"Slow down, Ling Tian! At least eat your breakfast. You still have time, the carriage is waiting for you!"
The middle-aged woman standing at the courtyard gate called out anxiously. In her hands was still a steaming bowl of food, the warm scent drifting gently into the cool morning air.
Ling Tian, however, was already halfway to the door. As he hurriedly put on his shoes, he turned his head slightly and gave her an apologetic smile.
"Thank you, Aunt Wu… but I'm really not hungry," he said firmly. "I can't be late for the Supreme Heaven Sect's entrance examination. This… might be my only chance."
There was a determination in his voice that didn't belong to a normal child.
Ling Tian was only eleven, perhaps twelve years old at most. Yet his appearance was anything but ordinary. His long platinum-black hair flowed smoothly down his back, reflecting the faint glow of the morning sunlight. His face looked as if it had been carefully sculpted by the heavens themselves flawless, delicate, and impossibly handsome.
But the most striking feature of all was his eyes.
Deep violet eyes, shimmering like a hidden galaxy, as if a fragment of the night sky had been sealed within them. Anyone who met those eyes would unconsciously hold their breath for a moment.
Ling Tian was an orphan.
Years ago, when he had still been a baby wrapped in cloth, a group of hunters had discovered him deep within the forest near Azure Leaf Village.
The hunters had been stunned when they first saw him.
The child had been so beautiful that he almost seemed unreal like a small spirit that had fallen from the heavens.
When they brought him back to the village, chaos quickly followed.
Nearly every family in the village wanted to adopt him. Some even argued fiercely, almost coming to blows over who would take care of the child. In the end, the respected village chief and his wife stepped forward and adopted the boy, finally settling the dispute.
From that day on, Ling Tian grew up in the village, loved and protected by everyone around him.
But as the years passed, a rather unexpected problem began to appear.
Even though Ling Tian was only eleven years old, nearly every unmarried girl in the village had already proposed marriage to him at least once. Some said it jokingly, others hinted shyly, and a few even confessed directly.
The reason was very simple.
As Ling Tian grew older… his appearance only became more and more handsome.
However, Ling Tian had one small problem.
He was a little… dense.
So he never truly understood what those girls meant.
In his mind, they were all simply joking around.
Long Tian climbed onto the back of the horse carriage waiting at the edge of the village. The wooden wheels creaked softly in the quiet morning air as he settled down.
Once seated, he noticed that he wasn't alone.
He wasn't the only one in the village willing to test his luck at the Supreme Heaven Sect's entrance examination.
There were four others sitting in the carriage with him.
All of them were slightly older than Long Tian, their ages ranging between thirteen and sixteen. Their expressions were almost identical filled with excitement, nervousness, and a faint spark of hope.
Long Tian quietly observed them.
The first boy had broad shoulders and a sturdy build. His name was Zhao Feng, a sixteen-year-old with sun-tanned skin and short messy black hair. Despite his rough appearance, the smile on his face was surprisingly warm. Rumor had it that he worked as a blacksmith's apprentice in the village, which explained his strong physique.
Next to him sat a thinner boy named Liu Ming. He was fourteen and had a calm, thoughtful temperament. His long brown hair was tied loosely behind his head, and his eyes were sharp and observant, as if constantly analyzing everything around him.
The third boy was Chen Wei, only thirteen years old. He seemed to be the most talkative of the group. His short hair was constantly tousled by the wind, and his face carried a look of endless curiosity. His eyes darted around restlessly, barely able to contain his excitement.
The last youth was Guo Liang, fifteen years old. Compared to the others, he was much quieter. With a wide forehead and serious gaze, he sat with his arms crossed, staring into the distance as if already imagining himself becoming a powerful cultivator.
Although they were strangers to one another, the same thought filled every one of their hearts.
Entering the sect.
Just the thought alone was enough to make their hearts beat faster.
At that moment, the old man driving the carriage turned around and looked at the boys. Deep wrinkles marked his weathered face, but his eyes were still lively.
In a deep, steady voice, he spoke.
"Children… are you ready?"
He paused briefly before continuing.
"We have a three-day journey ahead of us."
The reins snapped lightly, and the horses began to move.
The horse carriage slowly rolled along the dusty road, the cool morning wind brushing against the youths' faces.
The journey had only just begun, yet the excitement inside the carriage was already impossible to hide.
For a moment, no one spoke.
Then, as expected, the one who finally broke the silence was Chen Wei.
The young boy was practically vibrating with excitement. His eyes sparkled with curiosity and pride as he leaned slightly toward the others, as if he were about to reveal an important secret.
"Did you guys know?" he said excitedly. "I actually learned a bit about the Supreme Heaven Sect's examination."
The moment he said that, the others immediately paid attention. Information about the sect's test was incredibly valuable to them.
Chen Wei leaned forward slightly and lowered his voice as if sharing a secret.
"To become a trial disciple, the first thing they do is check the quality of your meridians. If your meridians aren't good enough… they send you back immediately."
He paused for a moment, glancing around at the others as if enjoying the tension he had created.
Then he continued.
"But if your meridians are good enough… they'll give you a Basic Cultivation Technique. After that, you officially begin your training as a cultivator."
Hearing this, Zhao Feng frowned slightly.
"Meridian quality…?" he muttered. "Sounds like it depends a lot on luck."
Liu Ming stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"Meridians are something you're born with," he said calmly. "In other words… it's almost like fate."
Guo Liang remained silent, but the determination in his eyes grew even sharper.
For a moment, the carriage fell quiet again.
Meanwhile, Long Tian said nothing.
He simply sat there, quietly listening to their conversation.
His violet eyes drifted toward the distant horizon.
The sect… cultivators… the path of immortality…
These were the very things he had heard about in stories since he was a child.
Yet deep within his heart, a single thought quietly surfaced.
Are my meridians… good enough?
As the horse carriage continued forward along the road, Long Tian's destiny slowly began moving toward an unknown future.