Cultivation World, Miaowa Kingdom.
In a mountain valley of clear waters, lush hills, and dense spiritual energy, atop a circular platform built of white jade.
One or two hundred youths were shrouded in a pale curtain of light, trapped in an illusion. Some looked enraged, some terrified, some grief-stricken...
"Hiss..."
Lin Chang'an let out a muffled groan and abruptly awoke. His eyes were wide as he stared at everything before him, as though he had yet to regain his bearings.
"Lin Chang'an, seventeen years old, Mid-grade Spirit Root, A-grade Aptitude. Twenty-eighth to awaken. Willpower barely considered excellent..."
Several Immortal Masters from the sects around the perimeter nodded inwardly and recorded the character "A" on this white-robed youth's token.
"That was close. I almost forgot my previous life..."
Amid the crowd, Lin Chang'an wiped the sweat from his brow with lingering fear. Looking at the youths awakening around him, he silently calculated.
"I woke up a little late, but with my aptitude, passing the assessment and entering the Heavenly Sword Sect should not be difficult."
The Heavenly Sword Sect was one of Great Jin's Seven Great Sects.
At the thought of being able to enter the Heavenly Sword Sect, a smile appeared on Lin Chang'an's face.
"Chang'an, do you think we can enter an immortal sect?"
Li Han, dressed in close-fitting black clothes, nervously gripped a treasured sword from the mortal world with both hands. Plain-featured, his face was now filled with worry.
"No problem. Although you have a Low-grade Spirit Root, you were the first to wake up from the illusion."
The two had met on their way to enter the immortal sect, so they were more familiar with each other than with the others.
"I hope so."
Li Han's gaze drifted uneasily over his surroundings.
"Low-grade Spirit Root aptitude, and you want to join the Heavenly Sword Sect? Hmph!"
Where there were people, there was naturally conflict. A youth in embroidered robes sneered and said disdainfully, "Go be a Rogue Cultivator."
Li Han acted as though he had heard nothing and remained silent. Then, without drawing attention, he and Lin Chang'an quietly retreated to the back of the crowd.
"If I can't make it, I'll become a Rogue Cultivator. After all, I already have a cultivation technique."
Lin Chang'an's eyes flew wide. "A Rogue Cultivator? Not even a dog would do that!"
Having lived two lives, how could he not understand the gap between having a position and having none? In this life, he had sworn to enter a major sect and lie low within it.
Lie low outside as a Rogue Cultivator? He would not even know how he died.
Just then, the embroidered-robed youth from before gave a snort of laughter and walked over.
"What is a Rogue Cultivator? No inheritance, no backing, no Spirit Stones, never knowing whether tomorrow will come. Even while meditating to cultivate, they must guard against sneak attacks. After completing missions, their Spirit Stone rewards may be delayed—or not paid at all."
At this point, the proud youth in embroidered robes turned to Lin Chang'an, smiled, and cupped his hands. "Therefore, this fellow Daoist's statement that being a Rogue Cultivator is worse than being a dog is most apt."
"But disciples of major sects are different. They have inheritances, backing, and can advance step by step. Cultivating in the sect is safe and guaranteed. Who would dare withhold your mission Spirit Stones?"
Seeing the youth's friendly demeanor, Lin Chang'an also smiled and cupped his hands. "Fellow Daoist speaks reasonably. That is precisely why we have come here."
Clearly, the embroidered-robed youth was befriending fellow disciples with promising talent, already paving the road for the future. As for a Rogue Cultivator?
Would a civil servant fear a migrant worker?
The embroidered-robed youth was Qi Feng, eighteen years old, with a Mid-grade Spirit Root and C-grade Aptitude, an illegitimate son of a Great Jin prince in the mortal world.
Li Han seemed to have been struck by the remarks. He lowered his head and fell silent.
Qi Feng ignored him. He smiled at Lin Chang'an, cupped his hands, and headed toward the others, never noticing the calmness in Li Han's eyes as he lowered his head.
"Don't worry. At the very least, you can first join the outer sect. Once you cultivate to late Qi Condensation, you can become an official disciple."
Faced with Lin Chang'an's consolation, Li Han gratefully cupped his hands.
"Great Jin... the Cultivation World..."
Lin Chang'an's expression shifted, his gaze deep and remote as he recalled the experiences of his two lives.
In his previous life, he had spent years taking civil service examinations without success, then suddenly died.
In this life, in the wondrous world of cultivation, his parents had obtained a Rogue Cultivator's inheritance through a fortunate encounter. They then returned to their old mountain village in Great Jin and brought relatives with Spirit Roots into the Cultivation World, establishing a small Lineage.
When he was nine, only his gravely wounded mother returned beneath the night sky. After teaching him for half a year, she passed away.
It was only after receiving a letter of recommendation from Uncle that he had gained this opportunity to come to the Heavenly Sword Sect.
"Right, how did you get here?"
Li Han seemed to have returned to his usual self, asking with a casual smile.
Lin Chang'an replied with grateful melancholy, "It was thanks to Uncle's son joining the sect. He sent a letter several months ago, and only then did I gain this chance."
Lin Chang'an's face was full of gratitude. In his heart, he swore that he would certainly repay Uncle properly in the future.
Yet Li Han fell silent, then inconspicuously took an opened letter and a token from his robes.
"I obtained these through a fortunate encounter."
A fortunate encounter? One could not simply come to one of Great Jin's Seven Great Sects. Not only did one need a clean family background, there were all sorts of restrictions as well...
"A fortunate encounter!"
A terrible premonition rose in Lin Chang'an's heart. He stared at Li Han until Li Han lowered his voice and awkwardly said, "I got them for two Spirit Stones."
Holy shit!
Lin Chang'an's eyes widened. "Impossible! The Heavenly Sword Sect is one of the Seven Great Sects. How could that be possible?!"
The two stared at each other, eyes wide, and a terrible premonition immediately welled up between them. Yet when they tried to retreat, they discovered that they were already at the edge of the formation.
"Everyone, stand properly!"
Just then, the formation slowly dispersed. A middle-aged sect steward stepped forward, and an ill-intentioned smile spread across his face as he looked at the crowd.
Nearly two hundred youths looked toward the sect steward. Most of them were flushed with excitement, unable to conceal their agitation. If they could join the Heavenly Sword Sect, then in the future they would at least become mighty cultivators of late Qi Condensation.
The excited, still-childish boys and girls failed to notice the cruel, ill-intentioned smiles on the faces of the sect disciples around them.
"I now announce that every one of you has passed the assessment."
Boom!
As soon as the steward made the announcement, everyone burst into excited cheers. Yet there were no shortage of clever people among them; before the smiles on their faces had faded, they realized something.
At the back of the crowd, Lin Chang'an and Li Han wore forced smiles. They exchanged a glance and both understood what the other meant.
"This is bad!"
The Seven Great Sects' assessments were as harsh as could be. Since when had the path become so wild that they accepted just anyone?
Sure enough!
The next moment, the middle-aged sect steward clapped his hands and laughed. "Welcome, Little Friends, to the Great Sword Sect!"
In an instant, the joyous youths who had just been celebrating were struck dumb upon hearing those words. Their laughter and cheers came to an abrupt halt.
The silent youths looked at one another. Among them, a burly youth could not help laughing excitedly. "I never thought that even with my Low-grade Spirit Root aptitude, I could join the Heavenly Sword Sect."
Yet no one responded to him. The sect disciples around them wore only mocking expressions, and terrible premonitions rose in everyone's hearts.
The middle-aged steward smiled. "Heavenly Sword Sect? Don't tell me you cannot even read."
The Heavenly Sword Sect's enormous stone stele stood right behind him.
At that moment, the sect disciples around them burst into uproarious laughter. Beneath those mocking, scornful, cruel smiles, all the boys and girls present were terrified.
"I'll say it once more. This is the Great Sword Sect of Miaowa Kingdom, not the Heavenly Sword Sect of Great Jin!"
The steward glared angrily at them. With a wave of his hand, a mass of clear water suddenly appeared and crashed onto the stone stele with a splash.
On the stone stele, the enormous three characters for "Heavenly Sword Sect" stood out. The topmost stroke of the character for "Heavenly" slowly dissolved into an ink stain in the water.
Great Sword Sect
As those three words appeared, they were met by the terrified, pale faces of the boys and girls, along with the mocking laughter all around them.
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