Chapter 1: Ascending the Hidden Dragon

[First Person POV]

Squeak!

I felt something stuck beneath my shoe, causing me to lose balance. I stopped and bent down to see what it was.

"Hey, watch it!"

"Eekh! You fool! What are you doing? You almost dirtied my expensive clothes!"

It was an ant—an Ant Queen, to be precise.

I took out a wooden toothpick from my sachet and used it to remove the dead body of the Ant Queen.

People around me cursed in irritation, but I responded with silence. I knew I was in the wrong.

I placed the tiny corpse on my palm and ran toward a desolate corner beside the wide staircase leading to the mountain peak.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

"Excuse me! Move, please!" I pushed past the other aspirants, moving to my left—opposite the flow of hundreds of candidates—while keeping one hand wrapped around the dead body of the gyne.

Hiss!

I took a deep breath and halted just in time to avoid colliding with a female aspirant.

But it was futile. A sudden push from behind sent me forward, along with others, in an upward surge. Fortunately, the female aspirant—who had been just about to lash out at me—was shoved ahead with even greater force, causing a male aspirant to take her place and collide with me instead.

Some perverts took advantage of the chaos. The crowd was too large, and almost everyone was dressed in identical white robes, making us indistinguishable from afar—like students in a uniformed school. Whether intentionally or unintentionally, I felt hands slap against my back.

It was my first time being harassed like this. And I was a male.

I couldn’t even begin to imagine how the female aspirants must have felt.

The most infuriating part? I didn’t even know who the culprit was.

After much struggling, I finally made it to the wild terrain. Quickly, I dug a hole in the ground and buried the dead Ant Queen.

Sigh~

A deep breath escaped my lips. I looked down from the mountain peak—there was no end in sight to the influx of aspirants swarming upward.

Like moths to a flame.

"What are the chances that I’ll pass the entrance test?"

One percent? Less than that?

I ignored the subtle glances from my fellow aspirants. I knew I stood out—an unusual shift from my usual practice of making myself invisible.

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Rubbing my nose to mask my embarrassment, I walked back into the tide of candidates.

By the time I reached the gates of the Hidden Dragon Sect, my legs felt like they no longer belonged to me. Each step had been a battle. My breath came in ragged gasps. My vision blurred with exhaustion.

The climb had taken hours—perhaps longer—but at last, I stood before the towering gates of the sect.

The stone beneath my feet was cold, even through my worn shoes. The air was thinner here, laced with a faint energy that I could not grasp. My body—still bound by mortal limitations—trembled from the effort. Behind me, I could hear others struggling up the final steps, some collapsing just before reaching the top. A few would never make it.

The Hidden Dragon Sect did not stop them.

No one stood at the gates to welcome us. No elders, no disciples offering guidance. Only the massive doors, carved with the image of a dragon coiled in the clouds, its hollow, lifeless eyes watching.

This was the reality of an immortal sect.

Cold. Unmoving. Uncaring.

It was up to us to prove we were worth noticing.

I forced myself to straighten, even as my muscles screamed in protest. All around me, others did the same—gathering what little strength they had left, trying to appear composed despite the exhaustion weighing down their bodies.

We were nothing more than desperate mortals hoping to step into the world of the powerful.

Hoping to carve our names into history.

Hoping to rise above the dirt we were born in.

But the Hidden Dragon Sect did not care for our dreams.

It would only accept those strong enough to seize their fate.

"Welcome to the 15th recruitment session of the Hidden Dragon Sect."

The voice rang clear, despite the massive crowd.

"Today, some of you will rewrite your fates and soar to the skies, while others will remain mere mortals. Best of luck, young aspirants."

Even though I stood far behind the crowd, the elder's voice reached me as though he stood right in front of me.

As a "mere mortal," I was unable to discern his appearance. But from the sonorous depth of his voice—deep and commanding—he was undoubtedly a higher-up in the sect.

"Now, quickly form four separate rows! Girls in the first two rows, boys in the last two!"

The moment the command was given, chaos erupted. Aspirants rushed to find their places, running in all directions.

I simply stood still, waiting for the queue to form before walking toward the boys' row.

I did not speak to anyone. Instead, I made my way to the very back of the line and sat down on the rough ground.

There was no point in wasting energy. If I couldn't even climb onto the stage where the test was taking place, what would be the use of standing?

Through the gaps between the rows, I caught a vague glimpse of the test area.

But of course, everyone had the same thought. My vision was blocked by countless heads, some even bald.

Bald heads?

I looked again. Among the aspirants, a few young monks stood with their heads completely shaved.

My tongue ran over my dry lips. Thirst gnawed at me. Just as I reached for my flask, a boy suddenly dashed through the almost-closing gates of the Hidden Dragon Sect—

—and snatched it from my hands.

Before I could react, he tilted his head back and chugged down the water in huge gulps.

Gulp! Gulp!

I stood frozen in disbelief.

People stole gold, treasures, ancient artifacts… but water?

The boy finally lowered the empty flask and handed it back to me.

"Here. Thanks, brother."

I peered into the flask.

Not even a single drop remained.

Like a wanderer in the desert, reaching for an oasis—only for the water to vanish just as he touches it.

I stood up, looking down at the boy who had just stolen my life (water). I was a head taller than him.

"You could have at least asked," I said, trying to suppress my irritation. But as the words left my mouth, I hesitated.

Why am I getting angry?

I had always been calm. Even when my adoptive parents’ land was stolen by my uncles after their deaths, I had not lashed out.

I had simply walked away and left my hometown.

It was during my aimless wandering that I heard the Hidden Dragon Sect was opening its gates to mortals.

And so, I had come here.

Realizing my anger was unnecessary, I softened my tone.

"Sorry," the boy said. "I just climbed up from the bottom, and I was so exhausted my throat refused to make a sound."

"It's alright."

For some reason, I felt an unknown urge to ask his name.

"What’s your name?"

"Long Chen."

"Long Chen… Dragon Dust."

I murmured his name, letting the meaning sink in.

"A powerful yet humble name."