A few moments later, the small carriage was moving slowly along the dirt road. The wooden wheels creaked with every turn, and the ox pulled steadily, indifferent to the weight it dragged. The old man drove from the front, calmly holding the reins, while in the back, seated on the hay, Jin and Wei watched the landscape unfolding before them.
Gentle hills, open fields, and in the distance, small green stretches. Everything looked as though it had been taken straight out of an ancient painting.
Wei Han broke the silence.
He slightly turned his head and glanced at Jin before speaking in a low voice, almost a whisper.
"Why did you go along with the old man's story?"
Jin kept his gaze fixed on the horizon, visibly in a good mood. Without turning around, he replied just as calmly:
"Because it'll make finding civilization easier," he said. "And because it'll be more interesting. Didn't you hear what he said?"
Wei frowned slightly but did not answer immediately.
In Jin's mind, the memory was vivid: the exact moment when the old man, after greeting them respectfully, hesitated before cautiously asking whether they were disciples of some distinguished sect. Those words had been like a spark thrown into gunpowder.
The moment Jin heard them, his eyes lit up.
Before Wei could answer honestly, Jin stepped forward and spoke without hesitation:
"No, grandfather," he said with a polite smile. "We are not disciples of any sect… but we are certainly looking for one."
Wei cast him a cautious glance.
"In fact," Jin continued, not giving him a chance to interrupt, "we were on our way to apply to one, but we got lost."
The old man fell silent for a moment.
Then he slowly nodded, as if everything suddenly made sense.
"I see… I see…" he murmured with an understanding expression.
Without asking further questions, he invited them onto the carriage and encouraged them to accompany him back to his village, assuring them that they could rest there and find better direction.
Back in the present, Wei Han closed his eyes for a second and sighed.
"You improvise too much," he muttered.
Jin grinned widely and leaned further back against the hay.
"Relax," he said. "If this really is another world, we might as well enjoy it. Besides, how bad could it possibly go?"
The steady rattling of the carriage accompanied the silence that settled between them.
Wei Han absently watched the hay shift beneath his feet as an idea began to take shape in his mind. He recalled the old man's words, the natural reverence with which he had spoken about the sects.
After a few seconds, he turned toward Jin.
"Earlier…" he said quietly. "What did the old man mean about being disciples of a sect?"
Jin raised an intrigued eyebrow.
"You mean whether it's the same as a sect on Earth?" Wei added. "The kind we know."
Jin fell silent for a few moments, thoughtful. He looked at the road and then at the clear sky, as if organizing ideas he had read countless times in stories… ideas that now might become reality.
"Yes… and no," he finally replied.
Wei frowned at once.
Jin continued:
"If I'm not mistaken, a sect here isn't just a group of people united by strange beliefs or practices. It's… something more. A place where people seek something greater: power, longevity, perhaps even transcendence—beyond what it means to be human."
Wei turned his body toward him, clearly more attentive now.
"How is it different?" he asked seriously. "Explain it to me."
Jin gave a small smile, aware that he had sparked Wei's genuine interest.
"Let's just say that, if this is the kind of world I think it is, a sect is where the real rules of the game begin."
He inhaled calmly, as if preparing to give an impromptu lecture.
"Alright… I'll explain from the beginning. A cultivator is someone who refuses to accept the body and limitations they were born with. Instead, they learn to draw energy from the world itself, from nature, and make it their own."
Wei listened silently, without interrupting.
"That energy can have many names," Jin continued. "Qi, spiritual energy, the essence of heaven and earth… The name changes, but the idea is the same. Through techniques, training, and understanding, a cultivator refines both body and mind, breaks past limits, and ascends step by step."
Wei frowned slightly; he still did not fully understand.
Noticing his expression, Jin decided to change his approach.
"Alright, let's use examples. Imagine someone capable of absorbing the power of their surroundings: wind, earth, fire, even the void… and turning it into part of themselves. Someone capable of destroying mountains with a single gesture or making the ground tremble with a single step."
Wei remained serious.
Jin smiled with irony.
"And I'm being conservative."
Then his tone became more emphatic.
"Some reach the peak through a weapon. For example, a sword. Swordsmen who understand its very essence, capable of cutting not only steel or flesh, but concepts. People able to split an entire sea in half with a single slash."
At that moment—
Something inside Wei Han pulsed.
It was subtle, almost imperceptible, but real. His breathing halted for a fraction of a second. His eyes, until then deep and serene, sharpened like unsheathed blades.
The image of a sword cleaving the sea echoed in the depths of his being.
He said nothing.
But Jin noticed.
He shrugged.
"Of course, all that only matters if this world really is what I think it is," he added. "There's also the possibility that we're jumping to conclusions."
Wei did not respond immediately.
With that strange sensation still beating in his chest, he closed his eyes. For an instant, his mind returned to silence, as it had so many times before wielding a sword. When he opened them again, the agitation was gone, replaced by his usual calm.
He looked at Jin.
For the first time since they met, a faint smile appeared on his face. It wasn't wide or exaggerated—just genuine.
"If what you say is true," he said calmly, "then without a doubt… even I want to see it."
Jin looked at him for a few seconds, surprised by the unexpected response. They held each other's gaze in silence.
Then the sound of flowing water interrupted the moment.
They turned their heads.
A small stream wound near the road, reflecting the sunlight. Beyond it stretched cultivated fields arranged in neat rows, each at a different stage of growth. Among them worked the villagers: teenagers carrying tools, adults bent over the soil, elders walking with slow but steady steps.
Near the entrance of the village, children of seven or eight ran about laughing, carefree and unaware of the world beyond their games.
Jin observed the scene carefully.
Something in his chest settled with clarity.
This was not a backdrop or a dream.
Everything—the stream, the fields, the people, everyday life—gave him a certainty impossible to ignore.
Without a doubt… they were in another world.
The carriage advanced toward the village entrance.
As soon as the wheels crossed the threshold, the villagers began to notice the two young men seated on the hay. Tools stopped, conversations faded, and curious gazes—some confused, others filled with awe—settled upon them.
Wei Han remained impassive.
His expression was cold and serene, as if the attention meant nothing. He did not return the looks nor show any reaction.
Jin, on the other hand, smiled.
A bright, carefree smile spread across his face and, without hesitation, he raised his hand in greeting.
"Hello!"
His open attitude broke the tension. Some villagers blinked in surprise before returning the greeting; others inclined their heads slightly, and many smiled cautiously. The atmosphere gradually relaxed.
As they moved deeper into the village, Jin could not help but feel astonished.
He had imagined straw huts or fragile constructions. But reality was different. The village was surrounded by a wall of thick, tightly fitted logs, with sharp spikes protruding as a clear warning.
The houses were built from hardened mud and thick, sturdy wood. They were not luxurious, but they were solid and practical.
"Wow…" Jin murmured, impressed.
The carriage stopped in front of a house that stood out slightly for its size. It was not ostentatious, but it was larger than the others, with a structure clearly more carefully built.
The old man halted the ox, climbed down from the carriage, and turned toward them. He respectfully cupped his hands and inclined his head.
"Young masters," he said humbly, "we have arrived at this old man's humble dwelling."
Jin and Wei climbed down carefully, brushing aside the hay.
"Thank you for helping us on the road," Jin said, slightly bowing his head with sincere tone.
Wei also nodded, though he remained silent.
The old man waved his hand modestly.
"There is no need for thanks. This old man is honored to have been able to assist two such distinguished young masters."
Jin smiled, though a trace of irony glimmered in his eyes.
Perhaps it's better not to tell him the truth… he thought.
Just as he was about to ask more questions, especially about the sects, a voice interrupted him.
"Grandpa! You're finally back!"
The voice was sweet and clear, like the song of a bird.
From inside the house ran out a girl of about thirteen years old. She was short and wore a simple, old dress, but it was clean and carefully mended.
Her face was small, with round cheeks like a ripe peach. Upon seeing her, Jin could not help but think that in the future, she would undoubtedly become what this world would call a jade beauty.
The girl hugged the old man's legs and then looked up.
Her eyes met Jin's.
For a few moments, they stared at each other in silence. The world seemed to blur around that exchange.
Jin felt something strange in her gaze.
It was not discomfort or simple childish curiosity. There was something different, hard to describe, that made him blink a couple of times. When the girl noticed he was watching her, she quickly looked away. A soft blush covered her cheeks as she clung tighter to the old man.
"Grandpa…" she asked in a low voice, "who are these two older brothers?"
The old man let out a brief laugh, amused by his granddaughter's reaction.
"Little Lian," he said kindly, "these two are young masters from a distinguished family who lost their way. Your grandfather had the fortune of helping them."
The girl nodded shyly, without looking directly at Jin again, though from time to time she cast him furtive glances.
"Would you like to take a walk around the village?" the old man suggested. "You can rest and get to know the place."
"Sure," Jin replied without hesitation, smiling.
Wei also nodded.
They began walking among the houses while some villagers observed them with respectful curiosity. The old man moved at a calm pace, with his granddaughter by his side.
"Thank heavens I found you," he suddenly commented. "If you had wandered any longer, you would not have arrived in time for the sect's acceptance test."
The words carried weight.
Jin and Wei exchanged a brief glance.
As they walked, Jin began asking cautiously, feigning simple curiosity.
"Grandpa He," he said with a gentle smile, "you mentioned an acceptance test… how does it work exactly?"
The old man took a few steps before answering.
"A few days ago, an examiner passed through the village. He evaluated the children and selected those suitable for cultivation. If I'm not mistaken, they will return to take them away in about two weeks."
"Two weeks?" Jin repeated. "Why so long?"
The old man shook his head and gave a small laugh.
"Because the sect is very far away. The Sect of the Eight Celestial Peaks is not a place one can easily reach on foot or by carriage. They have always acted this way: first they examine, then they return for the chosen ones."
Jin nodded, memorizing every word.
"Are there no closer sects?"
"There are," the old man replied, "but if one could choose… one would choose the Sect of the Eight Celestial Peaks without hesitation. After all, it is one of the Four Great Sects of the great Linglong Continent."
Jin's heart skipped slightly.
Four Great Sects… great continent…
It was exactly the kind of information he had been waiting for.
He tried to dig deeper:
"And those other sects…?"
But the old man gently shook his head.
"This humble old man does not know much about the vast world of immortals. I only know what I hear in passing or what the examiners mention when they come. Beyond that… it is beyond my reach."
Jin smiled and did not press further.
At his side, Wei Han walked in silence, but every word had been clearly engraved in his mind.