the Sage of Heavenly Fate

Nydia has been feeling somewhat weary lately. Whether it was being held hostage by Nina or threatened by Clark, it all gave her a headache. Especially Clark—just the thought of that boy flashing her a flirty smile made Nydia grind her teeth in anger. Moreover, despite his intentions to do evil, he always managed to look innocently coerced. Worst of all, he even dared to covet her nude.

Nydia gracefully lifted her hands to cup the clear water and sprinkled it over her delicate face. She let the droplets slide down her slender neck, falling onto her sculpted, radiant skin. She cast all thoughts from her mind and began to wipe her body with a washcloth, each movement exuding maturity and allure.

Meanwhile, in another modest room, Clark had established a lofty ideal in life. he intends to take in all the beautiful woman in the world, wanting to savor all the finest things in life. Although his aspirations are overly idealistic, for now, he should focus on passing the first test.

In the early morning, the chime of bells echoed across the square at Tiger Peak. Hundreds of young men and women ascended the steps to the square. Some wore fine silk, while others were dressed as ragged as little beggars, barely clothed. Among them were individuals of remarkable demeanor as well as those who were timid and seemed inferior. Everyone came from different backgrounds, and today marked another turning point in their destinies.

These individuals, having been briefly assessed for their basic spiritual roots in the mundane world, were brought here only if their roots were promising. The so-called spiritual roots refer to a physique suitable for cultivating immortality. To become a cultivator, one needs to meet two criteria: first, one must have the physique that aligns well with spiritual energy—the better the alignment, the more suitable one is for cultivation. Without the right physique, one cannot absorb the free-flowing spiritual energy of the universe, and those with a higher compatibility not only absorb this energy but also do so at a faster rate, which in turn accelerates their cultivation.

Clark was often told that he had poor spiritual roots, which meant his physique was not suited for cultivation. The second key to cultivation is insight or innate potential. The same spell could be understood instantly by some, while others might spend their entire lives struggling to master it. Many cultivators spend their lives unable to break through a particular stage, which is closely related to this aspect.

In general, those with strong cultivation physiques usually have good innate potential as well; the two are interconnected. This selection process was actually a more detailed examination, categorizing disciples based on their potential. Simply put, those with greater talent would receive substantial support from the sect, including various cultivation resources, while those with lesser talent had to rely on their personal fortune.

Cultivation is an extremely difficult path, not just a matter of effort. Some disciples with lesser talents might never advance beyond the third level of Qi refining in their lifetimes. Thus, given the limited resources for cultivation, each sect focuses on nurturing disciples with strong talents, as the future of the sect depends on these individuals.

After showing the token bestowed by the sect leader to two disciples of the Heavenly Sword Sect, Clark joined the others and entered the square. After registering their information at a pavilion, everyone lined up in a long queue on the square.

Another chime sounded, and three figures appeared in the air above the square—three elders, each with a distinct aura, either sharp as a sword beam or stable as a boulder. With a few quick movements, they appeared on the high platform of the square.

"Let's begin the test now!" one of the elders announced to the crowd below. His voice wasn't loud, but it seemed to resonate right beside everyone's ears. The square was vast, with stands on both sides where many disciples of the Heavenly Sword Sect sat, eagerly anticipating if any dark horse would emerge from this testing.

On one of the central stands sat a dignified and beautiful woman, Nydia, calmly observing the scene. The seats around her remained empty, as no one dared to approach. Many disciples were curious about her unexpected presence, as she was rarely seen in public. Her conspicuous position also caught Clark's attention. Their eyes met, and Clark quickly looked away, thinking, "Why do I see this woman everywhere? I just hope she doesn't give me a hard time now."

The three elders performed hand seals, and shortly after, the ground trembled. Two giant black stone steles slowly rose from the ground and stood towering in the square. These steles, each a hundred feet tall and resembling celestial monoliths, were covered in mysterious patterns that emitted a strange glow.

"These two steles were erected thousands of years ago by the founders of the Heavenly Sword Sect. They can assess one's physique and innate potential. Many of our sect's most illustrious figures are named on these," explained one of the elders.

The higher up the names on the steles, the brighter they shone, with those at the very top gleaming like small suns.

"The very first name on these steles belongs to the founder of the Heavenly Sword Sect, the Sage of Heavenly Fate."

The Sage of Heavenly Fate was a legend in his lifetime. With extraordinary talent, he once fought and defeated seven peers by himself, establishing an unmatched reputation. As a young man, he fell in love with a woman of unparalleled beauty, the future successor of the Heavenly Star Palace. Naturally, the elders of his sect vehemently opposed the match. Headstrong, he single-handedly stormed the Heavenly Star Palace, intending to take her with him.

At that time, the Heavenly Star Palace was the largest sect in the southern domain with formidable strength and numerous prodigious talents. The Sage of Heavenly Fate broke through their protective formation and even dismantled their sect gate.

Such feats in his youth underline how formidable he was. In his later years, he founded his own sect and created a supreme sword technique, Heavenly Sword Slash, which possessed the power to shake the heavens and terrify the spirits.

After the Sage of Heavenly Fate passed away, the Heavenly Sword Sect gradually declined from a top force in the southern domain to a third-rate power. His forceful personality had made many enemies. After his death, knowing that he was no longer there to protect his sect, these enemies attacked the Heavenly Sword Sect.

Eventually, the disciples of the Heavenly Sword Sect had no choice but to flee to the small state to re-establish their sect. The rapid decline of the Heavenly Sword Sect, apart from the concerted suppression by enemies, was also due to Heavenly Sword Slash left by the Sage of Heavenly Fate. He had realized the Dao through sword cultivation, but almost no one else could fully master the technique after him.

Though the sword technique was incredibly powerful, it demanded exceptionally high talent and insight. Thus, the Heavenly Sword Sect guarded a technique that almost no one could practice, weakening the overall strength of the sect compared to others with signature techniques. Despite its foundation in swordsmanship, few disciples within the sect practiced the sword.

Sword cultivators of the same rank are often far more powerful than regular cultivators, but their required qualifications are intimidatingly high. This is exacerbated by the Heavenly Sword Sect's Four Swords of Heavenly Dao, which are many times harder to master compared to other sword techniques, leading to the current predicament.

Alexander, the current sect leader of the Heavenly Sword Sect, has mastered only the first of Heavenly Sword Slash, making him one of the most exceptional leaders in the sect's history. This illustrates the extreme difficulty of mastering these techniques. It's a classic case of a founding master so powerful that his successors struggle to uphold the legacy, leading to the gradual decline of the sect.

Clark looked up at the name of the Sage of Heavenly Fate engraved powerfully on the stele, infused with a profound sense of the Dao and an almost divine aura, as if a celestial king stood before him. The name immediately below the Sage's, separated by a great distance, indicated not just a simple difference in rank but a vast chasm between their levels.