From the high platform Cui Wan, Ye Lei and the other two disciples look at the energy gathering array calmly.
Then Cui Wan narrows his eyes as he senses something. He is a Rank 4 Master cultivator and he has reached a level far beyond here.
He can easily tell what sort of changes are happening in the formation. That even Ye Lei controller of the formation can't tell.
Soon just as he has senses in just five minutes Xi Liu Su becomes the first one to succeed and becomes a cultivator as her consciousness expands.
Although the domain of consciousness is invisible, if a cultivator is someone who has taken a step above mortality.
A master is someone who has broken free from the shell and truly reached the level of a superhuman.
After him, the second one to notice is Ye Lei as the controller and he is really surprised. He looks at the girl. He has never seen someone awaken as a cultivator so fast.
Generally, it takes about ten minutes minimum to awaken. But she has become a cultivator even before someone even failed.
His surprise is short-lived as just two minutes after Xi Liu Su another consciousness expands.
One can easily judge by the smile on the face of Cui Wan that his son Cui Miao has succeeded.
'What monstrous talent!' Ye Lei says in his heart.
Although he had praised Cui Miao to flatter the city lord to win his favour, this was beyond his expectations.
'To think he really has the making of a cultivator and not just a mediocre one but a great cultivator.'
'And that girl, to think there is a monster like her in a mid-sized city.'
Ye Lei continued to look at the two of them. As time passed, unable to bear the pain, children began to fail and fall down.
Among them few stay strong and become cultivators. But most of them continue to fall down and at the end, only twenty-five remain standing as they are now cultivators.
After the selection is done and all cultivators have emerged the rank 3 metamorphosis charm detaches from the formation and flies to the Ye Lei.
Since the formation has lost its core it will disappear in a week.
After collecting the charm he looks at the crowd and announces.
"The selection is over, congratulations to the twenty-five who have opened their consciousness now we are fellow cultivators."
All the failed children and the adults who have come to watch the spectacle look at the twenty-five new cultivators with envy in their eyes.
The failed children wish for one more chance and the adults look at new cultivators with greed and longing.
All of them, young or old, wish to stand in the same position as them. They wish to obtain the joy of reaching a realm beyond the reach of mortals.
Some of the failed ones can't hold in their sorrow and tears streaming down their faces.
Not for the fact that they are still immobilised by the pain they would have screamed and cried their heart out.
"Now retract your consciousness."
For a cultivator domain of consciousness is part of them.
Even for a new cultivator like us we know by instinct how to control it. From our perspective, it is as if we have grown an extra sense.
Although it takes time and practice to get used to it.
After a few failed attempts we can retract it and the first one to do it is obviously Xi Liu Su and Cui Miao.
After all of the new cultivators have retracted their domain. He opens his sleeve as a giant flying sword appears in front of everyone.
"Wow!"
Most of us look at the sword with awe. This is the first time we have seen a cultivator doing something firsthand like this.
Ye Lei enjoys the expression on their faces with a smile.
"This is a rank 2 flying sword charm. When you reach a certain level in your cultivation you can also have a sword like this."
Everyone's eyes light up, especially Xi Liu Su. She has always dreamt of something like this.
"Now everyone board the flying sword."
We listen to him and begin to climb on the giant sword. I look at the sword and remember the dream I saw in the morning.
The first one to climb is obviously Cui Miao with a calm face. After that, it is the turn of Wang Xuan to give Tian Ming a displeased look and stand on the flying sword.
"Let's go." Xu Liu Su urges me, she is very excited.
"You go first."
She nods and boards the flying sword. And I look at the sword for a second.
I still vividly remember that giant sword crashing down at me. Although compared to that sword this flying sword feels like a toothpick.
Then I also stand on it. After a few seconds, everyone is standing above the sword.
The cultivator waves his hand and a protective shield of wind wraps around all of us.
Everyone looks at this with amazement and marvel in their eyes and Ye Lei has a smug smile on his face.
Except for people like Cui Miao and Wang Xuan. They are from a family of cultivators since childhood, who have seen tricks like this plenty of times.
"Tsk! Country bumpkin." Displeasure is evident on his face.
Even if individuals from poor or rich sectors have become cultivators in his eyes they are all still beneath him.
Especially Tian Ming. He has great enmity with him; he refuses to believe he can be his equal.
The excited individuals lower their heads with shame. Ye Lei chuckles and waves his hand and the flying sword soars to the sky.
"Wow!"
Those who lowered their hand now can't help but be amazed again. Who wouldn't be afterall they are flying in the air.
As a human who can only walk on the ground, flying is a great achievement.
The sword starts to fly at a very fast speed that reaches a hundred miles an hour leaving a streak of yellow light behind.
Soon the sword flies past Maple City and heads in the direction of the Flying Sword Sect.
"Lord cultivator."
A new cultivator called Ye Lei who is standing upright at the tip of the sword with his hand behind his back. His green robes were flying with the wind giving him a mystical air.
Ye Lei turns around and looks at the individual and smiles slightly.
"Now we are all part of the flying sword sect. You should call me your senior brother."
The individual is taken aback by Ye Lei. He had not thought that the high and mighty cultivator would be so gentle and easygoing.
He had thought that they would be struck and cold people just like the cultivators of Maple City. He began to feel the benefits of becoming a cultivator.
The attitude of Yei Lei causes the tension he has built in his heart to fly away. As he asks enthusiastically.
"Senior brother, I have a question."
"Please ask."
He hesitates for a second but then he looks at the warm smile on the face of Ye Lei and asks.
"Senior brother, can you tell me about cultivation?"
Yei Lei ponders the question for a second then he looks at the anxious face of new cultivators he has picked up.
Most of them are sceptical and have no knowledge about cultivators or cultivation.
"Junior brother, have you heard about the classic called 'Path Of Cultivation'."
"Path of cultivation."
More than ten individuals look at each other at those unfamiliar words.
But for Tian Ming, Cui Miao, Xi Liu Su and Wang Xuan those are familiar words.
Path of cultivation is a classic novel that circulates in the world. It hosts the story of the first cultivator.
Mortals discard it as just another book but for an experienced cultivator, it is a valuable treasure.
"Path of cultivation is the story of the first cultivator Xian Zen. It is a story that predates the Primordial age and takes place in the 'Age of Genesis'."
"What age of genesis isn't that just a myth those storytellers say?"
Ye Lei shook his head. "No the age of Genesis is real, the cultivation is proof itself."
"Mortals dismiss it as a myth because they are narrow and short-sighted. Anyone who has embarked on the magnificent journey of cultivation knows it is true."
The ones who haven't read the path of cultivation begin to murmur among themselves.
Ye Lei looks at their confused faces and says "Since you don't know about the path of cultivation let me recite the first chapter for you."
The murmurs die down as everyone focuses on Ye Lei.
Path Of Cultivation
In the age of genesis after the birth of the Heavenly Dao world. At that time the energy of creation was so abundant that many species started to be born.
The spirit beasts with the strongest psyche and innate characteristics.
The celestial races with their individual natures and with inborn gifts in a specific dao.
And at last humans, they didn't have a strong psyche like spirit beasts or inborn gifts like celestial special.
But humans have greater conciseness and intelligence as compared to other species.
And at the age of genesis the entire Heavenly Dao world was a single continent.
The sun rose from the east filling the east with natural energy making it extremely abundant.
As the sun reaches the peak of the sky its energy spreads in the centre making it most prosperous.
The north is filled with tall mountains that block the clouds coming from the sea in the east. Dimming the sunlight causes it to be covered in ice for most of the year.
In the fertile lands of the south, the energy of the sun and moon causes the birth of a wilderness that covers the south entirely.
In the west, the energy of the setting sun is so strong no vegetation can survive there making it a vast and desolate desert.