The stage was set, and they were ready to face the Jade Serpent Sect. As Xiaojun, Liu Yan, and Zhao retreated to their temporary camp, the gravity of the looming battle began to settle on them. The sense of impending conflict weighed heavily, but so did the resolve to stop the sect's dangerous plans.
They arrived at their hidden clearing, the tension still palpable between them. Xiaojun glanced at Liu Yan, who was pacing with barely-contained energy, her mind clearly racing through strategy after strategy. They needed allies, a plan, and a clear understanding of what they were up against. The Jade Serpent Sect had been growing more powerful with each passing year, and now they sought an ancient relic that could tip the balance of power in their favor forever.
"We need more allies," Liu Yan said finally, breaking the silence. "The Jade Serpent Sect has numbers and power. If we go in with just the three of us, we'll be overwhelmed."
Zhao, sitting on a rock, fiddled with a knife in his hands, nodded. "I know a few mercenaries who might be interested in some action, for the right price. But mercs are fickle. If the Jade Serpent Sect offers them a better deal, they'll switch sides without a second thought."
Liu Yan frowned, her expression troubled. "We can't trust just anyone. We need people who have a personal stake in this fight, who hate the sect as much as we do."
Xiaojun, still getting used to the idea that this world was real and not just a reflection of a game, spoke up. "I know some people. There are villages near the mountains where the sect has been encroaching on the land. If we can convince them that fighting back is their only option, they might join us. I've seen it before—people who've lost everything, people who've been wronged by the sect. We could rally them."
Liu Yan considered this. "That could work. We need to rally anyone who has something to lose. If the sect succeeds in obtaining this relic, no one will be safe."
Zhao leaned forward, intrigued. "And what's the plan after that? Even if we get a ragtag group together, they won't stand a chance against the sect's elite fighters. You've seen what they're capable of."
"We don't fight them head-on," Liu Yan replied sharply. "We use guerilla tactics—hit and run, ambushes, sabotage. The Jade Serpent Sect is confident, but if we disrupt their supply lines and wear them down, we can create chaos. And chaos is something we can use to our advantage."
Zhao grinned. "Now you're speaking my language."
The plan was forming, but it still felt precarious. Xiaojun's thoughts drifted back to the Soulstone. He knew it gave him an edge, but it was also a double-edged sword. The power was intoxicating, but he still wasn't sure how much control he had over it. And every time he used it, he felt the weight of something ancient and dangerous growing inside him, like a force waiting to be unleashed.
Liu Yan noticed his distant look and asked, "Are you alright?"
Xiaojun shook off his thoughts and nodded. "I'm fine. Just thinking about what's ahead."
"We all are," she replied, her voice softening. "But we can't afford to second-guess ourselves. This isn't just about stopping the sect—it's about fighting for our futures."
He understood what she meant. The Jade Serpent Sect wasn't just another enemy; they represented a force that sought to dominate and control, to bend the world to their will. If they succeeded in obtaining the relic, they would be unstoppable, and countless lives would be lost or enslaved in the process. This was more than a battle—it was a war for survival, and one they couldn't afford to lose.
"We need to start reaching out to the villages now," Xiaojun said, urgency creeping into his voice. "If we wait too long, the sect will tighten its grip, and we'll lose our chance."
Liu Yan nodded in agreement. "We split up. Zhao, you find those mercenaries and anyone else who's looking for a fight. But make sure they're not going to stab us in the back."
Zhao gave her a mock salute. "No promises, but I'll see what I can do."
"Xiaojun and I will visit the villages. We'll explain what's happening and give them the choice—fight or be crushed by the Jade Serpent Sect."
Zhao sheathed his knife and stood up. "I'll be back in a day or two. Don't get yourselves killed without me."
As Zhao disappeared into the forest, Xiaojun and Liu Yan prepared to set off toward the nearby villages. The trek through the forest was quiet at first, each of them lost in their thoughts. The trees swayed gently in the breeze, casting long shadows across the ground. It was peaceful, almost deceptive, considering the storm that was brewing.
"We'll need to be careful how we approach them," Liu Yan said as they walked. "These people have lived in fear of the sect for years. Some of them might think it's safer to stay out of it."
"We can't let them think that," Xiaojun replied. "If the sect gets that relic, they won't stop at just controlling the region. They'll spread, take more land, more lives. No one will be safe."
Liu Yan glanced at him, and for the first time in a while, Xiaojun saw a flicker of admiration in her eyes. "You've come a long way since we first met."
He shrugged. "I've had to."
They reached the first village by midday. It was small, a cluster of wooden houses with smoke rising from the chimneys, nestled at the base of the mountains. Children played in the streets, unaware of the dangers looming over their homes. Farmers tended to their fields, their faces weary from the toil of daily survival.
As they approached, an older man noticed them and stepped forward, his eyes narrowing with suspicion. "What brings you here, strangers?"
Liu Yan stepped forward, her voice calm but authoritative. "We're here to warn you. The Jade Serpent Sect is coming."
The man's face darkened at the mention of the sect. "We've heard rumors. But what do you expect us to do? We're just farmers and craftsmen. We don't stand a chance against them."
"You're not alone," Xiaojun said. "We're gathering others—people who have been wronged by the sect, people who want to fight back. If you join us, we can stand a chance."
The man shook his head. "You don't understand. The sect isn't just a group of thugs. They have powerful fighters, people who can kill without breaking a sweat. If we resist, they'll wipe us out."
"They'll wipe you out anyway," Liu Yan countered. "Once they have the relic they're after, they won't need to show mercy. They'll destroy everything in their path. Your only chance is to fight before they become unstoppable."
The villagers had begun to gather around, listening to the exchange. Fear and uncertainty were etched on their faces, but there was something else too—hope, fragile and tentative, but there.
"We're not asking you to fight alone," Xiaojun added. "We'll be with you every step of the way. If we work together, we can stop them."
The old man hesitated, looking at the faces of his fellow villagers. Then, with a heavy sigh, he spoke. "If what you say is true, then we have no choice. We'll fight. But we'll need weapons, training… and we'll need to know we can trust you."
"You can," Liu Yan assured him. "We'll make sure you're ready."
As the villagers began to talk among themselves, Xiaojun felt a glimmer of hope. It wasn't much, but it was a start. One village, one step closer to building a force that could stand against the Jade Serpent Sect.
As they made their way back to their camp, Liu Yan looked at him and smiled faintly. "That's one. We'll need a lot more."
"We'll get them," Xiaojun said, his voice filled with determination. "One village at a time, we'll build an army. And when the time comes, we'll be ready."
But as they moved through the forest, Xiaojun couldn't shake the feeling that time was running out. The Jade Serpent Sect was preparing for something big, and the relic they sought could change everything.
The days blurred together as Xiaojun and Liu Yan journeyed from village to village, spreading the word of the Jade Serpent Sect's growing threat. Each village they visited had its own story of oppression—farmers who'd lost their land to the sect's expansion, families who had been torn apart by the sect's raids, and merchants who'd been extorted by their thugs. Everywhere they went, they found people living in fear but also people who were willing to stand up for their homes and families.
In one village, they met a blacksmith named Duan Xi. His muscular frame was covered in soot, his arms thick from years of hammering metal, but his eyes held a deep-seated anger. "The sect took my brother," he growled as he shaped a glowing sword on his anvil. "He tried to stand up to them, and they cut him down like he was nothing."
Xiaojun watched as Duan Xi hammered the blade with fierce intensity.
Duan Xi's forge flared with heat, casting a reddish glow across his muscular frame as he hammered the blade with relentless force. Xiaojun could feel the tension in the air, the pain of loss hidden behind every clang of metal.
"I'll fight with you," Duan Xi said through gritted teeth, lifting the half-finished sword to inspect his work. His voice was heavy with grief, but behind it, there was an unmistakable resolve. "But we're going to need more than just pitchforks and farming tools. If we're going up against the Jade Serpent Sect, we need real weapons—steel that can hold its own against their cultivators."
Liu Yan stepped forward. "We're not asking you to fight alone. If you join us, you'll have allies. We're gathering blacksmiths and craftsmen like you who can forge the tools we need. The more hands we have, the more we can prepare."
Duan Xi nodded, but his gaze was hard. "Preparation takes time, and time is something we're short on."
Xiaojun had been silent, watching the exchange, but he knew Duan Xi was right. The Jade Serpent Sect wasn't waiting around—they were moving swiftly. Every day that passed, they were getting closer to securing the relic. Once they had it, the power imbalance would be impossible to overcome.
"We'll take every day we can get," Xiaojun said, his voice steady but determined. "We don't need to defeat them in a single battle. We just need to disrupt them enough to buy time—to give people like you the chance to make the weapons we need."
Duan Xi set the sword down, wiping sweat from his brow. "I'll do what I can. But understand this—if the Jade Serpent Sect comes here before we're ready, there's no running. I'll fight to the end."
Liu Yan put a hand on his shoulder, offering a rare smile. "You won't be fighting alone, Duan Xi."
The blacksmith nodded, his expression grim but resolute. "Come back in a week. I'll have something for you by then."
As Xiaojun and Liu Yan left the village, the sun was beginning to set behind the mountains, casting long shadows across the path ahead of them. The weight of what they were doing pressed heavily on Xiaojun's shoulders. They were gathering allies, yes, but it still didn't feel like enough. The Jade Serpent Sect had armies, cultivators with terrifying power, and the full support of the region's underworld.
"What's bothering you?" Liu Yan asked, walking a step behind him as they descended a rocky trail.
Xiaojun hesitated before responding. "We're rallying people who've lost everything—people who are angry and desperate. But the Jade Serpent Sect isn't just going to roll over. What happens when we face their top fighters? They have cultivators who've trained for decades. We're asking farmers and blacksmiths to fight against people with more power than they can imagine."
Liu Yan was silent for a moment, then she sighed. "You're right. We're asking a lot from them. But we don't have a choice, Xiaojun. If we do nothing, the Jade Serpent Sect will sweep across the region and take everything. The villages, the land, the people—they'll all be slaves to the sect's will."
"I know," Xiaojun said, his frustration evident. "It just feels like we're sending them to their deaths."
Liu Yan stopped walking, forcing Xiaojun to turn around and face her. "Listen to me," she said firmly. "I don't like this any more than you do. But we're not sending them to their deaths. We're giving them a fighting chance. And we're not fighting alone. You have your system. I've seen what you can do when you tap into that power. If you keep honing your abilities, you'll be the key to turning the tide of this war."
Xiaojun's thoughts drifted to the Soulstone, the mysterious artifact that had embedded itself in his chest after his strange journey to this world. It was a source of immense power, but one he hadn't fully understood yet. The system granted him advantages—skills, cultivation boosts, and occasionally items through the gacha rolls—but each use seemed to come with its own price.
"I just don't know how much I can rely on it," he admitted. "The power isn't stable. Sometimes it feels like it's controlling me, not the other way around."
Liu Yan's expression softened, a rare moment of vulnerability crossing her usually steely demeanor. "We all have our burdens to carry, Xiaojun. You're not alone in this. We'll figure it out, together."
The following days were filled with more travel, more negotiations, and more preparations. Xiaojun and Liu Yan continued to visit village after village, slowly building a network of resistance against the Jade Serpent Sect. With every village they visited, Xiaojun could see the cracks in the sect's control. The people were afraid, but they were also fed up. The sect had taken too much from them for too long, and the promise of fighting back—even against overwhelming odds—was enough to ignite a spark of rebellion.
One evening, after returning from a long day of recruiting, Xiaojun sat by the campfire, staring into the flames. Liu Yan had already turned in for the night, her soft breathing the only sound aside from the crackling fire and the distant rustle of leaves in the forest.
Xiaojun opened his system interface, his eyes scanning the familiar panels of information. His resources were limited—he had some cultivation points, a few items, and a handful of gacha tokens. The gacha rolls were unpredictable; sometimes they gave him a powerful boost, but more often, he ended up with something useless or trivial.
His finger hovered over the "Roll Gacha" button for a moment. He hadn't rolled in a while, preferring to save his tokens for when he really needed them, but something urged him to take a chance tonight. Maybe it was the uncertainty of the days ahead, or maybe it was just the stress of carrying the weight of so many lives on his shoulders. Either way, he pressed the button.
The familiar animation played out, a series of spinning icons and symbols flashing across the screen. Finally, the wheel stopped, and a notification appeared.
[Gacha Roll: Cultivation Pill x3 (Double Effect)]
Xiaojun raised an eyebrow. It wasn't the worst roll, but it wasn't exactly what he needed right now. Still, cultivation pills were always useful. He pocketed them for later use and closed the interface, staring back into the fire.
Just as he was about to turn in for the night, a rustling sound caught his attention. Xiaojun's hand instinctively went to the hilt of his sword, his body tense as he scanned the darkness beyond the campfire's glow.
"Who's there?" he called out quietly, careful not to wake Liu Yan.
For a moment, there was only silence. Then, a figure emerged from the shadows—a young woman with short, messy hair and ragged clothes. She looked like she had been traveling for days, her face pale and her eyes wide with fear.
"Please," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Help me."
Xiaojun quickly moved to her side, offering her a seat by the fire. "What happened?" he asked, handing her a waterskin. "Who are you?"
The woman took a long drink before answering. "My name is Lin Mei. I—I managed to escape from the Jade Serpent Sect. They—they're coming."
Xiaojun's heart skipped a beat. "Coming where?"
"To the villages," she replied, her voice trembling. "They know about the resistance. They're going to crush it before it can grow any bigger."
Xiaojun's mind raced. The Jade Serpent Sect was already mobilizing against them. If what Lin Mei said was true, they were running out of time. The sect wasn't going to wait for them to gather strength—they were going to strike while the resistance was still vulnerable.
"We have to warn the others," Xiaojun said, rising to his feet. "Liu Yan!"
Liu Yan was awake in an instant, her hand on her weapon as she joined them by the fire. "What's going on?"
"This is Lin Mei," Xiaojun explained quickly. "She escaped from the Jade Serpent Sect. They know about the resistance, and they're planning to attack."
Liu Yan's expression hardened. "How long do we have?"
Lin Mei shook her head. "I don't know. A few days at most. They're sending one of their elite squads—cultivators, assassins. They're going to wipe out anyone who stands in their way."
Liu Yan cursed under her breath. "We need to move fast. We'll have to warn the villages and start preparing for an immediate defense."
Xiaojun nodded, but his mind was already racing ahead. They had gathered some allies, but they were far from ready for a full-scale assault. The Jade Serpent Sect was coming, and they were still outnumbered and outmatched.
He looked at Lin Mei, who was trembling beside the fire. "You did the right thing by coming here," he told her. "We'll make sure the sect doesn't get what they're after."
But as he spoke, Xiaojun couldn't shake the feeling that they were walking into a storm they weren't ready to face.