Jin was traveling aboard a flying ship similar to the ones that had brought them from the village, though this one was much larger. It was so massive that, even with the three hundred children boarding it along with the disciples, it didn't feel crowded in the slightest.
Lazily lying in a corner of the ship, Jin remained completely alone. It wasn't that he wanted to be isolated, but no one approached him—perhaps out of shyness, perhaps because of his miserable results. Even the disciples treated him condescendingly, though not with the harshness he had expected from a cultivation world.
He had only caught a glimpse of Lian Er when boarding, but an elder had taken her away before he even had the chance to greet her. On top of that was the label of his "pathetic" talent and the commotion caused by Wei, which had ended up separating him from the rest.
The result was the same: Jin was alone.
"What a shitty situation," he muttered bitterly.
"I guess this is what cultivation worlds are all about… but why did I have to get stuck with the harshest cliché? The mediocre talent one… starting from the bottom…" he thought with frustration.
Too lazy to enjoy the scenery, he simply stared blankly at the endless mountains passing by. Eventually, he noticed that the peaks gave way to something different. A vast plain stretched out amidst that forest of mountains. Looking closer, he could make out forests, villages, even small cities in the distance—and beyond them, a massive walled city.
He was surprised that so many people lived right in the middle of such a colossal mountain range. Then again, he had no idea how geography worked in this strange world.
Time slipped away. Just as boredom was about to lull him to sleep, Jin spotted eight colossal mountains in the distance. They were so enormous that they made a mockery of every other mountain he had seen so far. Even from afar, he could see structures clinging to their slopes and midsections, giving the impression of cities suspended in the sky.
At the base of each mountain spread countless pavilions and constructions. Jin couldn't help but wonder if, in his original world with all its technology, anyone could even dream of replicating such a celestial sight.
When the ship finally descended to the base of the complex, Jin looked down. Paths and roads led into the valley, yet everything below was covered by a sea of clouds so dense that nothing could be seen, whether from above or below.
He drew in a deep breath of the pure, light air that filled the place and followed the crowd. Along the way, he noticed some children being separated. Looking up, he saw an elder riding a giant crane, carrying away six children. Among them he spotted Lian Er, her gaze darting nervously downward as if searching for him.
Jin barely caught a glimpse of her before the crane soared away. He sighed and kept walking.
"Now I really am alone," he thought gloomily, dragging his steps forward.
After several minutes, they arrived at a pavilion where an elder was waiting.
"From this moment onward, you are disciples of the Sect of the Eight Celestial Peaks," the elder announced.
With a wave of his hand, several badges flew toward the bewildered children.
"These are your external disciple tokens. With them, you may collect your robes and access basic information in the sect's assembly halls. You will also find the location of your temporary huts in the outer courtyards."
With that, the elder left without giving them a chance to ask questions. The children, confused, stood in place not knowing what to do.
Jin silently mocked how unprofessional the sect seemed, though he did find it interesting how they handled low-level disciples. Still, remembering this was one of the four great sects of the continent, he realized that assigning individual huts to each external disciple wasn't so extravagant after all.
Of course, he completely ignored the part where the elder had said "temporary."
Instead of lingering, he walked toward the great hall with a sign that read: Assembly Hall.
Once inside, he noticed something strange: the three hundred children had somehow been reduced to only a few dozen. He couldn't recall when the separation had happened.
The hall was simple, furnished with only the essentials, decorated with some carvings of clouds and a few minor ornaments.
When he showed his token to a disciple at the counter, the youth handed him a bundle containing a set of plain yellow robes.
"These robes are temporary," explained the young man. "They identify you as an external disciple. Once you choose a peak and are accepted, you'll be given the corresponding garments."
Jin wanted to ask more, but the disciple merely shook his head and pointed toward a corner.
Heading over, Jin saw a group of children gathered around a large wooden board with a scroll pinned to it.
"What do you mean we have to choose which peak to join?" one boy asked in surprise.
"Just as it says there. You must go to the base of one of the mountains and apply for the trials of the eight main peaks," replied an older youth dressed in the same yellow robes.
"If the robes are temporary, why are you still wearing them?" another child asked.
The older boy coughed, nearly choking. After regaining his composure, he answered irritably, "Well… just as you can enter a peak, you can also fail. If you fail, you'll have to wait for the next round of trials or try another peak. Until then, you'll remain ordinary external disciples."
As the children began bombarding him with questions, the youth made up a clumsy excuse and fled.
The scene made Jin chuckle. He ignored the chaos and focused on the scroll.
In short, there were eight peaks. One of them, the sect master's peak, did not accept disciples, leaving seven options:
Celestial Cauldron Peak (Alchemy)
Eternal Steel Peak (Artifact Refinement)
Serene Soul Peak (Soul)
Illusory Sword Peak (Sword)
Jade Body Peak (Body Refinement)
Celestial Seals Peak (Formations)
Shadow Puppet Peak (Puppets)
Still, ever since arriving in this world, he had known his path. In his past life and in this one, his goal was the same: to reach the pinnacle of the body.
Resolute, he searched for the location of the Body Refinement Peak.
But before moving, his eyes caught a detail in the scroll:
"The trials will be held two days after the release of this announcement."
He froze.
"So I have to wait two days just to even try!?" he exclaimed hoarsely.
Resigned, he headed toward his assigned hut. On second thought, it made sense that they were temporary—each peak set its own trial dates. For example, the Soul Peak's trials would begin in seven days.
As he walked, he took in the surroundings. The paths were paved with an unfamiliar material, flanked by pavilions, halls, and a massive building. But the closer he got to the huts, the fewer constructions there were, giving way to clusters of trees.
To his surprise, a forest had taken root in the middle of the mountains. Clearly, the areas where pavilions stood had been forcibly leveled.
Finally, he reached his hut, marked with the number of his token. It was simple, built with sturdy wood. Inside he found a bed, a table, and an oil lamp.
Closing the door, he noticed how dark it was inside despite it still being daytime. The only ventilation came from the doorway.
Jin changed into his robes, curiously observing how they fit him a bit snugly.
"If only I had a mirror… or at least my phone to snap a picture," he joked under his breath.
Stretching, he stepped back outside. The day wasn't over, and he saw other children searching for their huts. Some eyed him nervously, others greeted him.
"So peaceful for a cultivation sect," Jin thought.
He walked toward another assembly hall. The disciple at the counter was different, so Jin waited until he was free and approached.
"Excuse me, senior brother. Do you know if there's a library in this area of the sect?" Jin asked, mimicking the formal tone of the novels he had read.
The youth gave him a strange look.
"There are no libraries here. Each peak has its own technique halls and usually a free library on the first floor."
The answer stunned him. Even his plan to research this world would have to wait two days.
Frustrated and disappointed, he thanked the boy and left.
Back at his hut, he accepted that he had no choice but to wait.