The sect buzzed with whispers.
After the blood-soaked trials and the storm he brought upon the Inner Disciple Exams, Li Xuan had become a name that struck both awe and unease in the hearts of disciples. But those who truly knew him—his brothers—stood straighter than before. Their killing intent was sharp, their auras unshakable.
Yet even Li Xuan knew—
A legion wasn't built on a few loyal men.
It was time to expand.
—
In a quiet valley behind the sect's outer ring, his current brothers—Wei Ziyang, Tie Shan, and Han Mu—stood before him. The scars of their battles still marked their skin, but their eyes gleamed with something deeper: purpose.
Li Xuan nodded at them. "You've survived hell beside me. From now on, you're commanders."
They saluted, but not with sect etiquette—with the clasped-fist war salute Li Xuan had taught them.
"Go out," he ordered. "Search the sect. I don't want trash. I want wolves who've been abandoned. Misfits who refuse to kneel. Brothers who've bled, been humiliated, but haven't broken. If they have the will, I'll forge the strength."
They bowed and vanished, leaving Li Xuan standing alone beneath the blood sun.
—
That night, Long Chen's voice rang out from the system.
"About time. A war god doesn't walk with sheep. He leads wolves."
"Your commanders will bring back the kind of men you need. Now it's your job to polish the blade."
"Also… you're too damn serious lately. Start smiling. Smirk a bit. Cunning and chaos can win battles that fists can't."
Li Xuan rolled his eyes. "I'm not a clown."
"No. You're a war god in the making. But even war gods know when to laugh before they kill."
Then Long Chen added, almost too casually:
"Also… some strong beauties are watching. Better put that face to use. Just don't be like those useless rom-com protagonists. You want her? Take her."
Li Xuan sighed.
—
The next day, Tie Shan returned with five rough-looking outer disciples—scarred, beaten down, but not broken. Wei Ziyang brought a blind swordsman who felt the wind better than any eye. Han Mu brought two girls who had nearly been crippled in a failed formation test—sisters with talent for traps and poison, cast aside by their team.
Li Xuan didn't say a word as they knelt. He only spoke after watching them for minutes in silence.
"If you kneel too easily now… you'll never be able to stand in war."
They stood. One swayed. One trembled. But none fell.
He smirked.
"Then welcome to the legion."
System Notification:
—New Legion Members Detected—
—Initiating Warpath Training Simulation—
—Mission: Forge Their Will. Rewards: LCP + Brotherhood Potential—
—Warning: Failure may lead to injury or permanent cultivation damage—
Long Chen chuckled from within.
"Let's put these lambs through the grinder."
—
In the simulation realm, Li Xuan pushed them through nightmare scenarios. Betrayal. Traps. Ambushes. Each time, he watched how they responded.
One broke and wept. Li Xuan didn't speak to him again.
The others gritted their teeth. They fell, bled, but got back up.
After the third night, their eyes changed.
—
During this period, two incidents shook the sect.
First, Li Xuan personally refined soul-enhancing pills and physique-tempering blends for his core brothers. Rumors spread like wildfire—he had begun walking the path of Long Chen.
Second, a disciple from the pill department mocked a legion member for being a former cripple.
Li Xuan slapped him so hard his soul left his body for three seconds.
No one dared insult his legion again.
—
The next week, he met her.
A disciple with an icy demeanor and the beauty of a frozen moon. Her name: Luo Yanyue. A rare dual cultivation talent with a sword soul and healing domain. Favored by the elders.
She mocked him at first—calling him a thug with delusions of grandeur.
Then she watched him train the crippled into monsters.
She heard him speak to his legion—never words of fluff, only truth: "I won't protect you. I'll forge you so you don't need protection."
When he passed her in the training field, she asked, "Why don't you try charming me like the others?"
He didn't stop walking.
"You're not the moon," he said. "You're just another star. If you shine brighter, I might notice."
She bit her lip.
Later that night, she watched him train bare-chested beneath a waterfall, his muscles knotted with force, blood running down his knuckles as he struck stone to hone his control.
And she shivered. Not from cold. But something she didn't understand yet.
—
That night, Li Xuan called a war meeting.
Dozens knelt before him now—no longer outer disciples, but his legion.
"I'm not your savior. I'm not your master. I'm your general."
"I'll teach you to stand. To bleed without crying. To die with a grin."
"From this day on… We are the Black Flame Legion."
System Notification:
—Legion Named: Black Flame Legion—
—Long Chen Approval: 89%—
—Next Mission Available: Crush the Auction House Syndicate—
"Heh. Now it begins. Start robbing the bastards who fatten themselves on the weak. I did. So will you."
—
System Status
Cultivation: Foundation Establishment – Mid Stage (800/1100 EXP)
LCP: 486
Skills: Face-Slapping Divine Art, Dragon Soul Saber, Predator's Pressure, Phantom Step, Flame Qi Enhancement
Simulation Realm: Active (300% Speed)
Mission Hub: "Syndicate Hunt" Available
Legion Members: 27 / Commanders: 3
Legion Strength: Rising
Romantic Pressure: Mounting