The morning mist lingered over the land like a soft veil. It wound through forests, curled along hills, and drifted across the rooftops of quiet villages. This rare peace was the calm before many young lives began a new chapter.
From dozens of small settlements around Little Town, horse carts, spirit carriages, and flying beasts journeyed toward the distant Azure Dragon Sect, one of the most respected sects in this region. While it wasn't one of the Supreme Sects that people whispered about with awe, it stood as a strong pillar of respect among the many surrounding towns and villages.
Now, it opened its gates for its entrance trial—a moment that marked the difference between the talented and the ordinary, the cultivators and the forgotten.
Among the participants was a boy named Dawn.
---
Their path stretched over mountains and rivers, past crumbling temples covered by roots, and across ancient bridges built long before any of them were born. The journey lasted days, and the roads remained crowded with hopeful groups—young men and women no older than sixteen, their eyes filled with ambition.
Some traveled under the banners of great families, laughing and chatting, pride shining in their lineage. Others appeared in small groups, silent and cautious. A few, like Dawn, traveled alone.
He spoke little, stayed on the edges of campfires during breaks, and offered no input as the others debated cultivation techniques, shared past trial stories, or discussed rumored sect rankings. He was just another face in the crowd—or so it seemed.
But now and then, a cultivator in the early Foundation realm would look his way for a moment too long, brow furrowed and uncertain of what they sensed; only to dismiss him the next second.
---
The land was breathtaking.
Vast plains rippled in golden waves of grass. Jagged peaks shot into the sky like ancient spears. Rivers sparkled beneath the sun, fed by snowmelt from the distant north. Spirit beasts occasionally howled in the wilderness, their cries echoing through the valleys, wild and ancient.
Yet even more than the beauty, the weight of the world hung over them—the feeling that they were stepping into something greater.
This was a world of cultivation.
A path where strength decided everything.
Most here had just begun the first stage—Qi Refining, drawing energy from the world into their bodies. A few rare ones had reached Foundation Building, solidifying their roots and gaining strength beyond normal limits. Beyond that lay the Golden Core, Nascent Soul, and even realms that none of these youths had ever seen or fully understood.
But those were far, far away.
Right now, all that mattered was reaching the Azure Dragon Sect—and surviving its trial.
---
Dawn stood near the back of the group as the final ridge came into view.
Far beyond the treetops, halfway up a towering mountain, stood the Azure Dragon Sect's outer gates—enormous stone doors flanked by statues of coiled dragons, wrapped in ivy and glowing faintly with spiritual light.
The sect clung to the mountainside like a fortress, with layers of buildings and stairways stretching into the clouds. Waterfalls cascaded along its cliffs. Cranes soared overhead. Bells chimed faintly in the wind.
The others around him gasped in awe.
For many, this was the first time they had seen the true face of a sect.
For Dawn, it was simply a beginning.
He looked up at the towering peaks, eyes calm. Silent.
And then he took his first step forward.
---
End of Chapter One