[Ding. Sign-in successful. Reward: one Bodhi Divine Tree.]

Damn, I actually got one of the legendary spirit roots.

Faron Storm’s eyes lit up with joy.

For over twenty years, he'd signed in each month without fail. Most of the time, he got cultivation boosts, comprehension, or high-tier techniques. But this time, he hit the jackpot—a Bodhi Divine Tree.

One of the Four Great Spirit Roots in the entire Canglan Realm, the Bodhi Tree was near myth. They said training under it, once you hit the right state, could make time bend—blink outside, and you could have cultivated for millennia under its shade.

Not to mention the Bodhi Seeds—natural treasures that enhanced talent.

Faron stood at the peak of Xuanling Peak, eyes locked on the newly sprouted divine tree, planted by the system.

Twenty-five years ago, Faron had crossed over to this world, reborn as an infant. By stroke of luck, he caught the eye of Xuanling Peak’s former master and was taken into Dao Yi Sect as its only disciple.

With the sign-in system in hand, by now his strength ran deep and unknown. Despite only showing a first-stage Saint King level, the powers he held and mysteries he grasped were far beyond that.

Just a year back, his master had chosen seclusion, retreating into a life-and-death closed-door cultivation, leaving the whole of Xuanling Peak under Faron's care. Naturally, he became the new peak master—also the youngest one in Dao Yi Sect’s history.

Dominic Azrael, the Sect Master and also Faron’s martial uncle, along with the other elders, had raised no objections. Clearly, words from the old peak master carried enough weight.

“Faron, are you there?”

A booming voice rang from the mountain’s foot. A heartbeat later, a tall, imposing figure appeared before Faron.

“Uncle Dominic, something up?” Faron greeted him with a sunny smile.

The man before him was his master’s senior-disciple-brother—hence Faron respectfully called him Uncle Dominic.

“Two days from now is the sect’s disciple selection ceremony. Xuanling Peak’s standing all alone—you should pick up a few disciples. Maybe your master didn’t care much about succession, but you ought to. Can’t let Xuanling Peak fall to dust.”

With that, Dominic vanished before Faron could say a word.

The whole time, he hadn’t even glanced at the divine tree quietly radiating power beside them.

[Ding. Task triggered. Within five days, take in one disciple. Task reward: substantial.]

So there are missions too.

Faron had always thought the system only needed monthly sign-ins. Turns out, it wanted him to train successors now.

In all these years, he’d barely left Xuanling Peak. The farthest he’d gone was to the Sect’s main hall. Outside of elders or a few core disciples, no one really even knew he existed.

“Uncle Dominic’s right. Bringing in a few people won't hurt.” Faron made up his mind. “But first, I need to fortify the peak.”

Dominic’s sudden appearance just now had come close to exposing his secret. He couldn’t allow that to happen again. Strengthening Xuanling Peak’s formations came first.With a single wave of Faron Storm’s hand, a massive invisible formation surged into the sky, wrapping all of Xuanling Peak. This was a Saint-grade array combining illusions, entrapment, and lethal mechanisms. Without Faron’s approval or the correct incantation, stepping into it meant falling into endless torment.

Then, with a few quick taps in the air, his fingers etched out more changes. At the base of Xuanling Peak, a deep azure lake appeared, the waters gleaming like a giant mirror under the sunlight. A finely built pavilion stood by its edge.

At the entrance to the peak, Faron erected a grand gate. From now on, any guest would have to pass through it.

Time flew swiftly. Before long, the day of Dao Yi Sect’s disciple recruitment ceremony arrived.

Here, a bit about Dao Yi Sect.

Canglan Realm was made up of four regions — Southern Wilds, Eastern Continent, Central Province, and the Extreme North. Except for the desolate Northern wastes, the other three regions teemed with countless people and creatures.

Dao Yi Sect was ranked sixth among the eight Saint Sects of the Eastern Continent — seemingly middling, but known for keeping a low profile and hiding true strength. Faron, despite being rarely seen outside, knew a bit of this.

On the surface, Dao Yi was sixth. In truth, even the other seven major sects combined might not be able to take them down.

They were masters of staying under the radar. From inner disciples to ancient elders, everyone cultivated the sect’s hidden aura arts left behind by the founding ancestor. Unless they chose to reveal it, no one could tell their true strength.

The sect was split into inner and outer divisions with eleven peaks in the inner section. Apart from Faron’s Xuanling Peak and the sect leader’s Sacred Master Peak, there were: Chixia, Ziling, Zhenling, Ziwu, Fuxiang, Tianju, Huangqi, Tongyuan, and Lihuang — each overseen by an elder.

Being one of the great Eastern Sects, their recruitment naturally drew in a sea of youth, hoping to join. When Faron came to the plaza, the mountain base below was swarming with people — at a glance, tens of thousands crowded the space.

“Faron, you've arrived,” called one of the elders warmly.

The elders present were all of the same generation as Faron’s master — seven men and two women. All of them were Faron’s uncles and aunts in the sect.

Faron nodded politely to each.

“Since everyone’s here, let’s begin,” Dominic Azrael, the sect leader, declared.

A bell tolled across the Dao Yi sect’s plaza, marking the start of the test.

The requirement was simple — climb the endless stone stairs from the base to the peak. If one made it, they qualified.

Some with exceptional talent might be taken in early by the elders as pre-inner disciples. Once their strength reached the mark and they passed the sect’s test, they’d enter the inner ranks or even become elites.

Those not picked would start as outer disciples and work their way up.

As the test began, the young men and women surged forward, eager, hearts pounding, all dreaming of being chosen.

Judging by the pace, it’d take at least a day before anyone reached the top.

Faron sat with his eyes closed, resting. The other elders leaned forward, watching the stairway, already picking potential disciples.