Yang and Li San leaned against the railing of the deck. There was nothing to see anymore. The sky had darkened about an hour into their journey, and they hadn't been able to see anything since then. Just endless darkness broken occasionally by distant lights from other vessels passing in the night.

  The ship was much slower than the one Cheng Mo had used. But neither Yang nor Li San missed its speed. This journey was much more to their taste and abilities. Steady and predictable. Something they could understand and endure.

  They'd eaten the packed lunch as soon as the ship started its journey, realizing belatedly that they'd forgotten to eat in the carriage. Too busy watching the city pass by them. Now, as the journey progressed and they drew closer to Azure Point City, they munched on the remaining food they had. Spirit fruits. Buns. Dried meats. Sharing between them companionably.

  The deck was lit by lanterns hanging from posts and beams. Their warm light created pools of illumination in the darkness. Occasionally, Yang saw people from the VIP levels coming down to visit the deck and take in fresh air. While those passengers were allowed access to the whole ship, the least paying members like Li San and Yang weren't permitted anywhere else.

  They stood together, occasionally talking, more often observing the other people on the deck. Most appeared to be from the merchant class or poorer clan members. There were no peasant or farmer class people. The ship's transport cost was in spirit stones, which was something that would be almost impossible for true peasants to afford.

  Yang remembered Wang Fu mentioning that such people weren't uncommon in sects, but most of them lived nearby or started their journey years before to reach the sect where they wished to try their luck. He'd also mentioned that larger sects ran ships throughout the year for recruitment, traveling through cities and towns to find people eligible for cultivation and putting them through trials. In this way, the larger sects got the largest pool of candidates to choose from.

  Wang Fu had emphasized the competitive spirit among sects when it came to finding and recruiting the best seeds for cultivation. He'd also noted that most large and powerful clans preferred to keep their heirs and train them within the clan to prevent divided loyalties down the line.

  At least if Li San and Yang managed to get into the Azure Sword Sect, they wouldn't stand out with their lack of social class and wealth. They'd be among many others who'd clawed their way here from nothing.

  Yang was deep in thought when he heard someone excitedly shout, "Look! Over there!"

  Suddenly everyone was crowding the railing, looking toward lights that had started showing in the distance. As they got closer, they saw more lights, lanterns by the thousands creating a constellation on the ground. As they approached the city, they realized the entire place was lit up like a festival, glowing against the darkness.

  The ship quickly flew near the city walls rather than entering through them. Yang caught glimpses of wide streets, tall buildings, gardens visible even in the night. Then the ship descended, landing near the gates instead of inside the city proper.

  The gates were magnificent. The walls were white stone that seemed to glow in the lantern light. The gates themselves looked silver, reflecting the fire until they appeared to be made of liquid light.

  The ship touched down with a gentle bump. Immediately, employees began encouraging passengers to disembark quickly. They needed to clear the deck for the VIPs to leave in comfort.

  Everyone on the deck gathered their belongings and made their way down the gangplank. Yang saw other ships landing nearby, disembarking their own passengers. He looked back to see a line of ornate carriages waiting near their ship to transport the VIPs into the city in style.

  They made their way toward the gate. It was a good thirty-minute walk from the landing zone. The crowd flowed like a river toward the entrance. Yang and Li San joined the stream, letting it carry them forward.

  They reached the smaller side gate designated for pedestrians. Guards in azure-trimmed armor stood watch. One stepped forward as they approached.

  "Reason for entry?"

  "We're here for the sect trials," Li San said quickly. His voice steady despite his nerves.

  The guard nodded and handed them each a small token. Simple bronze discs with the Azure Sword Sect symbol etched on one side. "Then you've arrived just in time. The trial will start soon."

  Li San looked shocked. "Brother, what do you mean by soon?"

  The guard's expression was neutral. "When I say soon, I mean it will start at dawn. In a few hours."

  Yang felt his stomach drop. It was already past midnight. The trial would begin at dawn. In just a few hours. They were already tired from standing on the ship for so long. How would they perform in a trial when they were exhausted?

  "Follow the main road," the guard instructed, gesturing toward the city. "You'll find carriages for hire. They'll take you to the gathering area where trial prospects are to assemble."

  They entered through the gate into Azure Point City. Yang wanted to look around, to take in this new place, but there was no time. They walked quickly down the main road, following the flow of other trial candidates.

  The carriage hire area was chaos. Dozens of vehicles with hundreds of people trying to secure rides. Yang saw the carriages filling up rapidly and felt panic flutter in his chest.

  They were about to approach an empty carriage when a young man intercepted them. "Are you two interested in sharing a carriage? We can split the cost."

  Li San quickly agreed. Saving money and ensuring they got transport seemed wise.

  The boy introduced himself as Xu Wei and led them to where two others waited. "These are Gu Shan and He Ming."

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  Xu Wei was well-dressed in high quality clothes. Confident and friendly. Gu Shan was quiet, wearing simple farmer's clothing that had been carefully mended multiple times. He Ming was clearly the most normal one, wearing good quality clothes but without any ostentatiousness.

  As they spoke while approaching the carriage, Yang learned their stories. Xu Wei's father was a successful merchant in a distant city. Xu Wei had grown up dreaming of joining the Azure Sword Sect, the most powerful sect in the region, and his father had supported that dream.

  Gu Shan on the other hand was a farmer's son who lived in a nearby city. His parents had saved their entire lives to send him here for this trial. The weight of their sacrifice was evident in the tension around his eyes.

  He Ming was the illegitimate son of a younger son in a middling clan. The clan was mortal, no cultivators in their ranks. He hoped to improve circumstances for his family within the larger clan structure by becoming a cultivator himself.

  They settled into the open carriage together. It was a tight fit with all five of them, not the most comfortable ride, but they were glad to have secured transport. Behind them, the line for carriages kept growing longer.

  Yang and Li San took out the remaining food they had. Xu Wei contributed some pastries from his own supplies. They shared everything, passing items around without ceremony.

  Li San and Xu Wei were naturally gregarious, drawing Gu Shan into conversation despite his shyness. They treated everyone equally, and soon even the quiet farmer's son was relaxing and contributing to the discussion.

  He Ming talked a bit about his family situation. The politics of being a branch family member. The challenges of being illegitimate in a clan that valued bloodline. His hope that cultivation could transcend those limitations.

  They talked and snacked as the carriage rolled through the night. The conversation was easy, comfortable. United by shared purpose and shared nervousness about what awaited them.

  Yang found himself liking these three. Xu Wei's easy confidence. Gu Shan's quiet determination. He Ming's earnest hope. They were all here for different reasons but walking the same path.

  Before Yang realized it, the carriage was slowing. "We've arrived," the driver called back.

  They had reached the base of a mountain. And it looked like a festival was happening with the sheer number of people present. Thousands. Maybe more.

  The carriage driver gestured toward the crowd. "They're all waiting for the sect members conducting the trial to descend."

  Yang climbed out of the carriage, stretching his legs. The journey had passed quickly in talking and sharing food. He felt surprisingly refreshed despite the late hour. The company and conversation had revitalized him more than he might have realised.

  He looked around, taking in the scene. Carriages were still arriving, depositing more candidates. The crowd was a microcosm of society. Boys and girls of all ages. Some in threadbare clothing and worn out shoes. Others in elaborate luxurious fabrics that probably cost more than a peasant family earned in a year.

  Some had clearly been too poor to afford a carriage and looked exhausted from walking. Others were dropped by ornate carriages with clan emblems embossed on the doors, servants bowing as their young masters departed.

  Yang liked that everyone was made to stand and wait together. Poor peasants and the wealthiest heirs all standing on equal ground. No preferential treatment. No separate areas for different classes.

  As Yang watched, he saw a boy treating another disdainfully. The aggressor was clearly from a wealthy family, silk robes, jade ornaments, an air of entitlement. The victim wore threadbare clothes and had bare feet, obviously a peasant's son.

  Others nearby didn't interfere but looked at the wealthy boy with disapproval. Even other people in luxurious clothes were regarding him with scorn, as if his behavior shamed them.

  Before the situation could escalate, someone in grey robes appeared out of nowhere. "Leave," he said coldly to the wealthy boy.

  Whispering rippled through the crowd. "Outer disciple." "Azure Sword Sect." "He's in trouble now."

  The wealthy boy's face went white. "Please, I didn't mean, I'm sorry, please give me another chance"

  The disciple's expression remained cold. "Leave before I make you."

  His aura was so intimidating, utterly without compromise, that the boy left crying. Stumbling away from his dreams with tears streaming down his face.

  Xu Wei leaned close to whisper to Yang, Li San, Gu Shan, and He Ming. "He was stupid. Everyone knows this isn't some third-rate sect. Azure Sword Sect takes discipline very seriously. Posturing like that even before the trial starts shows very poor impulse control. They don't want disciples who can't govern themselves."

  They continued waiting as the night gradually gave way to pre-dawn gray. The crowd grew quiet as the sky lightened. Anticipation built like pressure before a storm.

  Then, at dawn, they saw five figures descending from above.

  They flew down standing on swords, robes billowing in the wind of their passage. They landed gracefully, and their swords disappeared, simply vanished as if they'd never existed.

  There were five of them. The one in the middle had long white hair and looked elderly, though his movements were fluid and powerful. The others, two men and two women, all looked ageless in the way cultivators did. Beautiful beyond normal human standards. They wore different shades of azure robes with varying trims. Now that Yang looked closer, he could see the trims indicated rank or position, though he didn't know the specifics.

  The others remained quiet, standing slightly behind the white-haired elder. He stepped forward, and his voice carried across the entire assembly without shouting. Some technique that amplified sound naturally.

  "Welcome to Azure Point City," he said. His voice was neither warm nor cold. Simply factual. "Whether you're welcome to the Azure Sword Sect depends upon you."

  He partially turned and gestured to the mountain behind him. "You are to take the path to the top. If you manage to reach it in time, you may join the sect. If you don't, then you are not fated with us."

  His gaze swept across the thousands of hopeful faces. "You all have until the sun reaches its highest point. You may begin."

  As he gestured, the air rippled behind him. He and the other sect members simply disappeared. Not flew away. Disappeared. Like they'd never been there at all.

  For a moment, everyone stood frozen. Then the crowd surged forward.

  Yang and Li San looked at each other. No words needed. They'd come so far together. Now they'd see it through to the end.

  Li San grinned. "Best of luck. I'll meet you at the top."

  "See you there," Yang replied.

  They turned to Xu Wei, Gu Shan, and He Ming. "Good luck," Yang said. "We look forward to seeing all of you at the top."

  The five of them nodded to each other. Then joined the rush toward the mountain path.

  Some candidates were running flat out. Others walked with determined strides. Yang moved at a steady pace, conserving his energy. He had enhanced strength but didn't know what the trial would demand. Better to pace himself.

  The path led to a shimmering ripple in the air. Like heat waves rising from hot stone. As Yang got closer, he could see people disappearing as they passed through it.

  Yang glanced to his side. Li San was there, keeping pace with him. Their eyes met one more time.

  Then Yang reached the ripple. Took a breath. And stepped through.

  Li San vanished from beside him.

  Yang was alone.

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