Far away from the bustling heart of the cultivation world, hidden between jagged peaks and forgotten valleys, there stood a mountain no one bothered to name. It wasn't sacred. It had no spiritual springs, no beast territories, no immortal caves—nothing worth fighting over. At its base was an old stone path, half-buried in weeds. At the top, nestled awkwardly between rocks and wild trees, sat a crooked wooden hut that looked like it might fall apart if you sneezed on it.
That was the home of the Black Something Sect.
No one remembered what the "Something" used to be. The original sign had long since rotted, and the replacement had been scribbled in charcoal by a hand clearly shaking with anxiety. Most people assumed the sect was abandoned.
It wasn't.
One man still lived there. One man who never left. One man who had never recruited a single disciple.
Alex Kai.
If you saw him from a distance, you'd think a young master had gotten lost in the mountains. His face was so perfectly sculpted it made statues feel insecure. His golden eyes were both sharp and gentle. His black hair fell in clean, silky waves, tied lazily at the nape of his neck. His robe, though plain, rested on his frame like it had been sewn just for him. He was the kind of beautiful that made even passing birds turn mid-flight for a second look.
But none of that helped him.
Because Alex was shy.
Unbelievably shy.
The kind of shy that made him rehearse greetings to squirrels. The kind of shy that had him nearly faint when someone accidentally waved at him on the road ten years ago. He had tried, once, to go to the Grand Martial Sect's annual recruitment gathering. He made it as far as the outer gate, saw the crowd, turned around, and vomited behind a tree.
Since then, he had stayed on his mountain.
No one came to see him. No one cared. And honestly, he was fine with that. He had tea. He had scrolls. He had a spot under a tree where the wind was always gentle. What more did a man need?
He wasn't a fighter. He wasn't a genius. He wasn't even a particularly good cultivator. His cultivation was just barely high enough to keep his body young and healthy. That was enough for him.
Until the system came.
It happened on a morning like any other. The clouds were drifting lazily across the sky. The birds were chirping. Alex was heating water over a small flame, practicing how he might say "hello" without stuttering.
Then he heard a voice.
Clear, cold, mechanical.
Sect Expansion System has activated.
He blinked.
Initializing host. Confirmed: Alex Kai, sect master of Black Something Sect. Current disciple count: zero.
His teacup slipped from his hand and shattered on the floor.
Warning. No disciples detected. You must recruit at least one disciple within forty-eight hours or you will be killed.
He stood up so fast his chair toppled behind him.
"Killed?" he whispered, his throat dry.
The voice didn't stop.
You call yourself a sect master and yet hide in this crumbling hut like a turtle in its shell. You have squandered years of potential. Now you must act. If you do not leave your house within three minutes, divine retribution will strike you every three minutes until you comply.
Thunder rumbled.
Alex looked up. The sky was still mostly blue.
He backed away from the door. "No no no, this is probably just a dream," he muttered. "I haven't even eaten yet. Maybe I'm just hungry."
The clouds began to swirl.
"Okay," he whispered. "Maybe not a dream."
He grabbed a thin robe and clutched it around his shoulders. His legs refused to move.
Two minutes left.
He took a step toward the door, then stopped. His hand trembled on the handle. Couldn't he just explain? Maybe the system was reasonable.
A bolt of lightning struck the tree outside, blasting it in half.
Alex screamed, leapt backward, and fell flat on his back.
One minute remaining.
Another boom. The wind tore open his window.
He didn't even put on shoes. He flung open the door, eyes wide with terror, and ran barefoot out of the hut. He kept running until he reached the edge of the cliff near his tea tree. Only then did the thunder fade.
The system voice returned.
Minimum mobility achieved. Retribution paused. Now begin task: recruit one disciple within forty-eight hours. Remaining time: forty-seven hours, fifty-six minutes.
Alex gasped for breath. His hair was wild. His robe was flapping. He looked like a man who had fought for his life against nature itself.
And then, his real problem began.
Because he was too handsome.
A flock of birds flying overhead stopped mid-flight and spiraled down toward the ground like they'd been enchanted. A squirrel leapt out of a tree and fainted beside his foot. The wind whistled a little louder as it passed his cheek.
And a girl riding a flying sword nearby slowed, turned her head, and stared at him with wide eyes.
Their gazes met.
She turned bright red, got a nosebleed, and fell off her sword.
Alex just stood there, frozen.
This is why he never went outside.
He sprinted to the edge and helped the girl sit up. She mumbled something incoherent and tried to avoid his eyes.
"Sorry," Alex said automatically. Then he winced. His voice cracked.
"Are you... a wandering cultivator?" she asked weakly, clutching her head. Her sword had wedged itself into a tree trunk.
Alex nodded, then immediately regretted it. He wanted to say more. Invite her. Beg her to join. Say something a sect master would say. But no words came out.
She blinked. Her eyes wandered up and down his robe, then landed on the symbol sewn in faded thread over his heart. A half-erased name: Black Something Sect.
"I've never heard of that sect before," she said.
He tried to smile. It came out crooked.
She stared at him for another long second, then her expression changed. Not fear. Not awe. Curiosity.
"Are you recruiting?" she asked.
Alex nearly fainted.
The system spoke again, silent to all but him.
Opportunity detected. Possible disciple. Speak now or suffer retribution.
He opened his mouth. No sound. Ten seconds to speak.
Sweat poured down his back.
Nine. Eight. Seven. He gulped. Six. Five.
The girl tilted her head.
Four. Three. Two.
Yes, he squeaked.
Her eyes widened.
He coughed and tried again. Yes. I'm recruiting.
There was silence.
Then, a chime rang in his ears.
Progress confirmed. One potential disciple acknowledged offer. Continue engagement.
The girl smiled faintly, brushing dust off her robes.
My name's Lin Xue. I just left my sect a week ago. I wasn't planning to join another one so soon, but She glanced at him again and blushed. Maybe just for a bit?
Alex nearly collapsed from relief.
The system whispered like a satisfied demon.
First disciple candidate secured. Remaining task: formalize bond within twenty-four hours. Welcome to the path of sect expansion, Host.
As Lin Xue began picking up her sword and asking questions about his mountain, his teachings, his cultivation methods, and where the main hall was, Alex looked around in panic. Main hall Teachings? He didn't have any of that.
He had a broken hut. A tree. And now a girl who thought he was something he definitely wasn't. He was going to die. Or worse. Be expected to talk to people