The Journey Begins

The walk toward the Mist Blossom Sect felt surreal, each step taking Xian Wu farther from the life he had known. The familiar sights of the village—the simple homes, the humble marketplaces, the distant fields—seemed to fade behind him as the towering figures of Elder Duan and Mei Lin led the way. Xian Wu's feet moved on their own, his mind too full of questions to focus on the path beneath him.

Lin Yue had stayed behind, watching him go with a look of quiet resolve. Xian Wu could feel her gaze burning into his back, and it made his heart heavy. She had always been his closest friend, the one who had stayed by his side even when the others had turned away. But now, she was part of his past, and he was stepping into a future that was uncertain, dangerous, and beyond his comprehension.

"You're not saying much," Mei Lin commented, her voice breaking the silence. She walked slightly ahead of Xian Wu, her eyes scanning the path ahead. "Are you regretting your decision?"

Xian Wu shook his head, his hand tightening around the strap of his bag. "No. It's just... hard to believe. My parents... they were from the Heavenly Realm? What does that even mean? How could I have been born into this?"

Mei Lin turned her head slightly, a hint of a smile playing on her lips. "That's what everyone wonders when they first hear the truth. The Heavenly Realm is no ordinary place. It's where the greatest cultivators ascend to immortality. They control the very forces of nature, manipulate the elements, and possess powers that are incomprehensible to most."

"But why would my family be connected to that realm?" Xian Wu pressed. "Why were they taken from me? What happened to them?"

Elder Duan, who had been walking ahead of them, stopped and turned, his gaze settling on Xian Wu with a calmness that seemed to see through him. "The answer to that question will come with time. But what you must understand now is that you have the potential to reach that level. Your bloodline is a key to something far greater than even the Heavenly Realm. but to unlock it, you must train. And you must master the energy with you."

Xian Wu's mind whirled at the elder's words. It seemed impossible. He—a mere village boy—could rise to the level of those who controlled the elements, who had once ascended to immortality?

But there was something inside him that believed it. The strange sure of power when he fought the serpent—it had felt real. It had felt like he was touching something ancient within himself, something that had been dormant for far too long. If he could learn to harness it...

He could become more than he ever imagined.

"Do you think I'm ready for this?" Xian Wu asked, more to himself than to anyone else.

Mei Lin glanced back at him, her expression unreadable. "None of us are ready for what we face. The cultivation path is a journey, and there are trails along the way that will test you. Some will break you. Some will shape you into something stronger."

"And what about you?" Xian Wu asked, his curiosity piqued. "You sound so certain. What's your connection to the Mist Blossom Sect?"

Mei Lin's lips tightened for a moment before she spoke, her voice softer now. "I was born into a lesser family of cultivators. I didn't have the same inheritance as others, no hidden bloodline like yours. I had to work for everything I've achieved. I know what it's like to be underestimated." She glanced at him over her shoulder, her eyes narrowing. "But the Mist Blossom Sect is a place for those who have potential. And those who are willing to work for it."

Xian Wu was silent for a moment, absorbing her words. There was more to Mei Lin than the calm, composed exterior she showed. But one thing was clear—she was not going to hand him any answers. If he wanted to know more, he would have to earn it.

The journey stretched on for hours. The path they traveled wound through thick forests, over rivers, and across vast plains, with the towering peaks of the Spirit Realm looming in the distance. The closer they got to their destination, the more Xian Wu felt the air change. IT was as though the atmosphere itself was filled with energy, with the raw pulse of Qi that permeated everything around him.

"Here," Elder Duan finally said, his voice breaking through the hum of the world around them.

Xian Wu's heart raced as the elder pointed toward the horizon. There, nestled high in the mountains, was a massive structure. Towers rose into the sky, their peaks disappearing into the mist. Giant floating stones hovered above the structure, their surfaces shimmering with energy. The Mist Blossom Sect was everything Xian Wu had imagined and more—an entire city built on the foundation of cultivation, surrounded by power unlike anything he had seen in his life.

"This is where you will learn to harness the power within you," Elder Duan continued, his voice full of authority. "And where you will discover the secrets of your bloodline."

Xian Wu swallowed hard, his throat dry. This was it. The moment he had been waiting for, the moment when his life would change forever. The Mist Blossom Sect wasn't just a place of learning—it was where he would discover what it truly meant to cultivate, to rise beyond his mortal limitations, and to uncover the truth of his family's legacy.

As they approached the gates, a feeling of anticipation filled the air. The energy around him surged, and Xian Wu could feel his body respond. It was as if the very land, the earth itself, was calling him. His heart beat faster, his breath steadying as he realized that he was on the brink of something much greater than he could have ever imagined.

He was no longer Xian Wu, the boy from the village. He was a cultivator now, bound for a path that would lead him to unimaginable power and unimaginable truths.

And he would stop at nothing to uncover them.