The Heaven Mending Sect

Heaven Mending Province was vast and boundless, home to countless races. It was a land steeped in nature's spiritual splendor, lush and verdant, with divine mountains and sacred grounds wreathed in spiritual energy.

As one of the Three Thousand Provinces, it differed little from Heavenly Immortal Province. It was just as peaceful and magnificent, a blessed land that nurtured outstanding people. Myriad races flourished, gods appeared, and countless mighty cultivators left behind beautiful myths and legends.

Now, Qi Daolin had brought Lin Fan to this province, crossing hundreds of millions of miles and dozens of great provinces for one purpose alone: to infiltrate one of its supreme powers-the Heaven Mending Sect.

The names of the province and the sect alone spoke volumes about its strength. It controlled almost an entire great province, which had even been named after it-a rare distinction in the Upper Realm.

"Damn it, that old geezer really is unreliable! He dumped me here and left without even telling me how to join, sharing a little experience, or arranging an identity for me. If I get caught, I'm screwed!" Lin Fan grumbled, his heart uneasy and full of apprehension.

He had come to steal their teachings, not to join in earnest. Facing an immortal Great Church like this, he was deeply worried that his connection to the Supreme Dao Arena might be exposed and bring disaster down on him.

Qi Daolin's reputation was truly atrocious. In his younger years, he had joined more than a dozen Great Churches and stolen countless divine abilities from them. Once discovered, he became a man everyone condemned and hunted, shaking the entire Upper Realm.

Because of this, the various sects had tightened their screening of new disciples, rigorously investigating their backgrounds to prevent anything similar from happening again.

Lin Fan arrived on the outskirts of the Heaven Mending Sect's territory. A giant city stood here, built specifically to receive visitors and serve as a gateway.

Though it was merely an outpost, it was extraordinarily grand and imposing, covering a vast area. Its prosperity far surpassed that of many national capitals, and dense streams of people flowed back and forth.

Its terrain was extraordinary as well. From afar, it resembled a great dragon lying upon the earth, with clouds and rosy mist rising around it and auspicious light flowing in radiant colors. Its buildings were lofty and magnificent, and there were even numerous spiritual mountains and cascading waterfalls. A great river ran through its streets, making the scene all the more splendid.

"Heaven Mending Sect admission handbook! Want to know how to join? Come take a look!"

"Purple jade orchid grass, an eight-thousand-year-old quasi-saint medicine! Strengthen your treasured body and make your flesh flawless! Come bid if you're interested-a rare medicinal treasure!"

"Divine Magical Artifact, the Crimson Blood Divine Spear! Unmatched sharpness, unstoppable piercing power, specially made to break through shields and armor! Supreme might, essential for battle! Don't pass it by—highest bidder wins!"

"Five-Colored Luan Bird precious technique..."

In the bustling city, merchants shouted over one another as all manner of rare treasures changed hands. The place was alive with activity.

Nor was anyone who did business here ordinary. They had elders of the Heaven Mending Sect backing them, and no one dared to seize their goods or cause trouble.

Lin Fan merely glanced around without lingering. Having traveled frequently to and from the Heavenly Immortal Academy and seen so much, he found nothing particularly novel.

Still, this place was enormous, no smaller than the city of the Heavenly Immortal Academy. As far as the eye could see, it occupied a staggering expanse. Anyone walking through it would soon be swallowed by the crowds and lose their bearings.

Unfamiliar with the streets, Lin Fan wandered around for a long time. Even after more than two hours, he still had not reached the city center and remained in the outer districts.

"Uncle, do you know how to join the Heaven Mending Sect?" Lin Fan asked a street vendor. These merchants lived here and had settled in the city, so they undoubtedly knew a great deal about it.

The vendor glanced around without spotting whoever had spoken. Only when he looked down did he realize it was a child of five or six. Surprise crossed his face-a child this young actually wanted to join the Heaven Mending Sect.

"Little fellow, joining the Heaven Mending Sect isn't easy. This is one of the highest sacred grounds for cultivation in the Upper Realm. Many great clans send their children here, and countless talented youths gather, yet even they struggle to get in. You're still too young. Come back in a few years!" the vendor advised.

He was not looking down on Lin Fan; the boy simply seemed far too young. Even if he had potential, it had yet to be developed. How high could his cultivation be? Passing the trials and joining was all but impossible.

"Uncle, please tell me. I traveled a long way here all by myself. I have to at least give it a try!" Lin Fan's large eyes were clear and bright as he earnestly asked for guidance.

"It's not that I won't tell you. This year's recruitment has already ended. If you want to join, you'll have to come back next year!"

"Isn't there any other way to join?" Lin Fan asked pitifully, looking like an abandoned child.

The man sighed. Assuming he came from some small tribe, he could not bear to let the boy's journey be in vain, so he said:

"It's not impossible. The Heaven Mending Sect's gates are always open to peerless prodigies. At the center of this city is a stele erected by the First-Generation Sect Master. It can assess a person's combat strength, talent, potential, and more.

"For beings of different talents, the stele shines with different colors: white, green, red, purple, and gold, in that order. White is the lowest, and gold is the highest. As long as you reach red, you can be admitted as an exception and enter the Heaven Mending Sect at any time!"

Lin Fan mulled it over, feeling that this approach would draw too much attention. He had originally wanted to enter without attracting notice; after all, he would be leaving someday.

But having missed recruitment, he certainly did not want to wait another year alone outside. That would waste far too much time, and cultivation required resources too.

"Thank you, Uncle. I understand."

In the end, Lin Fan thanked him and hurried toward the stele at the city center.

It took another two hours before he finally reached the place the vendor had described: the square at the very center of the city. It was an open expanse without halls or towers, containing only an enormous, imposing raised platform.

On that ancient stone platform stood a crystalline stele, grand and majestic, gleaming with light. It towered hundreds of yards high, its surface carved with intricate, mysterious patterns.

Many beings had gathered here, surrounding the entire stele. There were men and women, fierce birds and humans, all engaged in discussion. Some even wore delighted expressions, eager to try their luck.

Most had come from distant places, also hoping to join the Heaven Mending Sect. Others were already disciples of the sect and had likewise come to be tested.

In any Great Church, the stronger one was and the greater one's talent, the more resources one would naturally receive.

Lin Fan studied them carefully. Everyone here was much older than him. Even the youngest were eleven or twelve, while the older ones were in their twenties. He looked very small amid the crowd.

"They say anyone who can make this stele shine with golden light can become a Legacy Disciple of the Heaven Mending Sect directly and enjoy the highest privileges." Everyone was excited, hoping to become a peerless disciple and ascend to the heavens in a single step.

"You can entertain the thought, but don't daydream. Across endless ages, only two or three people in the Heaven Mending Sect have made this stele blaze with brilliant golden light. Every one of them became renowned throughout the Three Thousand Provinces!"

Someone sighed, knowing all too well how difficult it was. Such people were exceptional prodigies rarely seen anywhere in the world. How many could ever reach that level?

"But I heard that not long ago, the Heaven Mending Sect's newly appointed holy maiden made this stele flash with golden light-and hers was even more dazzling than those few predecessors'," someone said.

"Gasp! The Heaven Mending Sect really is remarkable. It looks as though another peerless powerhouse is about to emerge, surpassing the great predecessors!" Many people were shocked.

Then someone unearthed the origins of the Heaven Mending Sect's current holy maiden, leaving everyone astonished. "She was born amid extraordinary phenomena that dimmed the sun and made the stars across the heavens blaze in unison for a time. They suspect she might be the reincarnation of a female immortal."

Lin Fan rubbed his chin, a spark of interest rising within him. He, too, wanted to see how talented he was, where he would rank, and whether he would fall short of Yue Chan, who was said to be the reincarnation of True Immortal Azure Moon.