The flying sword cut through the clouds like a streak of lightning.
Strong winds rushed past as Lin Feng stood steadily near the edge of the massive blade.
Below them, the land stretched endlessly.
Forests, rivers, and mountains passed beneath like tiny paintings.
This was the first time Lin Feng had ever flown.
His heart pounded with excitement.
So this was the power of cultivators.
The ability to soar across the sky and travel thousands of miles in a short time.
Beside him stood the other two recruits from nearby villages.
Both of them looked pale as they tightly gripped the edge of the sword.
One of them muttered nervously, "Are… are we really this high?"
.
The other dared not even look down.
Lin Feng, however, stared ahead calmly.
Far in the distance, towering mountains slowly appeared through the clouds.
They were unbelievably tall, their peaks piercing the heavens.
Spiritual mist drifted around them like flowing water.
Occasionally, streaks of light shot through the sky—cultivators flying on swords.
Lin Feng's eyes widened slightly.
"So many…"
Elder Xu noticed his reaction and smiled faintly.
"That is the Azure Sky Sect."
As they drew closer, the true scale of the sect became clear.
Seven enormous mountains rose from the earth like pillars holding up the sky.
Ancient palaces and pavilions covered the slopes.
Stone staircases wound up the mountainsides like giant dragons.
Spiritual cranes flew freely between the peaks.
Waterfalls poured down cliffs thousands of meters high.
Everything looked majestic and ancient.
Even the air felt different.
Lin Feng could sense something strange.
The surrounding atmosphere was thick and refreshing.
It made his entire body feel lighter.
"What is this feeling?" he asked.
Elder Xu answered calmly.
"This is spiritual energy."
"The Azure Sky Sect is built on a spiritual vein."
"The concentration of energy here is far higher than the mortal world."
Lin Feng nodded slowly.
No wonder cultivators were so powerful.
They cultivated in places like this.
The flying sword descended toward the base of the mountains.
Soon they arrived at a massive stone plaza.
Hundreds of young people were already gathered there.
Some wore simple clothes like Lin Feng.
Others came from wealthy families and looked far more confident.
A huge stone gate towered above the plaza.
Three enormous characters were carved into it:
AZURE SKY SECT
.
The words radiated a faint spiritual pressure.
Lin Feng felt his heart tremble slightly just by looking at them.
The flying sword landed gently.
Elder Xu stepped off first.
"Follow me."
Lin Feng and the others quickly obeyed.
As they walked across the plaza, many disciples wearing blue robes glanced at the newcomers.
Some looked indifferent.
Some looked curious.
And some looked down on them.
One disciple smirked.
"Another batch of country bumpkins."
His companion chuckled.
"They'll learn soon enough how cruel cultivation is."
Lin Feng heard the comments but remained calm.
He already understood something important.
The cultivation world respected strength, not background.
Soon they reached a tall stone platform.
Several elders sat behind a long table.
One of them spoke.
"Another group of recruits?"
Elder Xu nodded.
"Yes."
"Three qualified disciples."
The elder waved his hand.
"Begin the registration."
A young disciple walked forward holding a jade slip.
He looked bored as he began asking questions.
"Name."
"Age."
"Origin."
The two recruits before Lin Feng answered nervously.
Both had ordinary spirit roots.
They were assigned to the Outer Sect.
Then it was Lin Feng's turn.
The disciple glanced up lazily.
"Name."
"Lin Feng."
"Age."
"Sixteen."
"Origin."
"Azure Village."
The disciple began writing on the jade slip.
Then he asked the final question without looking up.
"Spirit root?"
Elder Xu spoke instead.
"Heavenly Lightning Spirit Root."
The disciple froze.
The jade slip nearly slipped from his hands.
"What…?"
He slowly raised his head.
Several elders also looked up in surprise.
Elder Xu repeated calmly.
"Heavenly Lightning Spirit Root."
The entire platform fell silent.
One elder stood up abruptly.
"Are you certain?"
Elder Xu nodded.
"I witnessed the test personally."
Murmurs spread among the elders.
"Heavenly Lightning…"
"That's extremely rare."
"A top-tier talent."
The disciple writing the records suddenly became extremely respectful.
He quickly wrote something down.
"Lin Feng… Heavenly Lightning Spirit Root… noted."
An elder then spoke.
"Such talent cannot remain in the Outer Sect."
"Send him directly to the Inner Sect."
The surrounding disciples gasped.
The two recruits beside Lin Feng looked shocked.
Most disciples had to spend years in the Outer Sect before promotion.
But Lin Feng skipped it entirely.
The elder continued.
"Arrange a residence on Lightning Peak."
"He will begin cultivation immediately."
Elder Xu smiled slightly.
"As expected."
Then he looked at Lin Feng.
"Congratulations."
"You are now a disciple of the Azure Sky Sect."
Lin Feng bowed respectfully.
"Thank you, elders."
Inside, however, his determination only grew stronger.
This was just the beginning.
If he wanted to survive in the cultivation world…
.
He would need to climb even higher.
Above the mountains, thunder quietly rumbled among the clouds.
Almost as if welcoming him.
(~‾▿‾)~