Skyword Pavilion—the place where the story of Martial Peak began, the cradle of Yang Kai's life and struggles. Yi Fan stood before this truth with an unsettled heart. He did not know into which point of time he had transmigrated. Was this the very beginning, the earliest threads of fate? Or had the wheel of destiny already turned beyond his guessing?
His mind grew heavy. If this was the time when novel and game began… then I should not step foot into Skyword Pavilion. In just a few months, it would fall beneath the shadow of Evil Lord Yang Bai. That thought lingered like a gray mist over his spirit.
He muttered softly to himself, half in defiance and half in self-pity:
"Why must I go to Skyword Pavilion? There are countless better sects in this world. If I cannot break through to the Body Tempering Fourth Stage, I cannot even enter their inner sect. What meaning is there in this?"
But his father's will was iron. The man's voice, firm yet weary, carried the weight of years:
"We have already decided. Other sects will not accept you at this age. I owe a favor to an elder of Skyword Pavilion—High Heaven Pavilion, as it is truly called. Because of this, you have this rare chance.
"You do not understand how this world works. You idle away, refusing to cultivate. When you fall into a desperate situation inside Skyword Pavilion, when the strong bully you and no hand shields you, then you will learn the true worth of strength. I will not live long enough to protect you forever."
Yi Fan's face paled, yet he had no road left open. His father's words pressed on him like a mountain, leaving no path but obedience.
---
The next day arrived.
Carriages were made ready, horses saddled; the household bustled with final preparations. The air carried the smell of oiled leather and polished wood. Yi Fan's heart beat heavy as he faced departure. He turned to his sister for what he thought was their final farewell.
"Yi Xiao," he said gently, "I will return soon. You do not need to be sad."
But Yi Xiao's clear eyes shimmered with grief. "Brother, I will wait for you."
At that moment their father stepped into the courtyard, his expression solemn, his voice carrying a hidden gentleness.
"Who told you that you are going alone? Yi Xiao will go with you."
Both siblings froze, wide-eyed in shock.
Their father looked upon them with a gaze softened by memory. "Do not misunderstand me. It was your mother who insisted. She said that neither of you could live well apart from the other. My son may be lazy and shameless, but even so—his sister is the one immortal treasure in his heart."
Yi Xiao's lips trembled with sudden joy. Her smile bloomed like spring after frost. Yi Fan's mind, however, stirred in complicated tides.
Truly, the original Yi Fan was something… The family does not think well of him, yet his bond with his sister was real. I glimpsed a memory—he once fought with a boy who had bullied Yi Xiao, a boy who had been their childhood playmate. He defended her then, without hesitation. But how strange… how could such a person, who cherished his sister so deeply, also be someone who often went to brothels, seeking pleasure with women?
Yi Fan shook his head inwardly. Whatever the answer, I am not him. I carry his body, but my heart is my own. Since I have taken this vessel, I will protect his sister. That is all. My mission, my goals in this world—they are mine to pursue.
---
Thus, the siblings left Yi Mansion, stepping onto the road that led toward Skyword Pavilion.
Along the path, danger rose as expected. Bandits with ragged blades and hungry eyes leapt from thickets, snarling for blood and coin. But the Yi family's protector, a cultivator of the Fourth Stage, struck them down without mercy. Steel flashed, cries echoed, and silence soon swallowed the roadside once more. For the siblings, it was the first true taste of this world's cruelty—yet also its order, for the strong alone dictated life and death.
---
At last, Skyword Pavilion came into view.
This was the place where Yang Kai's tale began, where three years of hardship would shape him into the protagonist destined to rise. The first arc of the great story belonged wholly to this sect; even later chapters would forever echo its presence. Now, that same Skyword Pavilion stood before Yi Fan's eyes, a place heavy with fate.
As their carriage halted at the foot of the mountain, a figure descended from the sky with the calm authority of the heavens. An elder of High Heaven Pavilion landed lightly upon the earth, his robes fluttering with restrained power.
The Yi siblings and their attendants stepped down and bowed respectfully. Yet the elder's gaze slid past Yi Fan as though he were nothing more than empty air. Instead, he fixed his eyes upon Yi Xiao.
"Come with me," the elder said simply. "From now on, you will be my disciple."
Yi Xiao hesitated, her eyes darting toward her brother. Her heart was unwilling to leave him behind.
The elder's eyes softened slightly with understanding. "Do not worry for him. If he manages to break through to the Initial Stage within three years, he will be admitted into the inner sect. At that time, I will also consider him as my disciple. Until then, you two may meet from time to time. You are in the same sect, after all—such things are not forbidden."
Yi Xiao bit her lip, ready to protest, but the elder anticipated her thought. His voice grew firm. "It is not possible. Our sect has rules. You are diligent and pure-hearted; he is not. You alone have earned this opportunity."
Yi Fan spoke before his sister could argue. "Elder is right. We will meet again, and often. You must not hold yourself back for me. I do not want you to fall behind because of me."
At last, Yi Xiao nodded, though her heart remained heavy. She followed the elder's figure up the mountain path, her form growing smaller with every step until she vanished from sight.
---
Yi Fan then made his way toward the sect entrance. The stone steps stretched high and steep, like a stairway to another world. Each step carried the weight of countless disciples who had climbed before, seeking fortune or ruin. Yi Fan's feet pressed upon the same path, his heart strangely conflicted between excitement and dread.
At the summit, another elder awaited. Yi Fan presented the token his father had obtained from the elder of the previous day. Without question, his name was recorded, and he was accepted as a trial disciple.
The elder pointed toward a row of weathered huts. "There, you will find a small dwelling. It is already occupied by another outer disciple. His name is Yang Kai. You will share the hut with him."
Yi Fan's heart jolted. To think that after transmigrating into Martial Peak, I would share a roof with Yang Kai himself. Hah, how amusing! Though perhaps not so amusing for Yang Kai.
His eyes narrowed slightly. I wonder if he has already found the black book—the Great Demon Lord's inheritance. If so, then fate has already begun its work.
Arriving at the hut, Yi Fan found it empty. He searched carefully, but the black book was nowhere to be seen. A quiet sigh escaped him. So Yang Kai has already obtained it. But it matters not. I have a system—why should I rely on a black book for cultivation? I must simply wait for the right moment.
As the evening sun dipped low, Yi Fan chose not to rest idly. He pressed his body to the ground, performing push-ups with steady rhythm. Each rise and fall was a measure of his new body's strength. When he neared his hundredth push-up, he sensed a presence.
A shadow stretched before him. He lifted his eyes.
A young man stood there, handsome yet weathered by hardship, dark hair tied loosely in a ponytail. His robe was the simple blue and black uniform of High Heaven Pavilion. His aura was unassuming, but his gaze sharp, like a blade kept hidden. This was none other than Yang Kai.
Yi Fan's lips curved faintly. He recognized him at once. Standing, he offered a respectful greeting.
"You must be Yang Kai. I am a new trial disciple. From now on I will be your junior, so I hope you will take care of me."
Yang Kai regarded him calmly. "I see. What is your name?"
"Yi Fan,"
Yang Kai's brow lifted slightly. "And what were you doing on the ground? Was that some sort of body refinement technique?"
Yi Fan chuckled awkwardly. "No, no. Nothing like that. Just a simple training to strengthen the body a little."
Inwardly, his thoughts whispered: I only wished to test my current body's strength. Back on Earth, I could barely manage fifty push-ups at most. I was curious to see how this new body, born in a cultivation world, would measure.
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