Several days had passed since the grueling climb up the trial stairs. The pain in their legs had faded into dull aches, the bruises had begun to heal, and yet the memory of that endless climb remained etched into the minds of the surviving disciples.
The group was gathered once again at the foot of the trial cliff, their numbers far fewer than when they had begun. Whispers spread among them as shadows swept across the earth.
A massive white crane descended from the skies, its wings blotting out the sun for a brief instant. It alighted upon the cliff's edge, each feather glimmering like forged jade. Upon its back stood a man.
Unlike the elder they had seen before, this one did not exude ancient age or unfathomable mystery. No, this man looked young, barely in his twenties at most. But despite his youth, the pressure that emanated from him made the very air feel heavy. His skin was pale as carved jade, flawless and unmarred by blemishes. His hair, long and black, flowed behind him like a silk banner in the wind.
His eyes were sharp, dark, and gleamed with a brilliance that suggested storms and oceans hidden beneath their surface. His lips were curved slightly, as if mocking everything he saw, yet there was a majesty to him that none dared question.
He wore a flowing white robe embroidered with the unmistakable emblem of the sect, a crane in mid-flight, its wings extended proudly across his chest. The threads shimmered faintly with qi, as though the crane itself might take flight at any moment. Around his waist was a jade belt, and at his side hung no weapon, yet his very presence was sharper than any blade.
The crane shifted its talons against the stone with a low rumble, and the young man spread his arms as though embracing the sea of eyes fixed upon him.
"Congratulations," he said, his voice calm yet carrying across the entire plateau without effort. "You have endured. You have proven yourselves."
The disciples held their breaths, and the man smiled faintly.
"I am Bai Tianyu, core disciple of the White Crane Sect and one of the overseers of this division." He let the words sink in. "From this day forth, you are no longer nameless hopefuls. You are disciples of the Body Cultivation Division of the White Crane Sect."
A ripple of excitement, awe, and fear coursed through the survivors. For many, this was the moment their lives had changed forever.
Bai Tianyu's smile thinned as he continued, his gaze sweeping across the crowd. "You were chosen not because of talent in qi refinement, nor because of spiritual roots or bloodlines. You were chosen because you have endured suffering, because you possess will, and because your bodies did not crumble when tested. That, and that alone, makes you fit to tread this path."
He paused, letting silence stretch before lifting a hand. A faint glow of qi danced across his palm.
"In the world of cultivation, there are two primary paths. The first, you are all familiar with. Qi refinement. A cultivator absorbs the ambient energies of heaven and earth, storing it within their dantian, cycling it through meridians, and wielding it as strength. It is elegant, it is refined… and it is fragile." His eyes gleamed.
"Then there is the second path. Body refinement. The path for those who either lack spiritual talent… or those with hearts stronger than steel. Instead of nurturing dantian and qi seas, we temper our bones, our flesh, our marrow, until the body itself becomes the weapon."
A murmur spread among the disciples, their eyes wide.
"The first realm," Bai Tianyu continued, "is called the Mortal Flesh Realm. It is the realm where every mortal begins. The weak never leave it. To step forward from this stage is to use the world's energy not for qi seas, but to fortify the flesh itself. In this realm, muscle harden like tempered steel, and skin resists blades. A true body cultivator of this realm… cannot be harmed by ordinary mortal weapons."
At this, a clear voice rang out among the gathered disciples.
The girl with sharp eyebrows, the one who had nearly faltered on the cliff yet refused to yield stepped forward slightly. Her voice was crisp, and her eyes burned with curiosity.
"Senior," she said respectfully, "are not qi refinement cultivators also impervious to mortal weapons, even at the lower stages?"
The young overseer's smile widened faintly. "A good question. What is your name, girl?"
She bowed. "Disciple Mei Yulan."
"Well then, Mei Yulan." Bai Tianyu's gaze sharpened. "The difference lies in reliance. Qi refinement cultivators shroud themselves in a thin layer of qi. It is imperceptible, yet it blocks mortal weapons easily. However… beneath that thin veil, their flesh remains ordinary. Should their qi falter, should they be ambushed, should their guard lower even for a breath… a mortal's dagger may yet end them."
A chill ran through the disciples as he spoke, his words slicing sharper than any blade.
"But a body cultivator," Tianyu continued, raising his hand and clenching it into a fist, "requires no veil, no conscious protection. The flesh itself is iron. The bones themselves, steel. Even stripped of qi, even crippled of dantian, they remain dangerous. This is why body cultivators are feared. For we are weapons even in chains."
The murmurs swelled, some disciples swallowing nervously, others staring at their own arms with newfound hunger.
Another youth raised his voice. "But Master Tianyu… is this path not slower? Is qi refinement not the superior road to power?"
Bai Tianyu laughed softly, his voice like wind over glass. "Slower, yes. Harder, yes. Deadlier, without a doubt. The path of the body cultivator devours more lives than it spares. But for those who survive?" His eyes glowed with restrained ferocity. "Their bodies alone crush those of higher realms. A true body cultivator at Foundation Establishment may shatter the bones of a Core Formation cultivator with bare fists. Tell me… is that inferior?"
Silence answered him. None dared speak further.
His expression hardened, the faint smile vanishing. "But know this. The path you now stand upon has no mercy. Unlike other divisions, you may still walk away. Now."
He swept his gaze across them, eyes narrowing like a hawk's. "If you lack resolve, if your will is brittle, if you fear pain or death, leave!!. This is your last chance. Once training begins, the only way off this path… is death."
The words hung heavy in the air. For long moments, silence reigned, broken only by the faint rustle of robes and the wind whistling across the cliff.
But not one disciple moved.
Some clenched their fists. Some gritted their teeth. Hēi Lóng, sweat trickling down his back, forced his trembling legs still and stared straight at Bai Tianyu, unyielding.
Minutes stretched.
Then Bai Tianyu's lips curled into a wide grin. He raised both arms high, and his qi flared violently. The ground shook, and the air quivered with invisible force.
"Good!" he roared, his voice thundering like a storm. "Then welcome… welcome to the Body Cultivation Division of the White Crane Sect, you plebs!"
The disciples trembled under his pressure, but their eyes burned brighter than ever before. The trial was over. The true journey had only just begun.