Side Story - Final Reincarnation(3)

As Wei Yang realized that the enigmatic prophet had vanished without a trace, he felt a mix of shock and horror. His skin crawled as he looked around, trying to spot the old man, but the sea of people made it impossible to find him.

"That hoax."

Calming down, Wei Yang thought to himself as he sighed. He suspected that the old man fled out of fear of being discovered. With a deep breath, he decided to move on and continue his walk with Hao.

After a while, both Wei Yang and Hao started to feel tired and hungry. Wei Yang's stomach grumbled, reminding him that it was time to eat. As he looked up, he saw a crowd of people heading towards the center of Starfall City; the recruitment area of Tian Yun Sect.

"Looks like it's time for me to face my fate," Wei Yang said to himself. "But first, let's get some food in our bellies."

He smiled at Hao, who responded with a joyful cry. Wei Yang then led Hao to a nearby food stall, where the scent of barbecue wafted through the air, tantalizing their senses and making their mouths water.

"What a delicious aroma," Wei Yang remarked, searching his pockets for his money. However, he couldn't find it and began to sweat profusely.

"Oh no, it's gone. My pouch…"

Wei Yang ground his teeth, his heart bleeding. Frustration and anger boiled inside him, and he couldn't help but shout in the middle of the street.

"That blasted prophet!"

His voice echoed through the crowded street.

The passersby looked at Wei Yang and his horse, taken aback by the sudden outburst.

…

"I swear if I see that prophet, I'll skin him alive. That damn thief."

As Wei Yang and Hao walked down the street, the image of the prophet they had encountered earlier was still fresh in Wei Yang's mind. They had not come across anyone suspicious since their sightseeing, which made the prophet the prime suspect in the theft of his pouch, the only allowance his family had given him.

Now, they were both extremely impoverished, without a single penny to buy food.

How were they supposed to go to Tian Yun Sect's recruitment area on empty stomachs?

"Hao, let's hold on a little longer. If I pass the assessment, we won't have to worry about food anymore. But if we fail...we still won't have to worry about food," Wei Yang said, staring at Hao, who looked like he was about to die in a corner. His heart ached for his spiritual beast companion.

Perhaps he was the only poorest master who can't even feed his spiritual beast.

'But if I fail, do I even have the face to go home?'

Wei Yang remembered the gazes of his family and fellow villagers, full of expectations, pride, and hope. He couldn't go back home with bad news; he didn't have the thick skin for it.

"I cannot fail. I must succeed."

Wei Yang thought with determination as he made his way towards the Tian Yun Sect's recruitment area.

Suddenly, the smell of delicious food wafted over to them. A shadowy figure of a slender arm appeared, blocking their path. The hand of that arm was holding dozens of barbecue sticks.

Wei Yang gulped, turning to see who was blocking their way.

But the moment he turned his head, he was stunned.

Wei Yang was not stunned because of the food but by the fact that the figure was a young girl.

This young woman was the epitome of beauty and elegance, raised in a wealthy environment. Her refined features and porcelain-like complexion marked her as someone of noble birth.

Although she was not the most stunning woman to capture a man's gaze for long, Wei Yang was instantly smitten with her. It was love at first sight.

"H-h-hi...young lady, is there a reason you're stopping us?" Wei Yang's heart raced as he stuttered nervously in front of the beautiful girl.

"God, she's too beautiful," he exclaimed inwardly.

Meanwhile, Hao, Wei Yang's loyal companion, was distracted by the girl's skewers of barbecue. Its beastly instincts kicked in as it stared at the food with drool dripping from its mouth. However, it managed to resist the urge to snatch the food from the girl's hand, thanks to its unique identity and willpower.

The girl smiled and knelt down in front of the horse, offering it a skewer of barbecue. Hao eagerly accepted the treat and chomped down on it with gusto. Wei Yang watched nervously from the sidelines, too shy to approach the girl.

Once the girl finished feeding Hao, she turned to Wei Yang with a sweet smile and offered him a skewer of barbecue.

"You eat some as well," she said.

Wei Yang took the skewer with trembling hands and ate it slowly, trying to maintain his composure in front of the beautiful girl. He only ate half of it, not wanting to embarrass himself.

As he ate, Wei Yang's nerves began to settle. While he was attracted to the girl, he was cautious not to let his feelings blind him to her true character. His father had always warned him to be wary of people's hearts and not to trust blindly.

"Thank you for your kindness, young miss. I wonder if I may have the honor of knowing your name?" Wei Yang asked politely as he expressed his gratitude. On his side, Hao cried in joy.

"I happened to be passing by when you suddenly shouted in the middle of the road, and it startled me," the young lady said with a smile as she walked with Wei Yang and Hao. "My father always told me not to interfere in others' business, but my instincts told me to help you. It seems like fate brought us together. My name is Xue Ruyi, and as my name suggests, I follow what I feel is right."

"Ruyi, what a beautiful name. Following one's own wishes is important," Wei Yang replied. "I'm Wei Yang, and my name symbolizes protection and positivity. My father didn't want me to be negative and timid, so he named me Wei Yang."

The two continued chatting as they realized they were both heading to the Tian Yun Sect's recruitment area.

"So you're also taking part in the assessment. It must be fate, Brother Yang," Xue Ruyi said with a wider smile.

Wei Yang agreed, "Yes, it must be fate."

As they arrived at the recruitment area, they saw a sea of people and dozens of heavily armored guards guarding the entrance. Only participants of the second phase of the recruitment could enter through the gate, which was guarded by the star guards of the Starfall City.

Wei Yang, Hao, and Xue Ruyi passed through the gate without much obstruction since they had the required identification patterns. After confirming that Hao was Wei Yang's beast companion, the guards allowed it to enter as well.

"Brother Yang, do you know what the second phase involves?" Xue Ruyi asked.

"I only know that it involves talent and willpower, nothing beyond that," Wei Yang replied.

Xue Ruyi then explained, "Speaking of talent, there are four categories: mortal, celestial, heaven, and immortal. Talent is the deciding factor in how far you can go on the martial road. The lower your talent, the less likely you are to succeed."

She added, "Mortal talent is the lowest level and those who have it cannot step onto the martial road, no matter how hard they try. Even though we passed the first round, it doesn't guarantee that we don't have mortal talents. The first phase only tests our luck and the opportunities we encounter on our martial arts journey, and has nothing to do with talent or willpower."

Wei Yang felt a sense of worry as he heard this. He was lucky to pass the first phase of the assessment, but coming from a small village, he didn't know much about cultivation talent classifications. He feared that he might have mortal talent, which made him anxious about the upcoming assessment.

"Brother Yang, it's time for us to part ways. I belong to the Xue clan, a cultivation clan based in Starfall City. My clan members are waiting for me there, and I must be tested together with them," Xue Ruyi spoke apologetically.

"No need to apologize, Miss Ruyi. Instead, I should thank you. You've spent your time and resources on an unknown boy like me and shared things that I didn't know before," Wei Yang expressed his gratitude from the bottom of his heart. Regardless of the outcome of his assessment, he couldn't forget Xue Ruyi, perhaps the kindest person he had met on this continent.

Shortly after, Xue Ruyi left and merged into the crowd gathered to the right. Only a handful of people greeted her, maybe because she wasn't in a high position in the clan and not the most attractive among the group.

Although Wei Yang noticed some girls who were prettier than Xue Ruyi, in his heart, no one was more beautiful than her.

Meanwhile, Hao observed silently from the side, listening to the conversation between Wei Yang and Xue Ruyi all the time. While it understood the disparity between cultivation talents due to its comprehension, it wasn't interested in cultivation. Rather, it was intrigued by the subtle emotions that Wei Yang felt for Xue Ruyi.

Hao was fascinated by human emotions, particularly those of his master Wei Yang, the human child who made it want to comprehend human emotions.

Desire...Interest...And now, this emotion that humans call love.

"I want to know more about humans," Hao thought as it gazed at Wei Yang.

"I want to understand what it takes to become human."