Only 10 out of the 50 candidates awakened their Gate. The rest, destined to
become farmers or take on odd jobs for the village. I remember hearing once—
those who fail remain forgotten. Those who succeed? They become tools.
There was once a man who transcended that fate—an immortal named Feng
Han Pei, our clan's founding father. They say he lived for over two thousand
human years, an Awaken 6 of the Magician Pathway. A man of kindness and
power, he turned water to wine and granted sight to the blind. Through
compassion, he ascended far beyond the mortal realm.
Our village's cultivation root lies in the Spiritual Seed—an ancient source of
primordial Zan. But it can only sustain cultivation to the mortal realm. If one
wishes to ascend further, they must obtain immortal spiritual stones from the
Three Heavens: the Heaven of Radiance (Sun God), the Heaven of Reverie (Moon
God), and the Heaven of Silence (Void God).
Only days have passed since the Gate Awakening ceremony, yet already, I
feel the shift. Whispers follow me like shadows. The elders who once favored me
now barely acknowledge my existence. All eyes are on Yi Han—"The Fool," the
so-called chosen. It's as if I never existed. As if I was a dream that passed and left
no trace.
So what if his Pathway is rarer? What matters is perseverance. No Pathway
can carry a man without effort. We're all Awaken 1, trapped in the Mortal Realm,
and this village has barely the resources to break us out.
The only one who still speaks honestly to me is Mei Han, now The Chariot.
"The elders are taken by fame," she said once. "Your brother—he's drowning in
ego. He's no longer the Yi Han we grew up with." I nodded, already knowing
the truth.
The elders distributed a rare treasure to the ten of us—Sun Zan, a Zan type harvested from the Spiritual Pond. Only five bloom per year. Each one sells for a
thousand spiritual stones in the wider world. Its power? A blazing beam of light
launched with a focused mind. At full strength, it can fire up to 20 meters, but it
depletes Zan rapidly. Without spiritual stones, recovery is slow.
At the training field, we lined up to practice. The air was thick with
anticipation.
"Greetings, brother Zi Han," Yi Han sneered, loud enough for others to hear.
"Still trying to keep up?"
"Oh little brother," I replied calmly. "The Fool is a grand title, but it's still just
a name."
We trained on 8-foot dummies lined across the field. Most students barely hit
10 meters. Yi Han struck clean at 15, drawing applause.
"Senior brother Yi Han is amazing!"
But I said nothing. I had other plans.
That night, I snuck away from the village to train in solitude. In the distance, I
saw a fellow student practicing alone—until a cloaked figure approached. I
watched, hidden in the trees. The man drew a knife, silent as death, and slit the
student's throat. No one heard. No one saw. Except me.
I nearly screamed. But this is the cultivation world. Weakness is a curse. I
waited until the figure disappeared before approaching.
The victim was one of the head clan's sons. Murdered without mercy. And in
his possession—another Sun Zan.
I hesitated. But then… I took it.
I meditated that night, experimenting in secret. With two Sun Zan embedded
in my Gate, my range doubled. For months, I trained in silence, perfecting the
technique.
When the next assessment came, I struck the dummy from 20 meters with
ease.
Gasps filled the air.
"Senior brother Zi Han? Incredible!"
Even the elders were impressed. "Zi Han's skill rivals cultivators beyond his
level!"
But it wasn't magic. It was discipline. Focus. And… maybe a little luck.
Yi Han couldn't believe it.
"You cheated!" he roared.
"Is that jealousy I hear, brother?" I replied, a smile dancing on my lips.
"There's no way you hit 20 meters! I'm the chosen one! I—!"
But his complaints only made him look small.
Mei Han hit 13 meters. Others fell below 10. In the end, the top three were
announced:
"Zi Han. Yi Han. Mei Han."
The applause was loud… but behind the claps, I felt it: resentment. Suspicion.
They thought I cheated. And maybe I did. reputation does not matter to me but i
must used this a stepping stone to cultivate further, to reach the peak of mortal realm. in everyones story they are the main character, only eternal benefits
matter.