council."

"The what now?" Fang Mu asked, eyes wide.

"A governing body," Jin Zhen explained. "We manage internal affairs, external relations, resource control, and cultivation advancement. Each division will be led by one of us."

Lan Yuer – Head of Internal Harmony and Cultivation Affairs

Fang Mu – Chief of Resource Procurement and Logistics

Elder Ironstep – Master of Defensive Formations

Jin Zhen – Supreme Authority and Overseer of Strategic Expansion

"Oh, I like the sound of that," Fang Mu said. "Can I wear a fancy badge?"

"You'll get a shovel and a quota," Jin Zhen replied with a smile.

With the council in place, new projects ignited:

A Spirit Quarry to mine fire-attributed ore.

A Refinement Yard for mass-producing mid-grade pills.

A Trade Hall to attract merchants and regulate spirit stone flow.

The disciples were excited. Jin Zhen walked among them, lending advice, enhancing arrays, and occasionally tossing candy-like elixirs at overachievers.

One boy looked up in awe. "Sect Master! Is it true you once tamed a flame wolf by staring at it?"

Jin Zhen leaned in. "I roasted its tail and rode it like a horse."

The boy gasped. "I want to be evil too!"

Lan Yuer facepalmed in the background.

Later that night, Jin Zhen retreated to his private chamber. The system interface glowed silently.

[You have received a coded message.]

[Sender: Unknown | Encryption: Flame Cipher 7th Tier]

Jin Zhen raised an eyebrow. He focused, letting the system do its work.

> "We are watching, Crimson Flame. The Mirage Sovereign stirs, and you hold a fragment of his chain. Beware the breath between stars. The old gods remember."

"Cryptic. Mysterious. Just the way I like it."

[SP Gained: +1 from Sect Development Milestone]

[Spend 1 SP – Upgrade Cultivation Speed Boost (Passive)]

[Effect: +15% faster cultivation of fire-type techniques and skills]

He closed his eyes, channeling crimson qi.

The fire within him danced—louder, faster, bolder.

Meanwhile, deep in the distant Skyveil Mountains, a robed figure stood before a dark flame altar. His voice echoed across the void.

"The Crimson Flame rises. Send the Shadow Envoy."

Back in the Crimson Sect, Jin Zhen felt a ripple across his soul.

"It's time I remind the heavens why villains always win."

Chapter 24: The Ember-Forged Council