The manifested qi sword flew over the land, carrying the cultivators atop it.

Yu Chen watched mountains, plains, rivers and valleys pass beneath them as the sword sliced forward unerringly towards its destination. Innumerable villages, like the one he’d been born within, many towns, and even a few cities disappeared as well, as they cut a path through the sky.

He hadn’t realized the world was such a large place, and he couldn’t help but feel a sense of awe at the sheer amount of land that passed beneath them as the sword ate up the distance. He couldn’t help but wonder about the lives of the people they flew over, and the spiritual beasts and hidden treasures that lay hidden in the vast wilderness they crossed over, just waiting to be found.

His world view shifted as they traveled. He’d lived his life like a frog in a well, and at the tender age of fourteen he comprehended that there was more to see than he could ever manage to lay eyes on.

A contemplative air arose around him, not quite the fullness of enlightenment, but more of a restructuring, as things shifted in his mind. More than ever, he felt the call of Xiao Huang, directing him towards a future he could barely see.

What wonders would he see, once he left the sect and began his own journey?

Outwardly he remained steadfast, imitating Elder Gu’s studied indifference as they zoomed over the landscape. The wind pressed against him, sending his clothes dancing against his body and forcing his skin hard against the bone.

How far they traveled he couldn’t say, but the sun had reached its zenith before they reached their destination. The sword changed direction as they arrived, swooping low before coming to a stop alongside a flat mountaintop. It overlooked a lush valley overgrown with wildlife. Towering trees stretched skyward, forming a majestic canopy above the verdant undergrowth.

It was a wild place unlike any Yu Chen had ever seen, so thick with life that the energy of the place overflowed, spreading across the nearby land. He imagined he could make out the outlines of buildings, barely visible and covered in greenery, peeking out from within the depths.

The others began jumping off the manifested sword and Yu Chen tore his eyes away, leaping with them.

Once everyone was off the materialized qi evaporated, disappearing like dew under the morning sun, leaving behind a fine straight sword that hung in the air. The sword vibrated shortly before shooting off and rotating, landing in the outstretched hand of the sect head who sheathed it at his side.

To his surprise Yu Chen realized there were others already standing on the mountaintop. He’d been distracted by the view, failing to see the two other groups they shared the space with, both of a similar size to their own.

The sect head had disappeared in that brief pause when Yu Chen wasn’t looking. He glanced around before spotting the man off in the distance standing beside two strange cultivators. One was a tall woman, incredibly beautiful and wearing pristine white robes, and she gave off an icy aura.

The other was a plain, unassuming man who wore practical robes in a deep brown color, tightly belted to his waist. Yu Chen noticed the man carried a plain sword as well, emitting an aura not too dissimilar from the one the sect head carried.

Yu Chen didn’t know what they were discussing, and he had no way to find out. Instead, he busied himself examining the other two groups. One of the groups was enveloped in a cold aura, and he assumed the tall woman was their leader, as they gave off a similar energy.

All of their members were well dressed in similar silken white robes, and many of them were looking towards their group as well, examining the new arrivals with interest.

The other group appeared more insular, standing a fair distance away and not paying attention to anyone else. They gave off a sharp aura that Yu Chen could feel from far away and all of them had a sword somewhere on their body, some hanging from the hip, others over the shoulder. Many even carried two swords, and Yu Chen couldn’t help but take note of one strange boy near the front who had three hanging from his waist.

Their affiliation was clear to see. They were doubtless some of those sword loving dullards Xiao Huang loved to go on about.

He wondered if he would get the opportunity to fight one. Given the sect head’s friendliness with their leader, he assumed they were also considered a righteous sect. If that was the case, it was unlikely he’d have the chance to exchange blows.

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Still, who knew what would happen in the Secret Realm?

The sect head began walking towards their group, as whatever discussions he’d been engaged in came to an end. The elders met him on the way back and they all walked together, exchanging words in hushed tones.

Arriving before the group he stopped and began to speak.

“Gather up, the Secret Realm will be opening in a few minutes.” The sect head spoke with a commanding voice, and the members of the Golden Mist Sect crowded around him.

Not that he had to speak very loudly to be heard, they were a small group after all.

Besides the handful of elders who’d traveled with them, there were only fifteen Foundation Establishment disciples, alongside four more in the Qi Condensation stage. This small group represented the future of the sect itself, and every one of these twenty odd disciples would play a major role in the sect in the years to come.

The other groups appeared to be much the same size, and Yu Chen did some quick math. The sect head had stated that there were four entrances in the area, and if each one had, give or take, sixty disciples entering, that meant roughly two hundred and forty cultivators would be spread throughout the Secret Realm fighting for resources.

There would be rogue and demonic cultivators among them, as well as dangerous spirit beasts roaming the realm.

And none of them would be scrubs. Each cultivator who managed to enter was someone with great potential in the region, destined to be among those who would one day control the surrounding territory.

“Hurry up and pass out the items.” The sect head commanded.

One of the elders waved his hand and an older disciple, not among those who would enter, began passing out small bags to the group.

“These bags have been embroidered with a spiritual array, increasing the space within. Use them to obtain as much as you can while you are within the realm. Do not lose them! They are very expensive, and the sect will be expecting them back.”

Yu Chen stopped paying attention, opening the small bag in his hands. He felt a spiritual tug, and, curious, he sent a small thread of qi into the item in response. To his surprise various items appeared within his mind’s eye, resolving into the shape of familiar pills and a small piece of jade. He concentrated on the piece of jade before sticking his arm into the sack, feeling it enter his hand.

He pulled it out, looking at it in amazement before pressing it to his head and closing his eyes. It contained a list of various items the sect was looking for within the secret realm as well as how much the sect was willing to pay. There was also an incomplete map that showed various disjointed sections of the realm, with short descriptions of where certain items had been found and what various landmarks existed.

The atmosphere subtly shifted.

Yu Chen sensed it, storing the piece of jade in his robes as he turned his attention towards the anomaly that was forming nearby. The air around the overgrown valley had begun to shimmer, shifting through a variety of hues, while a low hum began to form. The pressure around them increased, until even the nearby pebbles began to shake and shift, vibrating at an intense frequency atop the flat mountaintop.

The sect head shouted something, but it was lost in the wind, Yu Chen unable to hear him over the sound of the nearby anomaly. The low hum had transitioned into a high-pitched whine that filled the air, and the wind had picked up, whipping at his clothes and causing them to swirl in the sudden storm.

Then, it appeared, and Yu Chen knew this was what they had been waiting for. The violent storm that had arisen atop the flat mountain top was at odds with the calm portal that had appeared, floating some few feet away. Despite the ferocious wind that had arisen, and the intense energies being unleashed, a serene path had appeared leading into the valley.

Yu Chen watched as the sword sect approached first, their twenty odd disciples leaping into the portal one after the other. He frowned. They disappeared upon entering and he couldn’t see them anymore. Wherever they had disappeared to, it was somewhere else.

The Golden Mist Sect was next, and the disciples lined up, those in Foundation Establishment leading the way. Yu Chen watched as they made the leap, Jin Hua among them, each one disappearing into the aether. Before he knew it, it was his turn to jump.

He leapt after the others, doing his best to appear calm as he entered the portal, despite his heart beating wildly as if threatening to leave his body. A strange sensation, akin to static, ran across his skin as he passed through the portal.

He flailed his arms, expecting to see the empty sky before him, given he’d jumped off a mountain, only to realize the floor of the valley was inches away from him.

He hit the ground hard and tumbled, roughly rolling across the dirt in front of him. Despite the unexpected pain he reacted quickly, using his momentum to spring to his feet and look around, warily taking in the strange place around him.

He’d appeared in the midst of a dense jungle, containing a thick spiritual energy, denser even than that within the cavern he used to meditate. There was also an abundant wood qi all around him, a product of the overgrown wildlife that had run rampant, covering everything in sight.

Sweat broke out on his brow as he looked around, caused by the steamy temperature of the lush jungle, filled with a heavy heat that pressed down upon him. The world around him was alive with sound. The croaks of some large frog filled the air, alongside the buzz of insects and the shrill screeches of some unseen monkeys somewhere in the distance.

All the noise put him on edge. He felt hypersensitive, twitching every time he heard something slither through the undergrowth.

Of course, there was one immediate problem.

He was completely alone.