The Ruined Sect Master

A loud crack echoed through the hall.

A weathered wooden plaque bearing the words Wentian fell from the lintel above the main hall, landing right at Qin Lin’s feet before shattering into three pieces.

Qin Lin lowered his gaze to the broken plaque.

Then he looked up at the draft-ridden thatched hall with holes on every side.

Finally, he squeezed the body that possessed not the slightest trace of cultivation and let out a helpless sigh.

“So everyone else transmigrates into a Holy Son or some overpowered chosen one.”

“So why did I end up as a penniless sect master with nothing to my name?”

The flood of inherited memories had completely merged with his own.

This was a cultivation world where immortals, demons, and gods waged endless battles.

And he, Qin Lin, was the eighty-eighth Sect Master of the Wentian Sect.

The title sounded imposing enough.

Unfortunately, generations of incompetent predecessors had squandered every last bit of the sect’s foundation.

By the time it reached him, not only had the sect’s spiritual vein completely dried up, but he himself was a complete cripple with zero cultivation.

In a world where demonic beasts roamed freely and immortals soared across the skies on flying swords…

Having no cultivation at all was practically the worst possible start.

‘Fine. Maybe I didn’t transmigrate into an overpowered protagonist… but surely I at least get a system, right?’

[Ding!]

[The Myriad Worlds Master-Disciple System has successfully bound to the host.]

A translucent azure interface instantly unfolded before his eyes.

[Sect Master]: Qin Lin

[Sect]: Wentian Sect (Lv.0)

[Upgrade Requirements]: Recruit 1 qualified disciple to reach Lv.1, 2 disciples for Lv.2, 4 disciples for Lv.3… and so forth.

[Population]: 1

[Prestige]: 10 (Initial System Bonus)

[Shop]: Unlocked (Cultivation techniques, divine weapons, pills, formations, and treasures from across the myriad worlds are all available for exchange.)

Qin Lin raised an eyebrow.

His eyes immediately locked onto the bold golden text at the bottom of the panel.

[Core Mechanism: For every qualified disciple recruited (Cultivation Aptitude ≥ Grade Yi and Loyalty ≥ 80), the host will automatically receive the equivalent of one full year of that disciple’s cultivation every day, while perfectly inheriting and stacking the disciple’s innate talents.]

A smile finally spread across Qin Lin’s previously composed face.

“This isn’t a cultivation system.”

“It’s an automatic cultivation cheat!”

There was no need to risk his life fighting destiny’s chosen sons inside ancient secret realms.

Nor did he need to spend decades in secluded cultivation.

As long as he recruited enough disciples, his cultivation would grow exponentially every time he woke up.

His disciples would work themselves to the bone.

Their master would become invincible.

Perfectly reasonable.

[Ding! Main Quest Issued: Recruit Your First Disciple!]

[Reward: 1,000 Prestige Points, ×1 Blueprint for the Beginner Sect Main Hall, ×1 Small Zhou Heaven Illusion Formation Array Plate.]

“One thousand Prestige, plus a mountain-protecting formation?”

“That’ll solve tomorrow’s immediate crisis.”

Qin Lin opened the Shop.

The very first row was filled with dazzling treasures.

Chaos Bell — 50 billion Prestige.

True Dragon Hatchling — 8 billion Prestige.

Each one radiated irresistible temptation.

With admirable self-awareness, Qin Lin scrolled right past the priceless treasures that he couldn’t afford even in his dreams.

He went straight to the bottom of the list.

Mortal/Junk Tier.

Recruiting disciples required Grade Yi aptitude and 80 Loyalty.

Every cultivation genius in the world was arrogant beyond belief.

Trying to convince one of them to swear absolute loyalty to an ordinary man with no cultivation through logic alone was impossible.

The only viable strategy was overwhelming them with information they didn’t possess.

Or, to put it simply…

Bluffing.

Holding all ten of his precious Prestige Points, Qin Lin began investing with surgical precision.

[5 Prestige spent: Sect Master’s Robe (Illusory Authenticity Edition) exchanged.]

[Item Description: Offers absolutely no defensive ability, but perfectly conceals the wearer’s true cultivation. Wearing it grants the natural aura of a peerless sage who has returned to simplicity after comprehending the Great Dao.]

[2 Prestige spent: Abandoned Low-Grade Alchemy Furnace exchanged.]

[Item Description: A battered furnace with uneven heating that explodes easily during alchemy. Widely regarded as garbage in the cultivation world.]

[3 Prestige spent: Minor Spirit Gathering Elixir (50 grams) exchanged.]

[Item Description: A top-grade spiritual elixir for the Qi Refinement Realm. Warning: An ordinary mortal will explode and die upon direct consumption.]

All ten Prestige Points vanished in an instant.

Three items dropped onto the weed-covered stone pavement with a series of dull thuds.

Qin Lin pulled off his patched ragged shirt and casually draped the immaculate white Sect Master’s Robe over his shoulders.

Buzz—

The moment the robe settled onto his body, the howling mountain winds instantly became gentle and still.

Qin Lin walked over to the moss-covered water vat in the courtyard and used it as a mirror.

The young man whose lack of cultivation had made him seem somewhat ordinary was gone.

In his place stood an unfathomable grandmaster, as immovable as towering mountains and as deep as an endless abyss.

He clearly possessed no cultivation whatsoever.

Yet his bearing alone made him seem like an immortal sage who had transcended the mortal world.

“Clothes really do make the man.”

“The ancients weren’t lying.”

Qin Lin smiled in satisfaction and flicked an invisible speck of dust from his spotless sleeve.

Next, he carefully tucked away the bottle of Minor Spirit Gathering Elixir that would kill him instantly if he drank it.

Then he found a length of hemp rope and tied the cracked, pitch-black alchemy furnace around his waist.

The image was absurd.

An ethereal immortal clad in flowing white robes, seemingly ready to ascend to the heavens at any moment…

With a battered black cooking pot dangling from his belt.

The combination was bizarre beyond words.

But in the cultivation world, the stranger something looked, the more profound it appeared.

This was the very definition of returning to one’s true nature.

“Alright.”

“My appearance is complete.”

Qin Lin looked toward the foot of the mountain, where purple spiritual mist lingered above the bustling Linxi Marketplace.

“Time to go shopping.”

With both hands clasped behind his back, he strode leisurely down the stone staircase, carrying himself with the effortless confidence of someone who feared neither heaven nor earth.

It was time to find his very first disciple.