Side Story - Final Reincarnation(2)

"The Three Thousand Realms is also known as the Land of Immortals, while the Mortal Havens refers to the lower realms.

"My child, despite being one of the few young hopefuls who passed the initial screening of the esteemed Tian Yun Sect, you must remember that beyond this land are dragons and phoenixes.

"Being the most talented in our village doesn't necessarily make you the best in the world. Stay humble and remember your roots," advised the mother of Hao's master, with a hint of concern for her son. She knew that although her son was intelligent, there were still many challenges he would face.

After all, the assessment of Tian Yun Sect is not limited to their High Land but also includes the different corners and continents of the Lesser Star World. With the vastness of the world they inhabit, it is impossible to know how many people pass the first phase of the Tian Yun Sect's recruitment.

"I understand, mother. Little Yang knows what to do," replied Hao's master, Wei Yang, with a smile before turning to his father.

Wei Yang's father was a humble stable master who held some influence in the village. Since they were young, Wei Yang and his siblings were sheltered from the struggles of normal people due to their family's status. However, unlike his siblings, Wei Yang's father taught Wei Yang about life.

The words spoken by his mother were not without reason. Wei Yang had engraved them in his heart.

"Yang, I know you're a sensible child. You can handle those trivial matters. But as your mother said, you must remain humble. Remember that.

"The only thing I can say is that the selection process for Tian Yun Sect is known to be challenging. If you falter, do not let it discourage you.

"Now, your mother, your siblings, and I will no longer hold you back. Go ahead, take your first step on your martial path."

After his father's speech, the villagers voiced their support as well, young and old alike, and Wei Yang was grateful for all the encouragement he had received. However, the weight of their expectations only made his heart heavier.

'I must pass the assessment no matter what!'

Wei Yang swore to himself.

"Mehhhhhh."

Hao, his loyal beast companion, let out a worried whinny, comforting him. Wei Yang turned to the horse, patted its head, and mounted it.

As Wei Yang cast a final glance at the village where he had spent the last fifteen years of his life, he lightly tapped the reins, signaling Hao to begin moving forward.

Hao understood that it was time to leave, and after taking a few steps, it broke into a steady trot as Wei Yang guided it along the path. They picked up speed, soon disappearing from the periphery of the village.

In the assessment process of the Tian Yun Sect, the first phase was the test of luck while the second phase involved testing the participants' willpower and talent. The reason for dividing the assessment into two phases was to filter out unsuitable individuals.

Considering the vastness of the Lesser Star Realm, there were an overwhelming number of participants. In addition, Tian Yun Sect governed not just one but dozens of lower realms.

As a result, recruitment efforts were simultaneously launched in other lower worlds, leading to a staggering number of participants. This was a necessary measure to enable Tian Yun Sect to select the most exceptional and gifted individuals from the lower worlds, saving valuable resources and time.

In the Lesser Star World, the hub of activity for the recruitment was centered in Starfall City, which was considered the most bustling and prosperous place in the entire realm.

Starfall City was situated on the central continent, a considerable distance away from the High Land continent. However, since the Lesser Star World fell under the jurisdiction of the Tian Yun Sect, numerous teleportation arrays were scattered around the world.

The teleportation arrays were exclusive to important figures and cultivators. Ordinary people had no access to them.

It took Hao and Wei Yang only three days to travel to the nearest city. Once they arrived at the city, they made use of the teleportation array and arrived in Starfall City in no time at all.

Because Wei Yang was a participant of the second phase of Tian Yun Sect's recruitment program, he received a complimentary pass for himself and his loyal beast companion, Hao.

"Ah, we've finally arrived at Starfall City, the closest land to the Immortal."

Wei Yang exclaimed as they stepped out of the teleportation array. He couldn't help but notice the striking difference between this city and the others he had seen before.

What a beautiful land…Starfall City, huh.

Hao could not understand its emotions but it was also amazed by the scenery. As it looked up, it saw countless floating boats, warships, divine phoenixes, and other air transportation vehicles moving freely in the sky.

The stars above the city appeared to be falling but remained suspended in the air even though it was morning, which was possibly why the city was named Starfall City.

But Hao's attention was drawn to the center of the city where a golden gate floated majestically in the air. There, an immortal man sat cross-legged, shrouded in divine mists that made it difficult to discern his appearance.

After seeing the immortal man up close, Hao lost interest. It couldn't explain why, but it seemed immortals were not special in its eyes.

"Hmm?"

Suddenly, the immortal man opened his eyes, sensing the gaze of an ancient being for a brief moment. His heart began to race because he felt the gaze was more terrifying and ancient than any senior in the sect.

'Was that an illusion?'

The immortal man wondered, unable to find any plausible explanation for what he felt. This was a lower world where cultivators were scarce, and an ancient being would not bother to dwell here. It must have been his imagination.

"Hao, shall we take a stroll around the city? I have heard that this land is home to all sorts of things, from immortal artifacts to cultivation techniques, and a plethora of wonders in the world."

"Did you know that there are even divine beasts and spiritual beasts like you in this city?"

Wei Yang and Hao walked side by side.

There was a sea of passersby around them.

Hao was no longer interested in immortals, but the last few words caught its attention.

Divine beasts?

Hao was familiar with spiritual beasts, creatures with spiritual intellect, but had never heard of divine beasts before, making it naturally curious.

Hao let out an excited noise to show its agreement with Wei Yang's plan. They leisurely explored the city, examining various stalls and shops, not in a hurry to partake in the assessment of Tian Yun Sect.

However, Hao was disappointed with the divine beasts it encountered. Aside from being capable of speaking, Hao did not feel any difference between them and the immortal man in the sky. They were surprisingly ordinary.

"Young man, what an intriguing fate you have. Your spiritual beast seems extraordinary as well."

While exploring the market, a dirty old man with golden teeth and messy hair stopped Wei Yang on his track.

"Yes, Hao is different. He is a very intelligent horse."

Wei Yang, although wary of the old man, was proud of Hao and thus boasted a little.

"That's interesting. In such a vast world with infinite possibilities, destiny is indeed miraculous to bring us together," the old man smiled. "Young man, I have a set of cards in my hand. Do you want yours and your bestial companion's destiny to be read?"

"A prophet?"

Wei Yang was not ignorant about things related to immortals. Before his father became a village head, he was once a traveling scholar with a wide knowledge of the world.

Martial arts was not the only profession of cultivation. There were many others, and prophecy was one of them.

Wei Yang looked at the old man and took a deep breath. "Thank you, but I don't want my destiny to be read—at least not at this moment."

With the matter of the recruitment of Tian Yun Sect, Wei Yang did not want to know his fate beforehand, whether the old man was a hoax or a real prophet.

Wei Yang cupped his fists and proceeded to leave. However, Hao tapped its feet. It looked at the old man with glistening eyes. It was the first time Hao looked at someone with such great interest. Moreover, unlike the immortal man or the divine beasts, the interest Hao had in this old man did not disappear in a blink of an eye. It further grew on him, as if it had waited for this moment for a long time ago, for his destiny to be read.

"It seems that this little guy right here wants its fate to be read. Why not allow it?" the old man smiled mysteriously at Wei Yang.

Helpless, Wei Yang could only agree.

The old man did not speak much and shuffled the cards. Then ten cards were scattered on the ground. Hao stepped forward in front of the old man. With its heels, it slowly picked a card.

Wei Yang picked up the card that Hao had chosen and flipped it open.

There was a figure in the card, shrouded by black hazes. It was hard to see if this figure was a man or a beast, but the only thing Wei Yang could distinguish on the card were the words that were written on it.

[The insignificant dust is no longer worth mentioning in the eyes of the Supreme One. But once the dust returns, the Supreme One shall be enraged, bringing forth terror to the land. The Era of Suppression will soon come forth.]

"What is this?"

Wei Yang could not understand what was written on the card or if it related to the mysterious figure in the card. Since he could not figure it out, he let Hao look at the card too.

But Hao could not feel any emotions, though its understanding was unparalleled. Even though it understood some of the sentence, it could not understand why the Supreme One would be 'enraged' or bring 'terror' to the land.

Supreme One?

These words seem unfamiliar at a glance, but muttering it repeatedly, Hao felt that it had heard of it before.

Wei Yang wanted to ask the old man about this prophecy, whether it was fake or not. But when he raised his head, the old man was no longer around. It was as if he had vanished into thin air.