A young man lay motionless on the grass plains, amidst a heavy rain. Both his looks and his clothes didn’t seem special at first glance, neither at a second glance or further ones, if one were to describe him, the word ‘passable’ would come to mind.

He stared at the boundless sky filled with clouds and thought how great it would be if that day lasted forever.

He smirked.

The ones he served were so influential and had so many resources that even the lowliest servants were tested for their talent in cultivation.

They didn't want to nurture geniuses among peasants, not in the least. The sole reason was to decide for which servant would accompany their masters into the world of cultivation.

Joining the world of cultivation, for people without a future like this young man, would equal to abandoning all ties with the mortal world. It was a life-changing event; they would cultivate, become stronger and enjoy their masters' benefits. Breaking free of their status was unlikely, but the quality of life would likely improve.

It was on this very same day that the test would be conducted, and he should be very excited, but strangely, he wasn’t…

The rain poured harder on the fabric, he held a slim hope that embarrassing himself and appearing soaked to the ceremony would delay it a bit more – he had done similar things for five years and it worked perfectly, but each time people would care less, as if it was already expected of him.

A glimmer of hope flashed by his eyes. Even if he could cultivate, who would take such a clumsy servant?

In the distance, a lady wearing a heavy dress came walking through the stone road above, she was holding a huge umbrella and walked hastily, but still careful enough not to slip or soak her feet, whose steps were muffled by the falling rain.

She noticed the young man sprawled in the dirty mud and soaked grass, without a care in the world.

- Shen, drag your sorry ass back to the cottage! You are not going to make a fool of yourself this time!

He couldn’t make heads or tails of her words, but her voice alone was enough to jerk him up and start running to his house.

That lady was responsible for the lodgings and taking care of house affairs, he would have never thought the hag to actually come herself – if he acted like he didn’t hear her, he would never hear the end of it, and it would be a year with her incessant nagging and brutal punishments until he would finally be forced to be presentable.

And that was the best case scenario.

- By your orders! – He replied hastily.

- What a troublemaker! Hurry up and disappear from my sight!

It wasn’t only him that was viewed as a joke by the masters. Years of committing the same mistake reflected badly on her, as someone directly related to the education and managing of servants.

By the time Shen reached his room, it was already very late in the morning. The people around the manor were in the main hall seeing as the test couldn’t be conducted in the open area around the courtyard. Shen wished he could take his sweet time, but appearing late was a great disrespect and could net him harsh punishments and even death.

It was a scary world he was living in, but not as scary as the world of cultivation. People were elated when they knew they could cultivate and become immortals, ascend to the heavens and even beyond, but not Shen. He understood that the world of cultivation was not a kind one, it was one where strength ruled over everything, and laws were worth nothing against those who could crush their enemies like one would crush an insect.

Cultivators were flimsy, egotistical beings, who cared not for the life of others; even the kindest ones would not bat an eye for killing a living being. Killing was natural, murdering was natural, plotting and deceiving were natural and those who held true power would never change that reality.

Those aspects were only a reflection of the human nature, and his own society was flawed beyond redemption, but his life was not bad, and he held no thoughts of changing it.

Shen didn’t wish for riches, power or acknowledgment, all he wished for was a peaceful life with other people, regardless of their status or positioning, and that was something he managed to attain. Although lacking in several aspects, it was perfect in his eyes, he was able to contemplate the nature around him and just exist as a part of it, appreciating its designs and going with the flow.

He didn't seek to be outstanding in anything he did, afraid of attracting too much attention. The only times he acted more rashly were in situations that risked his static lifestyle.

It would all disappear in an instant were he to become a cultivator.

The weak would be bound and swallowed by the strong, the strong would be crushed by the schemes of groups of influence and the talented would be wiped out before they could dazzle.

There was no peace and no way out.

You could make your choices if you had the luxury, in the end, it didn’t matter.

Shen finished wiping his hair and took a good look at a little pond outside. It was still moist and prickled with water drops, and he wished it wasn't that odd white that made him look older.

Servants didn’t have different sets of clothes, they were all plain fabric garments that were easy to move in and also durable, the only exception would be during this day when all servants were bestowed with black robes carefully embroidered with the family’s pattern.

He observed his figure in the pond.

Shen was beautiful when not covered with dust and earth. He needed to tone it down, but bustling sounds from the main pavilion reached all the way there, he was out of time.

Running, he reached the enormous arches and crossed them, from the distance he could see many distinguished guests seated on chairs, pillows, or just standing there watching from the sides as every kind of people walked a short staircase to the stage above.

There were people from all over the city present, and even a few from neighboring villages. Cultivators would only descend one time a year in every city to search for disciples for their sects and empires, they couldn’t test only for a few servants and young masters – people with potential for cultivation were hard to come by, even the trashiest ones were only one out of ten thousand among normal people.

Shen tried to squeeze himself into the ranks of servants; apparently, no one had noticed his absence.

His downcast eyes made no contact with anyone, just patiently waiting for his chance; thankfully everyone was looking at the stage and didn’t notice his appearance.

Albeit the room was enormous and boasted all the riches of the Wang family, the stage in itself was just a wooden platform as per request of the cultivators of the Threads of Destiny Sect, the ones responsible for keeping the negotiations between different spheres of influence and one of the few that actually remained neutral in the middle of the ongoing strifes between the good and evil factions.

For them, what mattered was that every power would be evenly distributed, without compromising the thin line of balance.

Since their disciples were testing each person, they wouldn’t stand linking their power to riches, reason why they also wore simple white robes, not even an emblem.

People of many ages, mostly between 6 and 12, for their compatibility with each type of Qi. Depending on their type, the cultivator would name the Sects that could claim them as disciples and let them negotiate.

It was something that only the neutral faction could agree to, but the others had no choice but to accept.

Every few seconds, someone came in and put their hands on a transparent orb. If they had talent, the orb would present some shape, color, and nature, representing the type of aptitude.

Many of them didn’t possess any talent and would descend from the stage crestfallen, their families, if any, sad from the news. Some would have talent, the bare minimum to start cultivating – sects would only want them as servants or as cannon fodder for nurturing more talented individuals.

They wouldn’t necessarily be happy about that if they knew, but the discovery of cultivation was a great joy in itself.

- Next – said one of the cultivators. His eyes were completely white and almost eerie, but his presence gave peace of mind to the mortals.

At his call, a young maiden walked to the stage. While most young men and some of the older were entranced by her captivating appearance, the cultivators didn’t give her much thought.

- My name is Wang Fan, great one.

- Put your hand on the crystal for a few seconds.

She approached her delicate fingers on the sphere and waited.

The crowd grew impatient as the seconds flew by.

Those that knew of the surname Wang could almost guarantee she would have talent. All generations of that family produced cultivators. Even if they were mediocre, they would still be able to cultivate to some extent.

After 10 seconds, the cultivator opened his mouth ready to dispatch her.

He stopped.

Barely noticeable red threads expanded and attached themselves to the walls of the crystal and pulsated. Soon they grew and their beatings were faster just as the crystal ball lost color.

The two cultivators were dumbfounded. Envoys from all sects squinted their eyes and stared at Wang Fan.

They brought an even bigger crystal ball.

- Try it again.

Wang Fan did it again.

Just like the previous attempt, the red threads formed after a few seconds but they weren’t enough to cover the walls. Regardless, they grew quickly and sucked the color.

The envoys were unsettled. They couldn’t wait for the decision of Threads of Destiny.

- Parasitic spirit-vein...

The man was astonished, fearful even.

The heavens were cruel sometimes. When the world was finally at a state akin to piece, they pulled such a prank.

- Great one, may I know what kind of spirit-vein is the parasitic spirit-vein? – asked Wang Fan, breaking him from the stupor.

- Those gifted with it can directly take in any form of qi out of any source, without feeling exhausted. Essentially, your level will increase extremely fast and you are suitable to learn most techniques...

Few people had ever heard of the parasitic spirit vein, it was something that appeared only on a record from thousands of years ago.

Every envoy was informed on the matter.

- There is a backlash, but it is not confirmed. The constitution of these spirit-veins is brittle, halving your lifespan. Also, the nature is chaos.

Some envoys lost interest after that.

The maximum lifespan of a Demigod, the stage directly below the pinnacle of Deity, was recorded as a thousand, five hundred for Wang Fan and that was with a lot of luck.

She would need to cultivate like crazy until the Deity stage, with no time to bother with missions and activities for the sect.

If that was it, then it would still be passable.

Demonic beasts were the bane of the cultivation society, and chaos was harmless to most of them.

All factions would like to welcome Wang Fan and nurture her into a powerful existence, but only the most influential parties could cope with the costs.

- Every sect that so wishes can recruit her.

Hearing this, the envoys of the most prominent sects rushed to the stage.

In the end, there were five envoys that stepped in. Even Threads of Destiny joined, which was quite surprising, considering their exceedingly high standards.

- Seven Swords must retract. We forgot to mention that.

The envoy from Seven Swords was displeased.

- I wonder if the neutral faction is really neutral, or is it tending towards the good side. Every time my Seven Swords Sect sets eyes on a genius, you cross us out immediately. If there were only my Seven Swords, I imagine you would rather kill that person than let her cultivate under us.

He spoke rather rashly and with a trace of rage, but it was true. Very few capable people have been welcomed to his sect in the last years, and the neutral faction was indeed to blame for this, not allowing them to harvest good crops.

- I see that you doubt our fair judgment. All good and neutral sects will pull away from this negotiation, along with Seven Swords, and Wang Fan will thus fall upon the evil faction.

A heated discussion started at that.

The neutral faction was overstepping its bounds by outright excluding them and not taking their interests into consideration, but most could just gnash their teeth and curse. They couldn't go against that.

Maintaining the balance? They were crippling them and weakening the prospects of their sects.

They would be elated when a talented person came in, but at the same time be furious when their enemies or even their allies got the better on them. People like Wang Fan were extremely difficult to come by, and they couldn’t sit and watch their names being called off from the bargaining table.

The discussion was going nowhere and the decisions of Threads of Fate did not please.

Shen thought the whole situation was funny. It didn't go through their heads that Wang Fan might not have wanted to accept their offers. That was wrong, though - they considered it, but it didn't matter.

Shen thought the Threads of Destiny to be the most ridiculous, it was simply impossible to keep balance in the cultivation world without making sacrifices, thinking otherwise would be too naive. It just so happened that the straw broke right then. If it didn’t happen now, it certainly would later on – not all problems could be solved in a fair fashion.

And then came a suggestion.

- Why not let her choose? – spoke one of them.

The envoy from Threads of Destiny was silent in thought.

There was a one in five chance that Wang Fan would choose Seven Swords, and that would create uproar in the cultivation world. The distribution of disciples would become so much more difficult that the balance which was consolidating could change in a century, and shatter in less than a thousand years.

‘The Heavens sure are mocking us right now’, the man squinted his eyes.

Every envoy accepted the offer, some reluctantly, others right away, but all of them turned their heavy gazes at Wang Fan, who seemed unconcerned with the affairs at hand.

Soon, they presented themselves shortly. The test had yet to end, but they didn’t care since such a talented child appeared before them. The non-cultivators could only stare awestruck.

A mysterious man wearing a wooden hat stepped forward. On the chest area of his robe, a pattern was drawn. Shen couldn't tell much of it from that distance since it was so small, but it looked like a tree with colors white, green and blue.

- We are Xiao Chen, and we represent the Guardians of the Sky and the Ocean. Come with us, you shall be a core disciple of our Sect, gifted with many items to benefit your cultivation an access to a part of our library, which I don't exaggerate in saying holds knowledge from places unknown to many. You shall not leave the sect territory and your time in seclusion will definitely take you to Deity stage. The way of cultivation is an arduous one, but you will have little time to experience things and mature. We can help enlighten you in.

The Guardians of The Sky and the Ocean were a good sect who consisted of only the elite of the cultivation world, and if one were to link knowledge to power, they were the most powerful group in existence. However, they were very secretive and granting Wang Fan access to their library, even if just a small section, was already too much.

Inviting someone as a core disciple directly and allowing them to partake in their secrets was considered a huge gamble, and two of the envoys backed out when they heard Xiao Chen’s offer. Of course, they could make equally eye-catching proposals, but they wouldn’t give so much to someone whose allegiance was not perfectly set.

Another man stepped in; it was precisely the envoy from Seven Swords Sect. Aside from the elders, no cultivator from that sect held much thought for their garments, but there was no one in that world that used the collar with seven small objects.

People had no need to see if they were swords, just that there were seven.

- My name is Ju Long.

A single line, a lot different from his colleague.

Maybe it was the way he appeared on the stage, but his eyes seemed to look down on everyone beneath him, whether it was because of the angle, or it really was his personality. There was an odd silence where he scammed the faces of every mortal inside the hall, and he did it without rush.

What was that man thinking? They couldn't have known. The only thing certain was that, while they shared the same air with that strange being, there would be no peace in their hearts. An itch crawled through their skin and they felt their hands getting colder. Their hearts might not have been rushing as hard as their thoughts, but discomfort gradually turned into pain.

They moved, without knowledge as to why and when, they simply arched their backs with their trembling, frail bodies as their bellies felt more empty all of a sudden. Something inside them was lacking - it was taken out.

And soon, they were all bowing before him.

Ju Long cast another look at the commoners, stopping at one person in the rows of people awaiting their time to come up. It was precisely Shen.

Although he was bowing with his forehead closely tied to the wooden mat, Ju Long knew he was faking it. There was no pressure in his muscles and everyone, from the burliest man to the most decrepit elder, had been pushed hard enough to have part of their skins torn, and so he exerted more force on Shen.

Nothing happened.

Ju Long grinned, not even bothering to hide it. At that moment he seemed to care less about Wang Fan, but she was still a good catch. He was sure there would be another struggle for that boy who felt no pressure, and he didn’t think Threads of Destiny would hand him over so easily like they did with the girl.

The other envoys were focused solely on Wang Fan and didn’t notice Shen.

Ju Long finally opened his mouth again.

- The power to make everyone yield... I offer you that. The Seven Swords Sect will take you in as an inheriting disciple, nothing less.

An inheriting disciple would become a pillar of the sect; it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the sect’s future relied solely on the capabilities of the inheriting disciples. Nothing would be spared to nurture Wang Fan if she chose that path.

Only after seeing the glint in her eyes did Ju Long put off the pressure and retreat into his original position. Right afterward, the last cultivator spoke.

- I am One, from the Threads of Destiny. We offer you a personal teacher of the Demigod stage that will be available at any moment you wish for him, so long as you don’t join Seven Swords Sect.

The veins on Ju Long’s forehead twitched and he felt incredibly annoyed.

Threads of Destiny didn’t bother concealing their intentions. All he wanted at that moment was to crush that woman and turn her into nothingness. He curled his hands into fists and gripped with so much force that his evil qi leaked to the air. If it wasn’t because of the ongoing test, he would have killed every mortal in the hall to forget that humiliation.

Childish? Some would say yes, but there is usually not much thought involved when killing insects. They exist by the millions.

- Additionally, if you choose our sect, we offer you a Will from one of our Deity stage practitioners. It brings out the most of your potential. You enter as an inner disciple but will have more opportunities to prove yourself worthy. The sect rules are the ones who take the reins of your life. Soon you will know the extent and importance of our work, and you will be a part of it, willingly. The choice is always on your hands.

A Will was the knowledge attained through the entirety of their lives condensed, and since a Deity stage cultivator lived at least thousands of years, that was a lot offered on a plate.

However, were lies opportunities, lies danger.

Absorbing a Will so soon ran the risk of the personality being completely overwritten. Essentially, the cultivator which originated the will would be replicated in a new body, but there was no soul in there anymore - just data.

Research on the Will was ongoing, and the results would remain that way, unpredictable.

The three of them retreated and waited for a short moment as another cultivator from a neutral party explained in detail every term Wang Fan was unfamiliar with, so that she could make a choice.

She looked unmoved. She had expected people to fight for her, and seemed to have made her decision ahead of time.

Wang Fan looked at Ju Long grinning. He was seething with anger, but when he saw her looking up to him, he unclenched his fist slowly, his rage dissipating.

- I thank you, elders, for making such outstanding offers to this lowly one, I am undeserving of your words, yet thankful that you think so highly of this lowly one. I choose to follow Elder Ju Long into the Seven Swords Sect, this lowly one will not disappoint.

Ju Long broke out of his stiffness and showed a vicious smile while looking at One. Their minds were thrown into two very different contrasts. One was soaring high into the clouds, while the other was thrown into disbelief, followed by many conflicting thoughts.

Xiao Chen was silent; he got out of the stage without a single word, stealing a last glance at the girl. He shook his head and disappeared for reasons unknown.

Ju Long tried hard not to shout blissfully, like a child who had been gifted a new and novel toy.

- Ehem... We will come for you in a few days. Don't refer to yourself as lowly one, you are now an inheriting disciple of Seven Swords! In the future, no one will even dare look you in the eye!

As Wang Fan descended the stage, all the other envoys breathed a mouthful of air, they had never seen such wild proposals for a new disciple. All of them thought those representants crazy, but once they saw the winner of that exchange, they got mixed feelings.

Seven Swords was really troublesome even amongst the evil faction, which explained a lot about what society thought of them.

After she returned to her seat, the test continued, but even some talented youngsters that came after seemed just too lackluster in comparison to her. Regardless, they weren’t so bad, some sects managed to get a few interesting disciples.

The line was getting shorter and shorter. By the end of the morning, hundreds had been tested and it was finally Shen’s time - he was at the end of the line due to arriving so late.

He got to the stage and couldn’t avoid looking at the crowd. They didn’t give him much thought, as expected. Shen was happy that Wang Fan had stolen all the limelight, now he only needed to draw a trash spirit vein or even none at all, and he would get rid of this plaguing matter.

Maybe he stared for too long, he caught the sight of her jade green eyes and they exchanged glances.

That moment looked like an eternity for him, he felt his heart stop and his body freeze, but she remained unmoved, holding a mysterious smile between her lips. What he felt wasn't excitement, it was fear, something which he couldn't rationally explain except for instinct. That fear was a primeval feeling that helped with his survival - but why did it trigger when looking at her? He would rather not know.

The Wang family was too big and consisted of multiple branches, there were many people amongst his masters he would never get to see in his life. Previously, Wang Fan was one of those, and he would like to pretend it was still like that.

- Put your hand on the crystal – said the man with white eyes. Although he didn’t show it, he was tired from the events.

Shen reached for the crystal and waited.

After more than 10 seconds, nothing had happened.

For everyone, that was normal, and it didn’t mean much. For Shen, it was the most perfect situation he could ever hope to achieve, trying hard not to let out his bustling smile. Since that was the end of the ordeal and there was no one else to test, the crowd quickly dispersed.

Just as Shen started descending the ladders, an interruption.

- Wait, you there! – shouted the man.

Shen didn’t think it was related to him, but he still stopped when he heard that powerful tone.

It was Ju Long.

The elder’s face showed a trace of disappointment but his eyes still held a glint.

- You will come to Seven Swords with me.

After he declared that, people looked at Shen with suspicion, but once they saw the symbol on his robe, they dispersed again. A few other servants even looked jealous that a trash like him, with no talent for cultivation, still managed to get into a sect while they didn’t.

It was a tradition for Wang servants to accompany their masters into the cultivation world. Even though the servant would at least be passable as a cultivator, it didn’t mean much.

The white eyes man from Threads of Destiny was wary, but he couldn’t say anything on the matter. If he were to deny someone with no cultivation from Seven Swords, it would greatly damage their image. The world of mortals concerned his affairs only if it affected balance, and such thing only happened during wars of huge scale, which didn’t occur for centuries.

The only one who felt any meaningful feeling was Shen himself.

‘Why?’ he thought. At one moment, he was ecstatic. There had been no better result to achieve, just like many things he found out in life, silence was the best answer, and quite literally sometimes.

Words were always needless. They added unnecessary complexity to things which were already set.

Such as the state of his cultivation.

‘There are a few servants that passed the test, there shouldn’t be a lack. Just why?’

Shen immediately bowed to Ju Long in a frenzied state.

- Your greatness, this lowly one is unworthy of your kindness. In front of the great cultivators of Seven Swords Sect, I am nothing but a waste of space!

Ju Long didn’t spare him a glance and left just like that. It was already decided, Shen couldn’t do anything about it.

Disheartened, Shen descended the stairs, downcast. His peaceful days were over, and not only did he join the cultivation world, but for it to be an evil sect was too cruel.

In that state, he couldn’t see that Wang Fan was sizing him up with her green eyes. While no one paid attention to him, she had taken her sweet time.

If Shen ever came to know of the reason he was called, he would feel cheated. It wasn’t that he felt no pressure from Ju Long, it was just that, unlike the others, he willingly surrendered to that power. While others didn't understand it, fought back and received a harder backlash, he understood its nature, accepted his inferiority towards it and as a result didn’t get as hurt.

***

When the hall emptied, a figure with a wooden hat was still leaning on a corner, staring at the place from which Shen had left. Since his head was concealed, no one could see what kind of face that person was making. He was looking at the booth were so many youngsters had their dreams fulfilled or shattered – the exact place the crystal ball was used.

After a while, he approached the place and inspected it carefully.

In a radius of roughly five centimeters of where the ball was positioned, there was a vein of the purest and stable qi. ‘How curious...’

Qi was never perfectly stable, usually found with many impurities. Cultivators, to increase their powers, must first process the rough Qi out of the matter and then mold it into a state their body can absorb. That was the most basic step of cultivation, also known as Qi Refining, and mastering it was not an easy task.

The cultivator recorded this phenomenon in his mind and absorbed that small trace of pure qi, disappearing shortly after.