After finishing his technique practice, Madara prepared to go to sleep. The next morning, he followed his usual routine—starting with a warm-up exercise, then cooking and eating breakfast, followed by a refreshing bath. Once he had changed into his sect uniform, he sat cross-legged on his bed and began to meditate.
A few minutes into his meditation, the spirit orb beside him suddenly trembled, pulling him out of his focused state. Opening his eyes, he reached for the orb and gently released a small stream of qi from his right hand. As he did, a glowing letter materialized before him. It contained a message instructing them to gather at the outer sect hall. After reading the message, Madara wasted no time and quickly stepped out of his room.
As he walked down the hallway leading to the outer sect hall, he overheard several disciples engaged in conversation, all wondering about the reason behind the sudden gathering.
"Why didn't they just announce it through the spirit orb?" one man complained. "It would've been easier than calling us all here like this."
The man walking beside him responded, "Maybe they're going to announce the results of the exam from the other day."
Hearing that, the first man nodded thoughtfully and said, "Yeah, that could be it."
With that assumption, the outer sect disciples began chatting among themselves—some sharing their experiences during the exam, while others speculated about what might happen to those who failed.
The discussions continued as the disciples made their way to the designated location. Upon entering the outer sect hall, they were greeted by a spacious, stone-built pavilion with tall wooden pillars, a jade-tiled roof, and a raised platform at the front. After a few minutes of waiting, the crowd fell silent as a voice echoed from the platform above. Turning their attention forward, they saw three figures standing before them—one of whom was a woman.
"The results of the exam prepared by Elder Meng Qi will now be announced," declared Elder Xu Feng. Elder Meng Qi then stepped forward. From the storage ring on her left hand, she took out a scroll containing the names of those who had passed. Unfurling the scroll, she began to read the names aloud.
After a few minutes of name announcements, the disciples realized that none of them had failed, and their joy was evident. Elder Xu Feng raised his hand, signaling for silence and for everyone to pay attention. "I'm sure many of you are wondering what this is all about, right?" he asked, and all the disciples nodded in agreement. "Well, in the next three weeks, you will be assigned your first duo mission," he continued. The disciples were taken aback by this revelation. Elder Xu Feng raised his right hand once more, urging them to quiet down. "To prepare for this, you will first engage in sparring training battles to assess the abilities of your future partners."
"Now, as for the exam on herbs and pills, it is mandatory. This is to prevent high casualties within our sect and to ensure that you all have the necessary knowledge in this area. You may be holding herbs or pills that are toxic or dangerous. Speaking of knowledge, you must also learn about the various types of ores, metals, and parts of magical beasts that can be sold or used in crafting and upgrading your weapons."
"Finally, you need to understand the different kinds of formations and sealing techniques that you may encounter in battle. It's important to know when to act on them or avoid them entirely. The one who will teach you about this is Elder Liang Zhenyu, a formation expert. However, he is currently in the process of a breakthrough, so he couldn't be here today."
"I know many of you are complaining about having to learn things that aren't related to your cultivation type. But let's look at the bright side—it's always better to have knowledge." Upon hearing this, Madara nodded in agreement. In this world, it was clear that only you could save yourself.
"Any questions?" Elder Xu Feng asked. "If not..." He extended his left hand, signaling for them to be quiet.
A muscular man with sharp facial features and intense golden-brown eyes stepped forward. His short, dark, spiked hair often fell into his eyes. He wore black robes with red accents, and his sleeves were rolled up, revealing burn marks on his arms. "I am Elder Jin Yanzhi, a forge cultivator at the early stage of the Nascent Soul Realm." All the outer sect disciples cupped their fists in respect. Afterward, Elder Jin Yanzhi stepped down from the stage and began guiding them to the forging hall.
A few minutes of walking later, they arrived at the forging hall. As they approached, they could see that it was a grand building, made of stone with blackened tiles. Glowing red vents ran along the roof, constantly releasing smoke and heat. Giant iron hammers hung above the entrance, and molten-orange runes pulsed faintly along the outer walls. The air hummed with the clanging of metal, and a faint scent of fire and ore filled the surroundings.
Inside, the Forging Hall was vast, lit by roaring furnaces, and filled with the clang of metal. Rows of stone anvils and glowing forges lined the walls. The air was thick with heat, smoke, and spiritual qi. Glimmering weapons, half-forged spiritual weapons, and shelves of rare ores shimmered under the orange glow.
As Madara looked around, he noticed only two disciples in the hall, in contrast to the larger number they had seen in the hall with Elder Sect Meng Qi. However, he didn't think much of it and simply followed the others toward the forging storage room.
Before entering, they each removed their storage rings and handed them over to their elder to prevent any covert smuggling of items. Upon entering, they were greeted with various types of metals on display, along with some ores and parts of spiritual or magical beasts, the identities of which they could not discern. At the far end of the room, there was a large space designed for their discussion.
After sitting on the floor, they were given a book that contained information on different ores, metals, and spiritual beast parts that could be used for forging. As they flipped through the pages, Elder Jin Yanzhi explained the different types of ores, metals, and spiritual beast parts, while his left hand casually held each item being discussed.
The lecture continued for three days, and on the final day, they were given two additional days to study the book provided by Elder Jin. By the time Madara returned to the outer disciple residence, it was already late. After preparing and eating his meal, he took a few hours to rest before beginning his training, focusing on the techniques he was mastering that night. The next morning, after his usual routine, he began studying the book given to them by their elder. Several hours of careful study and understanding, he finally finished just as the night began to fall.
After completing his morning routine and swordplay exercises, Madara decided to head to the library to finish reading the book. Upon handing his sect token to the old man guarding the library, he made his way to one of the bookshelves to retrieve the book he had been reading. Once seated in a quiet reading area, he resumed his study. Flipping through a few pages, he stumbled upon a section about politics. Though not particularly interested, he decided to read it anyway. After finishing the book, he wandered through the library's aisles, hoping to find something more engaging. Soon enough, he discovered a book titled "The First Cultivator." He sat down and began reading it eagerly.
...
"The First Cultivator"
In the Lantian world (Qing Yun), a man would go on to change the way people lived for generations. He was an orphan, having lost his parents due to a war between empires sparked by the discovery of powder used in guns and explosive bombs. To maintain the supply of this powerful powder, unknown armies ravaged small villages, capturing people to force them into slavery and using them as miners to extract the necessary ores and metals.
One day, while mining, Qing Yun and others were caught in a mine collapse after an attack by the unknown army outside. In this desperate situation, he ran as fast as he could into the woods to escape the chaos. Hours passed as he wandered deeper into the dense forest, unaware of the time. As he rested, he realized that running away wasn't a true solution. If he kept fleeing, how long could he continue? Not every time would he be able to escape, as he had done the previous day.
He needed to stand his ground and defend himself. In that moment, he thought, "It doesn't matter what others think. For me, it's better to die fighting than to die as a slave." With that resolve, he began to train, focusing on strengthening both his physical and mental abilities. Through meditation, he worked on sharpening his mind for clearer thinking during battle. For three years, he relentlessly continued this training. Then, one summer day, while in deep meditation, he sensed an unknown ambient light around him—in the air, earth, water, and even sunlight.
Suddenly, the light drew into his body, guiding him through invisible energy. However, the overwhelming sensation caused Qing Yun to lose his concentration, and the unknown light vanished from his body. Stunned, he stood motionless, asking himself, "What was that?" Determined to understand, Qing Yun repeated his actions.
With careful control, the unknown light began to circulate and refine itself before being stored in his lower abdomen. After successfully harnessing the light for the first time, he experienced a profound sense of transformation. His body felt lighter, as though a burden he had never known existed had been lifted. A gentle warmth spread through his limbs, bringing clarity to his mind and vitality to his senses.
His breathing became smoother, his awareness sharper, and the world around him seemed more vivid and alive. Internally, he could sense a small yet steady swirl of energy within his lower abdomen. It was a feeling of awe and excitement, mixed with a deep sense of calm and power, as if he had unlocked a door to an entirely new realm of existence.
...
As he continued reading, Madara's thoughts became divided—drawn between the contents of the book and the question forming in his mind: how had Qing Yun first learned to harness his Qi? Did someone guide him in the beginning? Or was he entirely self-taught, relying only on his own determination? If so, then perhaps Qing Yun wasn't just a part of the change… he was the very spark that set the entire Lantian World—and possibly even the whole universe—on the path of cultivation.
...
Days passed, and with each small village that Qing Yun visited or protected from the attacking unknown armies, he never ceased in his efforts to absorb and refine the unknown light. Gradually, he began to notice subtle yet profound changes in both his body and mind. His physical strength grew—he could lift heavier objects, run longer distances, and endure harsh conditions with ease. His senses sharpened; he could hear distant sounds, see in low light, and even detect slight shifts in the air. His reflexes quickened, and his movements became more precise and fluid.
Internally, his veins expanded and strengthened, allowing the unknown light to flow more smoothly throughout his body. His mind became clearer, more focused, and less prone to distraction or fear. His emotional control also improved—anger, sadness, or panic no longer affected him as easily.
He noticed that his wounds healed faster, illnesses rarely affected him, and his aging seemed to slow down. Spiritually, he felt more attuned to the world around him, sensing life energy in nature and even faint auras surrounding people and objects. All these changes confirmed that he was no longer an ordinary person—he had entered what he called the "path of cultivation."
Years passed. After countless battles, Qing Yun's army, alongside his trusted commanders—Tianhe Xuan, Zhou Jianlong, Yun Zhihao, and Sheng Fengwei—defeated the last empire in the Lantian world. Given the vastness of their world, the five of them decided to establish their empires to promote peace and stability.
...
As he turned to the next page, he was surprised to find it completely blank. But then, he noticed something written on the very last page of the book. The handwriting was different from the rest, and it read:
"What peace are you all talking about, when you yourselves were the ones who started the massive change? Especially you, Qing Yun. Because of you and your cultivation, people are now killing each other left and right for just a sliver of spiritual stone or a handful of herbs. Even now, nothing has changed. You're selfish too, aren't you? You built your empire in an area where the Qi is denser than in the other four empires. Was it because your four commanders at the time weren't cultivators like you?"
…
"He's not entirely wrong in his opinion…" Madara murmured. "If it weren't for Qing Yun, cultivation might not even exist today."
After returning the book to its rightful place, Madara moved on to the second room of the library. As he wandered through the shelves, he noticed that most of the books here focused on basic understandings of different cultivation types. At the farthest corner of the last shelf, he spotted a book that seemed to have been shoved into a hidden spot. Driven by curiosity, he carefully pulled it out. The cover was worn, clearly showing its age. Slowly, he opened it and began reading the untitled text.
In the Lantian World, where countless sects tower like mountains and strength reigns supreme, the fate of a cultivator is often sealed from the moment they are born—judged by the quality of their bone marrow, spiritual root, bloodline, and their affinity with the elements.
But he was born with none of these gifts.
...
He turned to the next page; he found a large portion of the book was missing, as if someone had intentionally torn them out. Only the final passage remained.
...
"And when he broke through—stepping into the Sovereign Realm, a level so high that even the greatest sects and empires bowed in awe—no one believed it possible. But there he stood: a Sovereign, not born of fate, but born of struggle.
And from that day on, countless ordinary people and cultivators across the Lantian World lit incense in his name. Not as a god. Not as a king. But as a symbol.
A sign that you can defy the heavens if you never give up, no matter how lowly or common you are.