A genius seen once in a thousand years?
The disciples training at the Training Ground all turned to look, whispering among themselves. "Could he be Xiao Ziji from the Xiao Family of Liyang City?"
"The super genius who tested as having a Top-grade Spirit Root at ten and opened his Twelve Meridians at twelve?"
"That was only former glory. Five years ago, his Spirit Root and Cultivation regressed, and he ultimately became an ordinary person. Even his Fiancée came to the family to break off the engagement."
"The Xiao Family drove him out, and there had been no news of him since. Who would have thought he would end up as a beggar?"
All the disciples shook their heads in regret.
Back then, Xiao Ziji had been a figure who stirred the winds and clouds in Qingyang County. Even Li Qingyang in later years had struggled to compare with him.
But what about now?
The former super genius had fallen into uselessness and become like this. It truly made one sigh in lament.
As Xiao Ziji walked step by step toward the gate, he heard their discussion and said dejectedly, "I am nothing but a useless person now. How could I possibly reclaim everything I lost?"
Li Qingyang still wanted to say something.
"Qingyang."
Jun Changxiao walked out and leaned against the spot where Lu Qianqian had stood earlier. "He cannot even think highly of himself. There is no use in keeping him in the Iron Bone Unyielding Sect, so there is no need to comfort him."
Li Qingyang fell silent.
Xiao Ziji continued onward, his back fraught with despondency and gloom.
"Tap."
He stopped on the stone steps without turning around. "Sect Leader Jun, thank you for saving me. Xiao Ziji will engrave this great kindness upon his heart."
Jun Changxiao said blandly, "Had I known the person I saved could not even think highly of himself, I would never have saved him. I might even have neatly given him another stab and let him die quickly."
Li Qingyang: "..."
Lu Qianqian brushed aside the strands of black hair draped over her shoulder. "Sect Leader, your words are rather hurtful too."
Xiao Ziji said expressionlessly, "Yes. I should not have lived."
Jun Changxiao pointed outside and said blandly, "Turn left when you leave, and there is a cliff. If you want to die, you can jump off it. Perhaps you will gain a fortuitous encounter and ascend to the pinnacle of life from then on."
"..."
The corners of everyone's mouths twitched.
When had their Sect Leader become as sharp-tongued as Senior Disciple Sister?
Xiao Ziji smiled bitterly. "From the moment I fell from genius to uselessness, I was destined never to have any fortuitous encounters or opportunities again."
"Fortuitous encounters are for those who are prepared."
"For someone like you who has abandoned himself, even if pies fell from the sky, they would not land on your head."
Jun Changxiao said blandly, "Before you leave, I will give you a piece of advice. There are no people born powerful in this world, only people born unwilling to yield. Whether genius or trash, once the heart that refuses to yield is gone, one is truly nothing but trash."
No one was born powerful; there were only those born unwilling to yield?
Xiao Ziji's body trembled slightly, and light gradually returned to his despondent eyes.
Jun Changxiao folded his arms over his chest and said blandly, "If you have already forgotten the original aspiration that brought you to the Iron Bone Unyielding Sect, then hurry up and get lost."
Xiao Ziji remained where he was. He did not get lost.
During the Hundred Sects Recruitment, he had seen Jun Changxiao instructing martial artists from various sects in the Training Ground, and his sunken will had been stirred.
After struggling for some time, he had decided to come to the Iron Bone Sect, hoping to enter Jun Changxiao's sect and cultivate Martial Dao anew.
For that, he had not hesitated to travel to Huyang City and steal the Ai Family's pills.
What kind of pills?
Pills that could briefly raise one's Cultivation.
Xiao Ziji knew there were conditions for joining the Iron Bone Sect. With his low-grade aptitude and no Cultivation, he would certainly be rejected.
His attempt to steal the pills ended in failure. In his panic, he fled here without knowing where he was going, but the Ai Family still caught up with him, and he could not avoid a vicious beating.
What was it all for?
It was all for his original aspiration to become stronger!
Jun Changxiao said, "Can you endure having your engagement broken off by your Fiancée?"
Xiao Ziji clenched his fists and bit his lip.
Jun Changxiao said, "Do you not want to become strong again and tell that short-sighted woman, tell the whole world, that for thirty years the river lies east, for thirty years west—never bully a youth because he is poor?"
"Never bully a youth because he is poor..."
Xiao Ziji stared blankly. It was as though a sharp blade had stabbed his heart, shattering that utter despair. His tightly clenched fists gradually loosened, and crimson blood dripped from his fingers onto the stone slabs.
"That is all I have to say."
"If you are leaving, then hurry up and get lost."
Jun Changxiao said blandly.
Thud!
Xiao Ziji suddenly turned around and dropped heavily to both knees. Tears covered his face as he cried out, "Sect Leader Jun, I want to join the Iron Bone Unyielding Sect! I want to become stronger! I want to reclaim everything I lost!"
At that moment, all the pain he had endured and all his desire to grow stronger found release in his sobs.
Li Qingyang, Lu Qianqian, and even every disciple present watched Xiao Ziji. No one mocked the seven-foot man for weeping bitterly.
Ding!
Congratulations, Host, for completing the Side Quest. You have received 5 Sect Contribution Points.
Ding!
Sect Contribution Points: 34/100.
Whew!
Jun Changxiao let out a breath and thought, I finally restored this fellow's confidence.
As it turned out, when Xiao Ziji had walked out of the Medicine Pavilion, the system had issued a Side Quest: restore the fallen genius Xiao Ziji's confidence in Martial Dao.
"Qingyang."
Jun Changxiao snapped his fingers. "Handle his entrance procedures. Remember to have him clean up all the bloodstains in the Outer Court."
"Yes!"
Li Qingyang hurried over.
He admired every word the Sect Leader had just said so deeply that he was utterly convinced.
Jun Changxiao looked toward the disciples in the Training Ground and said solemnly, "All of you, engrave this in your hearts. There is no distinction between geniuses and trash in this world. No one is born powerful; there are only those born unwilling to yield!"
"Yes!"
The disciples shouted in unison.
Especially when they recalled the Sect Leader's words—thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river; never bully a youth because he is poor—their blood seemed to burst into flame.
"Gulp, gulp."
Inside the Main Hall, Jun Changxiao drank from a teapot, then leaned back against his chair and said, "Making an utterly despondent fellow regain his confidence in Martial Dao—I really fucking admire my own eloquence."
The system said at an inopportune moment, "The sect's disciples generally have poor aptitude, and now you have taken in another useless person. He will only drag down the sect's development."
Jun Changxiao rested his chin on the back of his hand and smiled. "Do you not think it is a very fulfilling thing to train them and turn them into strong people?"
The system said nothing.
Jun Changxiao had rebuilt Xiao Ziji's confidence in Martial Dao because of the Side Quest.
As for accepting him into the sect, that was more out of sympathy. After all, a former genius had fallen into uselessness, had his engagement broken off, and was driven out by his family. It was simply too pitiful.
"Sect Leader."
Li Qingyang came over and handed him the Entrance Registration Form. "Junior Brother Xiao's registration form has been filled out."
Jun Changxiao casually glanced at it, then took out the Sect Leader Seal and stamped it.
Ding!
Sect Members: 100/100.
"No Contribution Points reward?"
"The number of members had already reached the maximum limit. Replenishing the number after a member's death or expulsion will not grant Contribution Points a second time."
"All right."
Jun Changxiao shook his head.
Ding!
The system has detected that the member limit has been reached and all disciples are in the sect. Requirements met. Sect Missions activated.
Upon hearing the notification, Jun Changxiao nearly coughed up blood.
No wonder Sect Missions had remained unavailable all this time. It turned out that the sect had not been full, and its disciples had not all been in the sect!
Swish!
He hurriedly opened the Strongest Sect System's Data Panel and saw the following displayed beneath Sect Missions: There are Sect Missions. Click to view details.
With a thought, Jun Changxiao clicked on the details. A small Data Panel immediately appeared, listing many missions.
The contents were—
Help Aunt Wang of Qingyang Village clean her courtyard [Recommendation Rating: ★] Help Aunt Sun of Qingyang Village carry manure to fertilize her vegetables [Recommendation Rating: ★] Help villagers of Qingyang Village write letters [Recommendation Rating: ★] Help Xiao Dan of Qingyang Village find his lost Little Yellow [Recommendation Rating: ★★] Help the villagers of Qingyang Village eliminate the Earth Flame Wolf that is harming the local people [Recommendation Rating: ★★★]
There were many more missions afterward, roughly forty or fifty in total. Jun Changxiao only read the first few lines before collapsing back in his chair, the corner of his mouth twitching. "What kind of bullshit Sect Missions are these?"
Before you continue