The faint morning mist clung to the Azure Spirit Sect like drifting silk, wrapping its towering pavilions in ethereal light. Birds cried above the jade rooftops while disciples in gray and blue robes hurried along the winding paths, their breaths forming clouds in the crisp mountain air.
Su Chen stepped out of the Scripture Hall, his expression unreadable. The faint spiral mark on his palm pulsed softly beneath his sleeve, but no one else seemed to notice.
Inside, his heart raced.
Three breakthroughs in one night… I reached Qi Refinement Stage 3 in a single sitting.
For most outer disciples, breaking through a single stage took months of bitter cultivation. Yet for him, it had felt… natural. As though the Dao itself bent to his understanding. Every circulation route, every meridian refinement, every flaw in technique—it all unfolded before his eyes like a tapestry woven by heaven itself.
But Su Chen knew better than to show it. In this sect, talent invited envy. Envy invited blades.
As he walked through the courtyard, mocking voices drifted toward him.
"Isn't that Su Chen? The eternal trash of the sect?"
"Hah! I heard he spent the entire night in the Forgotten Vault again. Maybe he thinks sweeping dust will improve his talent."
"Don't joke. Even the heavens can't save a cripple."
Su Chen ignored them, his calm gaze falling upon a group gathered near the Spirit Testing Pavilion. Dozens of disciples crowded around the tall stone platform, whispering excitedly.
Atop the platform stood Elder Liang, a middle-aged man in dark green robes. Behind him rested the Spirit Mirror, a polished obsidian slab etched with glowing runes.
Su Chen's steps slowed.
Today was the sect's Talent Assessment Day. Every six months, outer disciples were required to test their spiritual roots and comprehension talent. Those who showed outstanding potential would be promoted to inner disciples, gaining access to higher techniques, better resources, and protection from petty bullying.
And those who failed… remained at the bottom, struggling for scraps.
Wang Kun stood confidently before the Spirit Mirror, his face full of smugness. He placed his palm upon the slab, and light burst forth in rippling waves.
"Wang Kun — Mid-grade Earth Spiritual Root. Cultivation talent: Excellent."
Cheers erupted from the crowd.
"As expected of Senior Brother Wang!"
"With that talent, he'll reach Foundation Establishment in no time!"
Wang Kun turned, his eyes locking on Su Chen. A mocking grin curved his lips.
"Trash Su Chen," he called, his voice loud enough for everyone to hear. "Don't bother testing today. Even if the heavens themselves descend, you'll still be useless."
Laughter followed, sharp and cutting.
Su Chen met his gaze calmly, his face unreadable. But deep inside, a faint ember stirred.
"Next," Elder Liang said flatly.
One by one, disciples placed their hands on the Spirit Mirror. Colors bloomed and faded — pale blue, soft green, dull gray. The majority had low-grade roots, destined to linger as outer disciples for life.
Finally, Elder Liang's voice cut through the murmurs.
"Su Chen."
The courtyard fell silent.
Somewhere in the crowd, a disciple whispered, "Is he seriously going to test again? Didn't he already fail three times?"
Another snickered. "Maybe he's hoping the mirror feels pity this year."
Su Chen walked up the platform slowly, his steps steady despite the derision pressing down from all sides. He placed his palm upon the Spirit Mirror.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then, light exploded.
Blinding golden radiance surged upward like a pillar piercing the heavens. The runes etched upon the Spirit Mirror ignited one by one until the entire slab burned with dazzling brilliance.
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
"This—this can't be!"
"What grade is that light?!"
Elder Liang's calm expression finally cracked. He stared at the mirror, his breath unsteady.
"High… High-grade Heaven Spiritual Root…" he whispered, voice trembling. "And comprehension talent… at the Transcendent level."
The courtyard erupted into chaos.
"High-grade Heaven Root?! That's something you only hear about in legends!"
"Transcendent comprehension? That's above the mirror's standard levels!"
Wang Kun's smug face drained of color. His jaw hung open as though struck by lightning.
But Elder Liang's eyes darkened. Without a word, he crushed a jade talisman in his hand. High above the sect, a massive bell tolled thrice, its solemn chimes rolling across the mountains.
Deep within the Inner Sect, a majestic palace rose among floating peaks. There, an old man in white robes opened his eyes slowly. His gaze pierced through mountains, rivers, and clouds, fixing directly on the Spirit Testing Pavilion.
"Transcendent comprehension… The sect hasn't seen such talent in a thousand years."
He rose from his meditation mat, his voice carrying across the palace.
"Notify the Grand Elders. We must secure him… before others do."
Back in the courtyard, Su Chen opened his eyes. The spiral mark on his palm glowed faintly, hidden beneath his sleeve.
He looked up at the shocked faces around him, his expression calm, almost indifferent. But inside, he understood one thing clearly.
From this moment on, I can no longer hide.
The courtyard trembled with excitement, shock, and fear. Su Chen slowly withdrew his hand from the blazing Spirit Mirror. The golden light faded, leaving behind a silence so heavy that even the whispering wind seemed to hold its breath.
Su Chen's calm expression contrasted starkly with the chaos around him.
High-grade Heaven Spiritual Root… Transcendent comprehension talent…
He hadn't expected this result. In truth, he had already sensed that something within him had changed after awakening the Arcanum Path Gate, but this exceeded even his imagination.
To comprehend martial techniques and cultivation methods effortlessly was one thing. But to possess talent that could shake the foundations of the sect? That was another matter entirely.
"Su Chen…" Elder Liang's voice wavered, breaking the silence. "Step aside for now. Do not leave the sect grounds."
Su Chen nodded slightly and turned to step down from the platform.
The crowd parted unconsciously, as though making way for an untouchable existence. Murmurs spread like wildfire.
"Transcendent comprehension… I've never even heard of such a thing."
"They say even the sect master only has peak-grade Heaven comprehension. Could this mean…?"
"Doesn't this make him the strongest talent in the entire Azure Spirit Sect?"
Wang Kun, however, remained frozen in place, his fists clenched so tightly that his nails dug into his palms. A mixture of disbelief, rage, and humiliation twisted his face.
How… how can trash like him surpass me?
At that moment, a cold, oppressive aura descended over the courtyard.
Three figures appeared out of thin air atop the testing platform, each exuding pressure so immense that the air itself seemed to tremble. The disciples immediately bowed low.
"Paying respects to the Inner Elders!"
The leading elder, a tall man with white hair and piercing hawk-like eyes, gazed at Su Chen. His voice carried effortlessly, even though he spoke softly.
"Come with us."
Su Chen remained silent but nodded. There was no room to refuse.
The journey up the Azure Spirit Peak was like stepping into another world. The outer sect's modest stone halls and humble training grounds were replaced by floating pavilions, cascading spiritual waterfalls, and clouds infused with strands of pure qi.
At the peak stood the Grand Dao Hall, its towering jade pillars carved with immortal beasts and swirling patterns of Dao runes.
Inside, seven elders sat in a semicircle, each radiating a depth of cultivation Su Chen could barely fathom. At the center sat a serene old man in snow-white robes, his long silver hair flowing like a waterfall of starlight. His gaze was calm yet unfathomable, as though he could see through the heavens themselves.
Su Chen instinctively bowed. "Disciple Su Chen greets the Sect Master."
The old man's lips curved faintly. "There is no need for formality. Raise your head."
Su Chen obeyed, meeting the Sect Master's gaze. For an instant, he felt as though he were standing naked before the universe, every thought and secret laid bare. Yet strangely, the spiral mark on his palm pulsed faintly, and the oppressive sensation vanished like mist under sunlight.
The Sect Master's eyes narrowed slightly but he said nothing.
"Elder Liang has reported your results," he began. "High-grade Heaven Spiritual Root… Transcendent comprehension. Do you understand what this means?"
Su Chen shook his head slightly.
"It means," another elder interjected, his voice cold, "that your existence will invite calamity. A talent like yours cannot remain hidden. News will spread, whether we will it or not. Other sects, rival clans, even the Heavenly Dao Court beyond the mortal realm—they will not allow someone like you to rise unchecked."
Another elder, robed in crimson, stroked his beard and smiled faintly. "Or… it means that with proper guidance, you could become the spearhead of the Azure Spirit Sect. Perhaps even lead us to supremacy in the coming Divine Sect War."
The elders began to murmur among themselves, their voices hushed but sharp. Power, opportunity, and danger swirled together like storm clouds gathering before a tempest.
Finally, the Sect Master raised his hand. Silence fell instantly.
"Su Chen," he said softly, "from today onward, you will be promoted directly to core disciple status."
Gasps erupted among the attending elders. Such a thing was unprecedented — bypassing not just the inner sect but the elite disciples entirely.
"You will be assigned a personal training ground within the Celestial Comprehension Pavilion," the Sect Master continued. "There, you will have access to our sect's deepest Dao inheritances. But understand this…"
His gaze sharpened, and the weight of his words pressed like a mountain.
"From this moment onward, you will walk the edge of a blade. Even within our sect, there are those who will covet your gift. Beyond our walls, countless eyes already watch."
Su Chen met the Sect Master's gaze without flinching.
"I understand."
The Sect Master studied him for a moment longer, then nodded. "Very well. Elder Mei, assign him a guardian. Ensure no harm comes to him before he matures."
A woman stepped forward, her figure slender and graceful, her presence like a still pond hiding unfathomable depths. Her cold, beautiful eyes rested on Su Chen.
"I am Mei Lian," she said softly. "From today, I will shadow you."
Su Chen bowed slightly in acknowledgment, though inwardly he frowned. Protection was another form of control.
That night, Su Chen sat cross-legged within his newly assigned training courtyard, the moonlight cascading over jade tiles and ancient pines.
The spiral mark on his palm pulsed gently, and as he closed his eyes, streams of incomprehensible knowledge flowed into his mind. Techniques, cultivation methods, martial forms — it was as though an invisible hand painted the Dao across his consciousness.
So this is the power of the Arcanum Path Gate…
Suddenly, his expression shifted. Deep within his mind, he sensed it — a ripple across the fabric of the heavens themselves. A faint whisper echoed, carried on the wind of the Dao.
"The first bearer of infinite comprehension… has awakened."
Somewhere far beyond the Azure Spirit Sect, in realms Su Chen could not yet imagine, ancient entities stirred from their slumber.
And high above the mortal plane, within the vast, glittering expanse of the Celestial Dao Court, a figure cloaked in starlight opened his golden eyes.
"Another one has appeared… The Path Gate has chosen again."
The heavens themselves trembled.