Ray narrowed his eyes at the golden talisman floating above Nyxiel's palm.
"Wait, is that a Sect Construction Talisman?" he asked, his voice calm but laced with curiosity.
Nyxiel smirked, tilting her chin up slightly. "Oh? You actually recognize it?"
Ray coughed, looking away. "I've heard of it somewhere."
Nyxiel scoffed. "Of course, you have. A Sect Construction Talisman isn't just some common trinket."
Sect Construction Talismans were rare, high-grade artifacts, infused with powerful Daoist formations, spatial laws, and intricate construction arrays. When activated, they could instantly create a sect's foundation buildings, formations, and even minor spiritual veins something that would otherwise take decades to construct.
But their cost? Astronomical.
Crafting one required a Grade 6 Talisman Master and an equally skilled Formation Master. The materials alone were so expensive that the cost of a single talisman could exceed a thousand times what it would take to construct the same infrastructure normally.
Even in his past life, Ray had only heard rumors about them.
Well no upper level sect be Stupid enough to use These afterall.
"A thousand times the price all for the sake of saving time?" he muttered to himself, shaking his head. "If there's one thing cultivators have, it's time. They live for thousands maybe even millions of years."
He looked at Nyxiel and smirked. "So, this is just something for rich and wasteful sect leaders, huh? Didn't know you were one of them."
Nyxiel's face twitched, but she maintained her air of superiority.
Ray's eyes glinted playfully. "If you had that many spirit stones, you could've just given me half. I'd have gone and built the sect myself breaking rocks by hand. What a waste."
Nyxiel clenched her jaw. She wanted to refute him, but even she felt a sting in her chest when she thought about how many resources had been used to obtain this talisman.
"It's nothing to me," she said, forcing a calm expression, though her heart twitched at the words.
It's fine. It's not like I spent my own money. It was a mission reward. Once I promote the sect to two stars real, I'll get more inheritances and unlock my sealed strength.
She shook her head, dispelling her thoughts.
Ray sighed. "So? What grade will the sect be?"
Nyxiel crossed her arms, her voice carrying a proud undertone. "It will be equivalent to a Two-Star Sect."
Ray's lips twitched. "That's it?"
His tone wasn't mocking, just disappointed.
Nyxiel's eyes twitched as she turned to glare at him. "What do you mean, 'that's it'?! Do you even understand how rare an Two-Grade Sect Construction is?"
Ray gave her a blank look. "Yeah, yeah. But for the amount of resources spent on this talisman, you could've built a normal Four-Star Sect instead easily."
Nyxiel's patience snapped.
"You keep your mouth shut! If you think you can do better, go and build one yourself! Let's see how far you get!"
Without another word, she threw the talisman forward.
A deep rumbling shook the earth.
The ground trembled violently, cracks forming as golden light erupted from the talisman, soaring into the sky. The sheer radiance almost blinded Ray, forcing him to cover his eyes.
Then, with a final thunderous boom, the light faded.
Ray blinked a few times, adjusting his vision. When he finally looked up, he muttered to himself.
"…Hmmm."
Before him stood a colossal sect gate 200 feet tall, towering over the land.
His neck ached just looking up at it. The once overgrown jungle had been completely wiped clean, replaced by structured stone pathways and towering infrastructure. The entire sect had fortress-like walls, stretching in a perfect circular formation, enclosing everything within.
There was only one entrance a massive gate at the front.
Beyond it, Ray could see multiple high-peaked buildings, halls, and training grounds. Though not as elegant or extravagant as he had imagined, the sect radiated stability and strength.
Ray let out a low whistle. "Not bad. Not bad at all."
Nyxiel scoffed, flicking her hair back with pride. "Hmph. It's not just a regular Two-Star Sect. It could even rival weaker Three-Star Sects."
Ray looked at her. "So, what's inside?"
Nyxiel smirked, stepping forward and pointing inside. "There are three main areas the Outer Disciple Quarters, Inner Disciple Residences, and the Sect Core."
She gestured toward the lower slopes. "Outer disciples will stay in simple stone or wooden houses. Basic, but enough to shelter them. They'll train in open fields, learning the sect's beginner techniques."
Her eyes moved higher. "Inner disciples will have better residences, built closer to spirit veins where the energy is richer. They'll also have access to better techniques, cultivation pills, and private training halls."
Finally, she pointed to the largest, multi-tiered structure at the highest peak. "That is the Sect Hall. The heart of the sect, where I your mighty sect leader will oversee everything."
Ray raised a brow. "And next to it?"
"The Treasury." Nyxiel's smirk faltered slightly. "That's where spirit stones, weapons, and pills are supposed to be stored Not that we have any right now."
Ray sighed. "Figures."
Nyxiel cleared her throat and pointed at another building. "The Library Pavilion. That's where cultivation techniques, ancient records, and knowledge will be stored"
She coughed. "Which we also don't have either."
Ray's expression remained neutral. "So, basically we have empty buildings?"
Nyxiel ignored him.
She turned back toward the entrance, regaining her composure. "The infrastructure is solid, but we're far from untouchable."
Ray exhaled. "So, it's just decent."
Nyxiel crossed her arms. "Decent? No. In this world, 'decent' means waiting to be swallowed."
She smirked slightly. "We do have defenses. A One-Star Sect Protection Formation it can withstand a full-strength strike from a Master-level cultivator."
Ray looked unimpressed. "That's not great."
Nyxiel waved her hand dismissively. "We'll deal with it."
Ray's brows furrowed slightly. "any inheritance? What about alchemy, refining, forging halls? Special buildings? Hidden realms? Medical herb gardens? A mission hall?"
Nyxiel paused for a second before clearing her throat. "We don't have those."
Ray stared at her blankly. "…"
Nyxiel quickly added, "But we can upgrade over time! We just need to build them ourselves!"
Ray exhaled. "This place is big enough to hold a thousand disciples, and yet we barely have anything functional."
Nyxiel barely spared a glance at the sect behind her. "We'll handle that when disciples actually arrive."
Ray sighed. "So basically, we're broke, understaffed, and living inside an empty fortress?"
Nyxiel gave him a confident smile. "This is a solid start. The rest? We'll deal with it when the time comes."
Ray closed his eyes for a moment, exhaled, and muttered under his breath.
"Why did I even get my hopes up"
Nyxiel ignored him.
This was their beginning flawed, but still a beginning.
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