In Lin Xuan's eyes, marriage was never something worth worrying about.
In his previous life, he had taken countless companions—Dao partners, dual cultivators, political unions, even forced marriages used as tools for cultivation alliances. To him, it was never emotional.
Only utility.
So this so-called "political marriage" meant nothing.
"They are simply buying time," he thought calmly.
"Using me as leverage while I am still young and powerless."
He understood it clearly.
In the world of cultivation and power, every asset had value—especially a child born into a noble merchant family.
A year passed quietly.
Lin Xuan continued his low-profile cultivation, hiding his true progress beneath the appearance of an ordinary recovering child.
His three siblings were no longer in the household. He heard they had been sent to the Azure Cloud Sect—a name spoken with reverence even in this mortal city.
"Azure Cloud Sect…"
He recalled faintly.
"What a grand name."
Even his parents, whom he saw only occasionally, were rarely at home.
Their family was not as simple as it first appeared.
The Lin Family was a merchant noble house, controlling large portions of the city's trade network. Auction houses, appraisal guilds, spirit material distribution—all of it passed through their hands.
Though they were not cultivators…
They were respected.
Even prestigious cultivation families treated them with courtesy, for wealth itself was a form of power.
Lin Xuan exhaled softly as he stepped outside.
"So this is my current life…"
The city was bright.
Lively.
Full of noise, color, and movement.
Street vendors shouted. Carriages rolled through stone roads. Cultivators occasionally flew overhead like passing gods, drawing awe from mortals below.
For a moment…
Even Lin Xuan found it strangely peaceful.
As he walked through the crowded street, lost in thought, a sudden impact disrupted his steps.
Someone bumped into him.
Hard.
Lin Xuan barely moved, but the other person staggered slightly back.
A young boy stood before him.
Arrogant.
Dressed in luxurious robes embroidered with silver sword patterns. Behind him stood several companions of similar age, all carrying faint traces of spiritual energy.
The boy frowned immediately.
"Who are you?"
His tone was sharp, filled with arrogance.
"Do you even know who I am?"
His companions smirked behind him, clearly enjoying the situation.
One of them whispered loudly enough to be heard:
"That's the Chen Family's young master."
"A sword cultivator genius."
"Born with exceptional talent and already accepted as a core disciple candidate."
The young man crossed his arms, looking down at Lin Xuan.
"Apologize. Now."
Lin Xuan remained silent for a moment.
Then he spoke calmly.
"I do not know you."
The Chen young master's expression darkened.
"How amusing. A nobody dares speak to me like this in the streets of my city?"
He stepped forward slightly, releasing a faint pressure of Qi.
The surrounding crowd immediately backed away.
"Listen carefully," he said coldly. "You look like you have decent potential. I will give you a chance."
He raised his chin proudly.
"Follow me."
A pause.
Then, with a faint smile, he added:
"Become my underling."
Silence fell for a brief moment.
Even his companions looked surprised.
But Lin Xuan…
only blinked once.
Then, very calmly, he replied:
"…Underling?"
The word sounded foreign.
Almost amusing.
The Chen young master smirked.
"Yes. Serve me, and I may allow you to survive in this city."
For a moment, the air grew quiet.
Lin Xuan studied him carefully.
Not anger.
Not hostility.
Just observation.
Then he exhaled softly.
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
"Alright."
He nodded.
"I will follow you."
The Chen young master laughed immediately.
"Hah! Good choice."
He turned around proudly.
"From today onward, you will understand what it means to serve a true genius of the Chen Family."
His companions also laughed, mocking Lin Xuan's apparent submission.
None of them noticed—
the faint depth in Lin Xuan's eyes.
Because to Lin Xuan…
this was not obedience.
It was simply the beginning of observation.
"Let's see…"
"What kind of ants exist in this life."
A few weeks had passed.
Within that short span of time, Lin Xuan had already stepped into the 5th Stage of Qi Condensation Realm.
To ordinary cultivators, such speed would be nothing short of monstrous.
However, Lin Xuan deliberately suppressed his aura using a secret technique.
A concealment art so profound that even peak experts below the Golden Immortal Realm would be unable to perceive his true cultivation.
To the world…
He remained an ordinary child.
During those weeks, Lin Xuan quietly observed.
And adapted.
He followed Chen Fan, the young master of the Chen Family, like an obedient subordinate.
Chen Fan enjoyed bullying weaker children in the city, asserting dominance, and displaying his so-called "genius" status.
To Lin Xuan…
It was familiar.
In his previous life, this was nothing new.
Power always created arrogance.
And arrogance always created fools.
Strangely enough, Chen Fan slowly began to treat him as a trusted follower.
One afternoon, as they stood on a balcony overlooking the city, Chen Fan crossed his arms and spoke proudly:
"Listen carefully, my underling."
Lin Xuan stood quietly behind him.
Chen Fan continued with a smug expression.
"An envoy from the Azure Cloud Sect will arrive tomorrow."
The name alone carried weight.
A true cultivation sect.
A place where geniuses were born and mortals were discarded.
Chen Fan glanced back with confidence.
"Do not worry about failing the recruitment."
"I, Chen Fan, will ensure you are not left behind."
He smirked arrogantly.
"With my influence, even a mediocre talent like you can enter the sect under my protection."
Lin Xuan lowered his gaze slightly.
Then responded calmly:
"Thank you, Young Master Chen."
His tone was respectful.
Almost sincere.
Chen Fan nodded in satisfaction.
"Good. Know your place."
The day of recruitment finally arrived.
The Lin Family estate was filled with tension and anticipation.
Only children between the ages of thirteen and sixteen were allowed to participate in the selection process.
Lin Xuan stood among them.
Calm.
Quiet.
Unremarkable.
In the main hall, his father approached him.
A middle-aged man with a stern but gentle expression—someone who carried both authority and care.
"Xuan," his father said softly.
Lin Xuan turned.
"Yes, Father."
The man sighed slightly, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"The recruitment for the Azure Cloud Sect has finally arrived."
A pause.
He studied his son carefully.
"If you fail… it is fine."
His tone softened.
"You do not need to burden yourself with expectations."
A faint smile appeared.
"In our family, it is normal. Not everyone becomes a cultivator."
He leaned slightly closer.
"Your safety matters more than anything."
For a moment, Lin Xuan was silent.
Then he responded gently:
"I understand."
His father hesitated, then added:
"Do not pressure yourself. Even if you do not enter the sect, you will still have your place here."
He looked at Lin Xuan with warmth.
"This family… will not abandon you."
Something faint stirred in Lin Xuan's chest.
Not cultivation.
Not ambition.
But something unfamiliar.
He nodded slightly.
"I will remember that."
As his father walked away, Lin Xuan remained still.
His eyes slowly lifted toward the sky.
"Azure Cloud Sect…"
"A place where geniuses gather…"
A faint glint appeared in his gaze.
But no one noticed.
Because beneath his calm expression…
something far deeper was beginning to awaken.
Not arrogance.
Not revenge.
But curiosity.
And for the first time in both of his lives…
Lin Xuan wondered what it meant to live as something other than a calamity.
A sudden change swept through the city.
A sharp sword whistle echoed across the skies.
Then—
a figure descended from above.
A cultivator, standing upon a flying sword, landed gracefully in the center of the city square. His robes fluttered like flowing clouds, and a faint pressure of spiritual energy spread outward, forcing the crowd into silence.
Children looked up in awe.
Mortals trembled.
Soon after, more cultivators arrived—ten in total.
Each one radiating refined spiritual energy.
With a single hand seal, they activated a formation array engraved into the ground. Symbols lit up in golden light as a circular barrier expanded outward, enclosing nearly a hundred selected children.
The air shimmered.
The ground trembled slightly.
And then—
the world lifted.
"Woah… we're floating!"
A child shouted in disbelief.
Another grabbed the edge of the formation, eyes wide with excitement.
"We're flying!"
Below them, the city slowly shrank, buildings turning into tiny shapes as they rose above the clouds.
Wind roared past their ears, carrying the scent of altitude and freedom.
Inside the formation, excitement erupted.
"I want to become a cultivator!"
"My father said cultivators can live for hundreds of years!"
"If I join the sect, I can protect my family!"
"I want to fly like this forever!"
A boy clenched his fists tightly, eyes shining.
"I will become the strongest sword cultivator and travel across the heavens!"
Chen Fan stood among them, arms crossed, wearing a proud expression.
"Hmph. All of you are so noisy."
He smirked confidently.
"Becoming a cultivator is natural for someone like me. The Azure Cloud Sect will surely accept me without question."
Several children looked at him in admiration.
"Wow… that's Chen Fan!"
"He's from a noble family!"
"He must already be a genius!"
Chen Fan lifted his chin higher.
"Of course. I am not like you commoners."
Lin Xuan stood quietly in the corner.
Observing.
Listening.
Memorizing everything.
He glanced downward at the shrinking city.
Then softly thought:
"So this is how mortals perceive cultivation…"
"Interesting."
To the others, flying above the world was a miracle.
To him…
it was familiar.
Almost trivial.
He had once shattered space itself to travel between realms.
This… was nothing more than a crude formation lifting weak bodies.
🌌 Arrival at Azure Cloud Sect
After some time, the formation slowly descended.
And the children saw it.
A massive mountain range suspended above the clouds.
Floating islands connected by glowing bridges.
Waterfalls falling upward into the sky.
Sword light flashing across distant peaks like shooting stars.
Ancient palaces built from jade and spirit stone.
Gasps erupted instantly.
"This… this is the Azure Cloud Sect?!"
"It's like a dream…"
"So beautiful…"
A girl covered her mouth in disbelief.
"I feel like I'm inside a legend…"
A boy trembled.
"My father said only heaven-chosen geniuses can enter here…"
Even Chen Fan's arrogant expression cracked for a moment.
"…So this is the sect?"
He clenched his fists slightly.
"I will definitely become a core disciple."
But Lin Xuan…
only looked at it quietly.
His expression did not change.
No shock.
No admiration.
Only calm understanding.
"Azure Cloud Sect…"
"Still the same. Weak formation arrays. Shallow spiritual veins."
He looked at the floating islands.
"Like a backyard of a slightly larger clan."
A faint exhale escaped his lips.
Not contempt.
Not excitement.
Just memory.
Because in his previous life…
he had once stood at the peak of worlds far beyond this.
And now…
he was here again.
Starting from the beginning.