Shouts suddenly echoed across the White Jade Square.
"Father! Mother! No—!"
"It was fake… it was all an illusion…"
"Hahaha! I've ascended! I've ascended—!"
"No! Don't deceive me! Don't deceive me—!"
One by one, the youths seated upon the Heart-Asking Platform awoke as if dragged out of nightmares. Some screamed hoarsely, others gasped for breath, while a few collapsed weakly onto the jade ground, their Dao Hearts having barely endured the test.
Illusions shattered.
Dreams broke.
Reality returned with merciless clarity.
Yun Wanshang slowly exhaled and withdrew her focus, her expression calm and composed, completely different from the chaos around her.
"Yun Wanshang… you woke up already?"
A surprised voice came from nearby.
She turned her head slightly. Several familiar faces were looking at her with astonishment and lingering fear still visible in their eyes.
"I only woke up a moment ago," Yun Wanshang replied softly.
Her tone was even, her breathing steady—nothing like someone who had just endured the Heart-Asking Platform.
The five standing near her were companions she had met on the journey to the Heavenly Sword Sect. Their bonds were shallow, born more from shared travel than true friendship, yet fate had placed them together here.
Hong Yi, sixteen years old.
Eight-Rank Spiritual Root.
An illegitimate child of a mortal noble family.
Han Lin, fifteen.
Seven-Rank Spiritual Root.
Son of a village blacksmith.
Li Feiyu, eighteen.
Seven-Rank Spiritual Root.
Young master of the Red Whale Gang.
Xiao Xiyue, fifteen.
Four-Rank Spiritual Root.
Born into a scholarly family.
Zhao Qingqing, sixteen.
Six-Rank Spiritual Root.
Daughter of a physician.
Yun Wanshang's gaze lingered for a brief moment on Xiao Xiyue and Zhao Qingqing.
In her previous life, Xiao Xiyue would eventually reach the peak of Core Formation Realm, she also had a Lunar Spirit body.
while Zhao Qingqing would also break into Core Formation, relying on her gentle temperament and Wood-element constitution.
Though Zhao Qingqing only possessed a Wood Element Body, it was still a special physique—rare among mortals.
Both are worth befriending, Yun Wanshang thought calmly.
"I think you were the first to wake up," Han Lin said in a low voice, his eyes filled with admiration. "With your talent, you'll definitely pass."
Yun Wanshang smiled faintly but did not respond.
At that moment, a Heavenly Sword Sect steward floated into the air. His robes fluttered lightly as he unfurled a jade scroll, his voice echoing clearly across the square.
"Those whose names are called—step forward."
The square instantly fell silent.
Names rang out one after another.
"Yun Wanshang."
She stepped forward without hesitation.
"Han Lin."
"Xiao Xiyue."
"Zhao Qingqing."
Cheers erupted from the selected candidates, excitement flashing across their faces.
Behind them, silence spread like a plague.
Li Feiyu clenched his fists tightly, knuckles turning white.
Hong Yi's face drained of color, his lips trembling.
Yun Wanshang's heart remained calm as the list ended.
"Everyone else," the steward said indifferently, "leave the mountain gate immediately."
With a flick of his sleeve, clouds condensed beneath the feet of the selected disciples, lifting them into the air.
Below, the unchosen remained where they stood.
Some stared blankly.
Some cried openly.
Some turned away in silence.
As the clouds descended toward the inner mountain, bitterness lingered heavily in the air.
"From this moment on…"
"Immortal and mortal walk separate paths."
.....
Above the square, upon the elevated viewing platform—
Xu Tianyi stood with Mu Qinglaun and Mu Qing at his sides, overlooking the vast White Jade Square below.
From this height, the square looked calm and orderly, yet beneath that stillness surged a tide of human emotion too intense to be concealed.
Joy.
Despair.
Hope.
Regret.
They intertwined like invisible threads, rising and falling with every breath taken by the young men and women below.
Mu Qinglaun subconsciously clenched her hands, her slender fingers tightening as she watched those who failed the assessment descend the mountain on cloud platforms. Some walked with lowered heads, some cried openly, while others stared blankly ahead, their Dao Hearts shaken to the core.
Her chest felt tight.
She remembered herself—not long ago—struggling for cultivation resources, risking her life in the Myriad Beast Mountain Range, never knowing whether tomorrow would come.
Mu Qing sighed softly beside her.
She had witnessed such scenes countless times in her life. Mortal hope shattered in an instant, dreams ending before they had even begun. The path of cultivation had never been kind, nor had it ever waited for anyone.
Xu Tianyi, however, remained still.
His expression was calm, his posture relaxed, yet his gaze was focused—sharp and profound—as if he were peering through layers of fate itself.
His eyes rested upon a single figure among the gathered disciples.
Yun Wanshang.
Around her, Xu Tianyi could clearly see it.
A brilliant golden fortune aura, vast and blazing, surging like an endless river of destiny. It was so radiant that even someone of his cultivation found it almost dazzling to observe directly.
Golden.
The highest grade of fortune.
A true Daughter of Heaven, born with destiny in her grasp.
Xu Tianyi's eyes narrowed slightly.
Interesting…
He had only just accepted Mu Qinglaun—a girl with extraordinary fortune and Phoenix lineage—and yet fate had already delivered another such existence to his doorstep.
This was no coincidence.
As the final echoes of the assessment faded, the accepted disciples were led to assemble before the stage beneath the viewing platform. Nervous anticipation filled the air.
This was the moment.
The moment when elders would extend their hands—offering entry into mountain peaks, resources, inheritances, and futures.
Normally, Xu Tianyi would never involve himself in such matters.
His mere presence today was already enough to shock the sect.
Yet—
Before anyone could react, his calm voice descended like a blade cutting through still water.
"Yun Wanshang."
The effect was immediate.
The square fell into absolute silence.
Countless gazes snapped upward in disbelief. Elders froze mid-motion. Disciples held their breath. Even the sect master's eyes sharpened slightly.
Xu Tianyi spoke again, his voice steady and unhurried.
"Are you willing to become my disciple?"
The words struck like thunder exploding across the heavens.
Shock rippled through the crowd.
Elders stared in disbelief.
The sect master narrowed his eyes, his expression unreadable.
The disciples below gasped, some unable to hide the envy and awe in their eyes.
Yun Wanshang herself was stunned.
For a brief moment, her mind went blank.
This was not how it was supposed to happen.
In her plans, she would rise steadily, accumulate merits, reveal her Pure Spirit Body after becoming a core disciple, and only then seek Xu Tianyi's favor.
But fate—
Fate had accelerated everything.
She did not hesitate.
With a swift, resolute motion, Yun Wanshang knelt.
"This disciple greets Master," she said clearly, her voice firm and unwavering.
There was no pride in her posture. No hesitation in her heart.
At this moment, she was not a former Nascent Soul cultivator.
She was simply a mortal standing at the very beginning of her path—bowing to the man who would define her future.
Xu Tianyi nodded faintly.
A gentle wave of spiritual energy lifted her to her feet, steady and reassuring.
His gaze then shifted slightly, falling upon the two girls standing beside Yun Wanshang.
"Xiao Xiyue."
"Zhao Qingqing."
Both girls stiffened as if struck by lightning.
Xu Tianyi's calm voice followed.
"Are you willing to join Tianyi Peak?"
Their hearts surged violently.
This—this was an opportunity beyond imagination.
Without the slightest hesitation, both knelt at the same time.
"Yes, Senior—no, Master!"
Their voices overlapped in excitement.
Xu Tianyi chuckled softly, the sound light and amused.
With a sweep of his sleeve, spiritual energy enveloped all three girls, lifting them gently into the air.
They rose together, joining Mu Qinglaun and Mu Qing, as Xu Tianyi led them away from the square.
Countless eyes followed their ascent.
A new legend had just begun.
---
At the mountain gate of Tianyi Peak, Xu Tianyi briefly introduced everyone to one another.
Xiao Xiyue and Zhao Qingqing were assigned elegant residences halfway up the mountain—quiet, rich in spiritual energy, and far superior to anything they had ever imagined.
"Rest today," Xu Tianyi instructed calmly. "Report to me tomorrow morning."
Both girls bowed deeply, gratitude shining unmistakably in their eyes.
Only after they departed did Xu Tianyi continue onward.
Yun Wanshang walked at his left, her posture composed yet her heart turbulent.
Mu Qinglaun walked at his right, her face bright with excitement.
She chatted cheerfully with Yun Wanshang, already treating her like a junior sister—introducing the sect, the peak, and even small daily matters with infectious enthusiasm.
Mu Qing followed slightly behind, quiet as always.
Yet her gaze softened as she watched her daughter speak so freely.
Mu Qinglaun now had someone her age.
A companion.
A fellow disciple walking the same path.
And their lives—
Had already begun to change, irreversibly and irrevocably, beneath the turning of fate itself.