Morning sunlight poured through the slats of the newly rebuilt hut, casting warm beams across the wooden floor. Tyler sat cross-legged at the center, the scent of dried Spirit Herb tea curling in the air like a lazy dragon. In front of him, a jade-leafed incense stick burned slowly, its smoke spiraling upward in meditative patterns.
He took a sip of the tea Calmleaf had given him. It had a strange, grounding effect—like his thoughts were no longer ping-ponging around but floating gently in a calm river.
The system chimed.
[New Quest: Establish Cultivation Method for Verdant Leaf Sect]Reward: Sect Merit System + Inner Cultivation Technique Manual
"Guess vibes aren't enough," Tyler muttered, setting the cup down. "Time to build something deeper."
He stepped out into the morning air, where Grubroot was stacking stones into what looked like a crude statue of a lounging sloth holding a joint.
"You meditating or landscaping?" Tyler asked.
Grubroot shrugged. "Both. Rocks need purpose too."
"Deep." Tyler squinted toward the bamboo grove. "Where's Sparkwind?"
A bolt of lightning exploded in the distance, followed by maniacal laughter.
"Ah. Never mind."
Calmleaf emerged from the trees, robes pristine as always, despite clearly returning from some intense early-morning formation work. He bowed slightly. "The ley lines have been harmonized. The energy flow through the valley is stabilizing."
"Cool, cool," Tyler said. "I've got a new system quest. We need to create our own cultivation method."
Calmleaf's eyebrow twitched. "You mean... an original path?"
"Yeah. Not just recycling old sect dogma. Something true to the Verdant Leaf vibe."
Sparkwind appeared in a puff of sparks, hair even wilder than usual. "We need a weed dao."
"Exactly!" Tyler pointed at him like he'd just invented electricity. "A spiritual path rooted in growth, calm, expansion—heck, even creativity."
He opened the system menu and tapped around until he reached a new interface:
[Design Cultivation Method]
Foundation Realm Philosophy:
Core Cultivation Technique Name:
Progression Tiers (Optional Flavor):
Focus: (e.g., Body, Mind, Qi, Herb-Aligned, etc.)
"All right," Tyler said, turning to his disciples. "Let's workshop this."
Grubroot grunted. "Foundation should be rooted. Stable. Like stone."
Calmleaf nodded. "And awareness. The Spirit Herb enhances perception, encourages inner reflection."
Sparkwind was scribbling on a leaf with lightning. "Also gotta embrace breakthroughs in weird ways. Accidental insight. Enlightenment during naps. High ideas that somehow work."
Tyler tapped into the menu.
Foundation Realm Philosophy: "Calm Growth and Inner Expansion through Spirit Herb Resonance"
Core Cultivation Technique Name: "Path of Verdant Transcendence"
Progression Tiers:
Seedling (Establish spiritual roots)
Sprout (Awaken awareness and Qi flow)
Leaf (Synchronize breath, herb, and body)
Bud (Enter visionary insight states)
Bloom (Radiate calming influence, herbal aura)
Focus: Qi + Mind cultivation (Herb-Aligned)
He hit "Confirm."
The entire valley vibrated. The Spirit Herb field glowed brightly, releasing faint pulses of green light into the surrounding air. The Sect Flag shimmered.
[You have created a Sect-Specific Cultivation Technique!]
Path of Verdant TranscendenceCultivation Manuals Automatically Distributed to Disciples.Additional Effect: Field of Resonant Growth – Cultivating near the Spirit Herb field accelerates growth and insight.
Each of the three disciples looked dazed for a moment as glowing jade pages shimmered into existence before them. They instinctively reached out and absorbed the manuals into their minds.
Grubroot sat down cross-legged. "I feel… calm. Strong."
Sparkwind twitched once. "This is either gonna make me a genius or put me into a coma."
"Both," Calmleaf said serenely, already breathing in rhythm with the field.
Tyler felt a gentle pressure in his own chest—his spiritual core pulsing in time with the mountain, the valley, the weed. The system chimed again.
[New Feature Unlocked: Meditation Garden]
Converts unused land into a passive cultivation zone.Increases clarity, breakthrough chance, and Sect Prestige.
He looked out at the empty hill to the east of the field. "We should build something there."
By noon, they had laid out smooth stones, planted fast-growing flowering Spirit Vines, and arranged hammocks between pine trees. Grubroot even carved a hot spring from the hillside using Earth Qi, while Sparkwind redirected a lightning stream into a mini water feature that sparked gently every few minutes.
It was the most peaceful training space Tyler had ever seen—even if this was his first one.
A soft breeze carried the scent of herb and mineral water. Birds chirped. The ground pulsed faintly with harmonious energy.
The system chimed again.
[Meditation Garden Complete. Sect Prestige +2. Disciples' Cultivation Speed Increased.]
"Okay," Tyler said, collapsing into a hammock. "This is how a sect should run. Chill, strong, and weirdly holistic."
Grubroot nodded solemnly. "We need a code."
Calmleaf agreed. "A philosophy to guide the disciples to come."
Tyler rubbed his chin, then stood and pointed toward the Sect Flag.
"Rule One," he declared, "We grow before we go."
"Rule Two," said Sparkwind, "Never spark war before sparking wisdom."
Grubroot added, "Rule Three. Respect the Leaf."
"Rule Four," Calmleaf said softly. "Let the path unfold. Do not rush bloom."
The wind blew gently, as if affirming the rules.
[You have created the Verdant Leaf Sect Doctrine]
Growth before conflict
Wisdom before wrath
Respect the Herb
Patience over power
Effect: Disciples recruited will align naturally with this philosophy. Incompatible personalities will be repelled.
Tyler exhaled and sat cross-legged again, the glow of the garden around him making the air feel like it hummed in peace.
"We're not building a gang," he said softly. "This isn't about power for power's sake."
He opened his eyes, the glow of the cultivation field reflecting in them. "We're building a sanctuary. A place where chaos turns into calm. Where people can grow—slowly, deeply, and with meaning."
Grubroot bowed his head.
Calmleaf closed his eyes and smiled.
Sparkwind did a cartwheel off a tree branch and yelled, "WEED DAO IS REAL!"
Tyler grinned and leaned back, watching the clouds drift lazily by.
For the first time, this didn't feel like just surviving in a new world.
This felt like the beginning of a legacy.