The flying sword pierced through the sky, leaving a trail of whistling wind in its wake. Su Shier stood at the tail end of the sword, curiously looking down below. The villages beneath them quickly shrank into tiny black dots.

As far as the eye could see, the terrain of the earth rose and fell, mountain ranges crisscrossed, and rivers converged, creating a spectacular view.

Su Shier’s pupils contracted. Only now did he realize how vast the world truly was. Thinking back to the mysterious man in black, his heart swelled with anger and confusion about his future.

At the front of the flying sword, Han Yu stood tall and upright, appearing mature and composed. However, his tightly clenched fists betrayed a hint of nervousness.

In contrast, the other three children on the sword were even more visibly shaken. Squatting low on the sword, huddled into themselves, they trembled in fear. After all, they were only kids, and the experience of soaring through the sky with the wind howling past their ears was utterly terrifying.

Seeing this, the woman flying alongside them smiled gently and began telling them stories about the Cloud Song Sect to help ease their tension.

Through her words, they learned that the sect they were about to join was a cultivator sect located at the outer edge of the Cangshan Mountain Range: the Cloud Song Sect.

The Cloud Song Sect was divided into seven main peaks: Tianzhu, Tianhua, Tianyin, Yuntai, Chaoyang, Luoyan, and Luofu. Externally, the sect functioned as a whole; internally, however, it was split into seven factions, each centered around one of the peaks. Every peak had its own Peak Lord responsible for its management.

Among these, Tianzhu was the main peak and rarely accepted disciples. The other six peaks, however, would descend into the mortal world every three to five years to recruit disciples who possessed spiritual roots.

The elderly man leading the way was named Lu Mingshi, the Peak Lord of Luofu Peak within the Cloud Song Sect. After entering the sect, they would all become his disciples.

As for the woman, her name was Xiao Yue. She was Lu Mingshi’s granddaughter and would also serve as their senior sister.

For the children, the information Xiao Yue shared was fascinating, though only partially understood given their age—none of them were older than twelve. Still, her stories helped steady their nerves.

Su Shier listened carefully, memorizing everything Xiao Yue said. He was acutely aware that his talent was lacking, so he could only work harder and focus more than anyone else to make up for it.

Time passed quickly. The flying sword carried them through the sky for two full days.

On the morning of the third day, the sword sliced through a thick layer of mist, bringing them closer to the Cloud Song Sect.

Looking out as far as they could, the group saw a magnificent expanse below: countless mountains stretched endlessly, their peaks towering into the skies.

Each mountain peak was veiled in thin mist, appearing and disappearing like a dream. Among these, seven peaks stood the tallest, arranged in a pattern reminiscent of the Big Dipper constellation.

Atop these seven peaks were grand, awe-inspiring structures, each radiating some sort of mysterious energy, occasionally emitting flashes of brilliant light.

The sight filled the group with exhilaration, momentarily easing the pain of leaving their homes.

Su Shier stared unblinkingly, quickly realizing that these must be the seven peaks Xiao Yue had mentioned. However, he couldn’t yet tell which peak was which.

On the flying sword, Lu Mingshi and Xiao Yue both visibly relaxed, smiles appearing on their faces. Despite having recruited disciples for years, every journey outside the sect came with its share of worries.

The world of cultivation was anything but peaceful.

With a small smile, Lu Mingshi guided the flying sword toward a distant mountain peak, preparing to land.

But just then—

"Senior Sister, what’s that?" Su Shier pointed toward a small black dot on the horizon, speaking quickly.

Before his voice had even faded, the black dot rapidly approached. In the blink of an eye, a massive crimson flying ship, over a hundred meters long, sped through the air toward them.

Standing at the bow of the ship was a lean man dressed in crimson robes, his sharp gaze surveying the area. Behind him, the ship’s deck was packed with children around the same age as Su Shier and his companions.

There were easily over a hundred of them!

Before Xiao Yue could respond, the figure at the front of the ship spoke first, addressing Lu Mingshi.

"Senior Brother, it’s just me. Why the rush to leave as soon as you see me? I’m not going to eat you!"

"Me? Running from you? Fu Boren, who do you think you are? Please, have some shame, will you?" Lu Mingshi shot back, curling his lip.

As he spoke, his eyes quickly scanned the large group of children aboard the flying ship, and his mouth twitched involuntarily.

Fu Boren was the Peak Lord of Tianhua Peak, and Tianhua Peak had long been at odds with Luofu Peak. Seeing that Fu Boren had recruited so many disciples in one trip, Lu Mingshi couldn’t help but feel a twinge of envy and frustration, though he didn’t show it outwardly.

In the world of cultivation, disciples were the foundation of a sect’s growth. The more disciples a faction had, the stronger it would inevitably become over time.

"Heh heh, Senior Brother, of course I care about my reputation. But you don’t need to hide your thoughts—I know you’re feeling a bit jealous." Fu Boren chuckled, his sharp gaze sweeping over the group on Lu Mingshi’s flying sword.

"But Senior Brother, your Luofu Peak really seems to be declining year by year. How did you only manage to recruit five disciples this time? At this rate, in a hundred years, you might not even have anyone left!"

Lu Mingshi’s face darkened. He retorted angrily, "Pah! You’re just spouting nonsense. In cultivation, quality matters more than quantity. Even if you bring in five hundred useless brats, they won’t amount to anything!"

Lu Mingshi, known for his fiery temper, wasn’t about to let that remark slide. Over the years, Luofu Peak had been the weakest of the seven peaks, so such comments usually left him at a disadvantage.

But this time was different. With Han Yu, a genius with dual spiritual roots, joining their ranks, Lu Mingshi finally had a reason to feel confident.

"Oh, so quality over quantity, is it? I take it you’re feeling confident about Luofu Peak’s chances at the newcomer trial in five years?" Fu Boren grinned knowingly, his eyes gleaming with mischief.

"Tch, as if I’ve ever taken those trials seriously. Understand?!" Lu Mingshi shot back disdainfully.

While Luofu Peak’s overall strength was still weak, having Han Yu, a rare genius, among them gave Lu Mingshi a sliver of hope. And regardless of the outcome, he wasn’t about to lose face in front of a rival.

"Oh? It seems like you’ve recruited some talent this year. Care to share who it is, so I can broaden my horizons?" Fu Boren’s eyes glinted as he spoke, his sharp gaze lingering on Su Shier and the others.

"Broaden your horizons? Ha! Don’t even think about it!" Lu Mingshi scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Fu Boren, I know exactly what you’re up to. Trying to poach my disciples? Not a chance!"

With that, Lu Mingshi controlled the flying sword, which transformed into a streak of light and sped toward a distant mountain peak.

On the bow of the flying ship, Fu Boren watched the sword vanish into the distance, his eyes glinting with a thoughtful expression.

Moments later, the corners of his mouth curled into a smile. With a flick of his wrist, he guided the ship toward the second peak.

[--------------------------------------------]

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