What had once been a quiet mountain clearing now looked like the aftermath of a small natural disaster.
Broken tiles had been swept into uneven piles.
Half-built wooden frames leaned against stone foundations.
A training field had appeared overnight where none had existed before.
And the faint smell of molten metal, charred wood, and fermented wineapple juice drifted lazily through the air.
Despite the mess…
The sect felt alive.
For the first time since the strange events of the previous day, the cultivators had gathered again in the courtyard.
Lin Fan.
Li Wei.
Feng.
Ru Yan.
They stood together, watching the five elemental guardians.
And somehow they looked even more dangerous.
Huanglong stood at the center.
Tall. Broad-shouldered. Radiating authority.
Golden hair flowed down his back like molten metal, and faint scales shimmered along his collarbone.
He looked like a noble warrior who had stepped out of an ancient legend.
Except he was currently holding a hammer the size of a brick.
Beside him stood the others.
Azure Dragon, a tall woman with long emerald hair cascading down her back. Her… motherly features were impossible to miss.
Her robes struggled valiantly against the laws of gravity.
She held a clay wine jug in one hand and looked extremely pleased with existence.
White Tiger, a lean man with wild silver hair and golden eyes that radiated lazy danger.
He lounged on top of a half-rebuilt wall like an oversized cat.
Vermilion Bird stood gracefully nearby, her crimson robes flowing like living flame.
Every movement left faint sparks drifting through the air.
And finally—
Black Tortoise.
A composed woman dressed in deep blue robes stood quietly beside a shallow water basin.
Beside her stood a tall, slender man with tanned skin who appeared far too amused by everything.
The disciples stared.
Lin Fan whispered,
“They look even scarier like this.”
Feng nodded.
“Agreed.”
Li Wei stared only at Vermilion Bird.
Internally he thought:
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Magnificent… radiant… fiery perfection…
Ru Yan elbowed him.
“You’re staring again.”
Li Wei coughed and straightened immediately.
Huanglong slowly scanned the courtyard.
The disciples.
The half-built structures.
The newly awakened mountain.
He nodded slowly.
“Yes.”
“This is promising.”
White Tiger yawned.
“You say that like you planned it.”
Huanglong ignored him.
Instead, his gaze drifted toward the quiet figure standing near the center of the courtyard.
Zhi Yuan.
Hands behind his back.
Calm.
Observing everything.
Huanglong’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully.
“…Hmm.”
He stroked his beard.
Then suddenly spoke.
“There is a problem.”
Everyone looked up.
Azure Dragon blinked.
“What problem?”
Huanglong crossed his arms.
“A sect must have structure.”
He gestured around the courtyard.
“Disciples.”
He pointed to the guardians.
“Elders.”
Li Wei, Feng, Ru Yan, and Lin Fan all stared with wide eyes.
“Wait… what?” Lin Fan whispered.
Then Huanglong’s gaze returned to Zhi Yuan.
“But one position remains undefined.”
The courtyard grew quiet.
Huanglong stepped forward.
Until he stood directly before Zhi Yuan.
His voice became solemn.
“You brought us here.”
“You awakened the mountain.”
“You guided these cultivators.”
He paused.
Then asked the question.
“Are you the leader of this sect… or its founder?”
The disciples froze.
Lin Fan whispered,
“Is this serious?”
Feng nodded slowly.
“This feels serious.”
Zhi Yuan sighed softly.
“Neither.”
Too late.
Huanglong suddenly dropped to one knee.
The ground cracked beneath him.
“I, Huanglong of the Earth Center, acknowledge Zhi Yuan as Founder of the Wineapple Sect.”
Silence exploded across the courtyard.
White Tiger blinked once.
Then shrugged and knelt as well.
“Sure.”
“White Tiger acknowledges the Founder.”
Vermilion Bird followed gracefully.
“Vermilion Bird greets the Founder.”
Black Tortoise attempted to kneel elegantly.
Instead she slipped slightly on the wet stone.
But still ended up kneeling.
“Black Tortoise greets the Founder.”
The slender tanned-skinned man lowered his head.
“I acknowledge the Founder.”
The disciples immediately panicked.
Li Wei reacted first.
He dropped to his knees.
“Disciple Li Wei greets the Founder!”
Ru Yan followed calmly.
“Ru Yan greets the Founder.”
Feng sighed and knelt.
“Feng greets the Founder.”
Lin Fan looked around in complete panic.
Everyone was kneeling.
His brain shut down.
“WHAT DO I DO?!”
“Just kneel!” Feng whispered.
Lin Fan dove forward—
—and bit his tongue on the way down.
“OU—!”
Blood filled his mouth as his face slammed into the stone.
“OUCH! LIN FAN GREETS THE FATHER—!”
The courtyard froze.
White Tiger slowly turned his head.
“Did he just say father?”
Ru Yan covered her mouth, struggling to contain her laughter.
Li Wei whispered urgently,
“Founder! You meant Founder!”
Lin Fan spat blood.
“FATHER! I MEANT FOUNDER!”
Zhi Yuan stared at the entire scene.
Five ancient guardians kneeling.
Three disciples kneeling.
One bleeding idiot calling him father.
He slowly raised a hand.
And facepalmed.
“Why.”
Long pause.
“Why is everyone kneeling?”
Huanglong blinked.
“Because you founded the sect?”
“I did not.”
“You built it.”
“That does not make me the founder.”
“You named it.”
Zhi Yuan exhaled.
“I was in a mood.”
White Tiger shrugged.
“Too late.”
Zhi Yuan sighed deeply.
He looked around the courtyard.
At the disciples.
At the guardians.
At the mountain that had somehow become a sect.
“Fine.”
Everyone looked up instantly.
“But,” Zhi Yuan added calmly,
“If I am the Founder…”
“then you are all responsible for rebuilding the courtyard.”
Huanglong smiled.
“A fair command.”
Azure Dragon raised her wine jug.
“TO THE FOUNDER!”
Lin Fan wheezed from the ground.
“PLEASE DON’T MAKE ME YOUR SON.”
Azure Dragon immediately grabbed him in a hug.
“Too late, little sapling!”
“I AM NOT A SAPLING!”
Within minutes the courtyard descended into chaos.
White Tiger grabbed Feng by the collar.
“You. Stealth boy. Training.”
Feng screamed as he was dragged across the ground.
“HELP! FOUNDER HELP!”
Zhi Yuan looked away.
Azure Dragon squeezed Lin Fan in a crushing hug.
“Your growth pleases me!”
“I CAN’T BREATHE—”
Suddenly Lin Fan released a burst of wild Wood Qi.
It exploded outward.
White Tiger shouted toward Zhi Yuan.
“Founder! Your kid is on fire!”
“NOT MY SON!”
Zhi Yuan facepalmed again.
Vermilion Bird casually ignited a training flame.
Li Wei instantly rushed forward.
“I WILL CONTROL THE FIRE FOR YOU!”
Ru Yan quietly stepped into the courtyard pool.
Water rose gracefully around her.
Black Tortoise watched proudly.
Then slipped on the edge.
Zhi Yuan watched the chaos unfold.
He folded his arms behind his back.
For a moment, the corner of his mouth lifted slightly.
The Wineapple Sect had no order.
No tradition.
No discipline.
A twelve-year-old idiot who had just called him Father.
Only chaos.
And somehow…
It was working.
Founder of the Wineapple Sect.
Not by design.
But through a series of events that spiraled wildly out of control.
Sect Elders, the Wineapple Sect finally begins to resemble a true cultivation sect… even if it is one built entirely on chaos.
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Founder’s child is on fire
New disciples seeking to join.