A thin mist blanketed the towering mountains, wrapping the morning sky in a cold, silent atmosphere. Amid the sea of clouds stood the majestic Aetherian Sky Sect, a great sect where young cultivators pursued power and glory.
In the Outer Court training grounds, dozens of disciples stood in neat rows. Spiritual energy flowed faintly through the air, trembling in rhythm with their steady breaths.
An instructor walked slowly before them, his gaze sharp and merciless.
"Once more. Channel your energy into your core. Do not fail."
The atmosphere grew tense.
At the very back of the line stood a young man with slightly long, dark reddish-black hair that fell to his shoulders. His face was handsome, yet it held no softness only a deep, unreadable calm.
He was Ken Tarys.
Unlike the other disciples who looked nervous, he simply closed his eyes.
Inside his body, four streams of energy began to move.
Hot like fire.
Light like wind.
Calm like water.
Alive like nature.
Yet the four never truly aligned.
The moment Ken tried to unify them, the energies collided.
A small explosion erupted within him.
Ken's body was pushed back a step, his breath briefly cut off.
Several disciples immediately burst into laughter.
"Again?" someone mocked.
Rendo Salvar stepped forward slightly, a sneer on his face. "I'm starting to think he joined this sect just for entertainment."
Laughter spread among the others.
"Four elements, he says," added Varik. "He can't even control one."
Ken remained silent. He did not respond, nor did he argue.
He simply lowered his gaze for a moment… then stood upright again.
The instructor stopped in front of him. His eyes were cold, as if judging something worthless.
"Ken Tarys."
The entire courtyard fell silent.
"If within three months you fail to reach the Spirit Core…"
He paused briefly.
"…you will be expelled from the sect."
The air froze instantly.
No one dared to speak.
For a cultivator, being expelled from a sect did not just mean losing a place—it meant losing one's future.
Ken showed no excessive reaction.
Only his clenched fist tightened slightly.
That evening, after training ended, Ken walked alone toward the edge of a cliff within the sect. The place was quiet, far from mocking voices and scornful gazes.
The sky slowly turned orange.
The mountain wind blew gently, brushing against his hair.
Ken took out an old pendant from inside his clothes. It was simple, yet he always carried it wherever he went.
He stared at it for a long time.
A soft voice, long etched into his memory, echoed once more.
"Ken… never give up…"
"No matter what happens… you must keep moving forward…"
His fingers tightened around the pendant.
There was no more doubt in his eyes.
"I will not leave this sect."
His voice was quiet, yet firm.
"I will not fail."
The wind around him suddenly shifted, swirling gently as if responding to something.
Inside Ken's body, the four elements that had been clashing… began to show a different kind of vibration.
Very subtle.
Very faint.
Yet real.
Ken had not noticed it.
The sky slowly darkened as night began to fall.
In this vast and boundless world, a boy who had been looked down upon had just taken his first step.
A step that would one day shake the entire world of cultivation.