The promised day had finally arrived.

The sun was still rising when Jack exited his pagoda, carefully inspecting his new robe and making sure that nothing was wrong with his appearance. Alienated, he didn’t notice the approaching shadow.

“Ah, ready and set to go?”

The familiar voice startled Jack. When he turned around, he gave Dai Jun a weird look.

This was the first time that Dai Jun was not wearing his usual colourful dress. Instead, he sported the standard Junior Elders’ robe. In Jack’s opinion, this one was way better than the other, though he didn’t dare to voice his current thoughts aloud.

Jack caressed the back of his head. “I’m ready, but I might have a small problem hehe. Yesterday, I received a bunch of stuff and—”

“Leave everything behind. That furball has promised flowery arrangements are on the way. We are only going to report to the Palace and return back today. This man here is enough; you don’t need anything else. The Grand Elder’s test will only evaluate your Qi’s potential and test the strength of your essence.”

Feeling reassured, Jack nodded and followed after Dai Jun without worrying any further.

The journey was a long one, so the duo immediately departed without further delays. Fortunately, there were no hiccups along the way, albeit the occasional inspecting glances of curious cultivators. This was within their expectations though, given that Jack’s name must have been doing the rounds during the last three days.

It took them four exact hours to finally arrive at the central lake.

There, crystal blue waters with sparkling lights greeted them, the waters supplied by the distant waterfall that fell from the endless sky. The various sounds of nature calmed Jack’s nerves as he immersed himself, enjoying the panorama.

“This place is truly fascinating. I am curious about the waterfall’s origins though. Does it ever dry out?”

Dai Jun had already set down on the coast, throwing pebbles out of boredom.

“Ah, battles of immortals, permanent spatial distortions. You know, that crazy stuff of legends. Something about the region’s natural laws going haywire around two thousand years ago. And the results? A bizarre waterfall and a large piece of floating land.”

As he finished talking, a small wooden boat became visible. At first glance, it seemed small, enough to accommodate five or six people at most. Rowing in the middle seat was an old man wearing an even older bamboo hat, who appeared no different than an ordinary mortal.

Dai Jun sighed. “Ah, as expected, it’s him. He’s got an odd personality this one.”

Jack nodded, but those words coming from Dai Jun’s mouth felt a bit awkward for some reason.

When the boat finally touched ground, the old man stood up and raised his hat a little. “Excuse me for being late fellas. My physical body has long degraded, but it seems my sense of time is also dwindling ke ke ke…”

Dai Jun waved his hand. “No problem brother, you’ve arrived just in time. Come on Jack. Hop on.”

The old man’s lips widened as he observed the young cultivator. “Ai, so this is the boy Dai Jun? Doesn’t look half bad. I thought the rumours about him were exaggerated, but seeing him in person, I am now more convinced.”

Jack could only smile wryly at this comment as he sat on the furthest bench at the bow.

As soon as they assumed their position, the old man started rowing at the pace of a snail. Whenever the boat went two steps forward, it also went one back due to the lake’s currents, making the journey feel eternally long. Jack could only count himself lucky that he didn’t suffer from motion sickness.

“Ke ke ke… What are your feelings about this lake then Jack?”

“Hmm… I’ve seen my fair share of lakes. But I have to admit that none were as mysterious or captivating as this lake. The Sky Water Sect should truly feel proud of possessing such a marvellous wonder.”

The old man smiled, his missing tooth clearly standing out. “I’ve been rowing this lake for who knows how many years, travelling the same route multiple times a day. But each journey feels like a new one to me. Can you guess why?”

“Is there a particular reason, sir?”

“It’s because these parts remind me of my cherished Li Na. The flowing waters are smooth like her delicate touch, the powers of nature are always fresh like her never-ending smile, the colourful scenery changes every season just like my beauty changes her clothes, and the sun's rays always feel warm like her loving heart.”

The old man then fell into deep silence; excluding the sounds of blades cutting through the waters, it was mostly a quiet journey. As for Dai Jun, he had closed his eyes since the beginning, but Jack was unsure if he was taking a nap or just pretending.

As more time passed, the image of the heavenly waterfall became more clear, the waters starting to become more and more agitated. Jack couldn’t help but feel anxious as the boat felt like it could topple at any moment.

The old man sighed. “This is where the second part of the journey starts. Do you know what I call this part? I call it shaking the heavens.”

Without any warning, the frail-looking old man unleashed a terrifying spiritual aura, rowing with greater force against the ever-increasing currents and whirlpools.

“In this part, I vent my anger against the heavens!” His rowing was becoming more aggressive as his face expressed a myriad of emotions. “Hating the heavens for giving me hope, just to throw me into eternal despair! For taunting me with a purpose, just to destroy my entire future! For promising me someone, and then take her away from me!”

The old man roared out like a savage as he brandished a talisman. Powerful currents of winds rushed out, cutting a circular path through the roaring elements and piercing deep inside the waterfall, pushing the boat forward with unfathomable speed through the tempest of natural forces.

Jack was scared witless as he crawled at the bottom of the boat, his hands raised over his head.

When he recovered a while later, he noticed that everything was calm. Without him knowing how or why, the boat had arrived at the destination.

In front of them, there was a small island on which a lonely palace stood supreme. A large transparent dome enclosed the entire island, protecting it from the falling waters.

Tears were escaping the old man’s eyes as he sat down. “I will never forgive the heavens for taking my beloved Li Na away from me.”

These depressing words stirred Jack’s heart. At first, he was unsure if he should console him or not. In the end, he still decided to extend his hands and comfort the old man like a son would do to a grieving father.

“I’m deeply sorry about your loss. However, I am sure that you two shall be meeting each other again in your next life and be together again. The heavens may have separated you, but your destinies are now entangled forever. That cannot be changed, not even by the heavens.”

The old man nodded in appreciation, being also patted on his shoulder by Dai Jun. “Thanks as always brother Kong. Feel free to pass over by my house if you require any pills.”

The duo then saluted the old man as they headed towards the palace. It didn’t take long for Jack to ask. “Who is that old man?”

“Ah, he is the Head Palace Guardian and the leader of the Junior Elders. Everyone here knows him as Bamboo Kong. And don’t be fooled by his appearance, he is the 5th strongest cultivator of our sect, just behind the two elders.”

Jack was surprised at first, but suddenly, he became conscious again at the purpose of his visit. His stomach was already rumbling, unsure of what to expect.

“Jack, I have a staunch feeling that a bunch of humdrum existences are going to be present today. So whatever they ask, try to be short and concise. Don’t blubber uselessly, the less you talk, the better.”

They quickly made it to the inside, being welcomed and accompanied by some guards. It didn’t take them that long to arrive at the assembly hall.

The hall was long and rectangular. On both left and right sides were several chairs occupied by mostly old people, the appearance of some of them indicating that they should have perished a long time ago.

On the opposite side of the entrance, there were two podiums. Seated on the lower podium were the three elders, and on the upper podium, the Patriarch. It was the latter who spoke first.

“Don’t be afraid, Jack. Come forward.”

Jack quickly obeyed. However, he still felt uncomfortable with all the eagle-like eyes cast at him. “Junior pays respect to the Patriarch.”

“No need for pleasantries, let’s just get to the main point. I am going to ask you some questions. You are only required to answer as truthfully as possible. First, Elder Tian had informed me that you originate from a lower realm. May you elaborate more on this?”

Jack was expecting this question. “That’s correct. I was born in a different world, a place where cultivation doesn’t exist.”

As soon as these words were uttered, several began muttering in each other ears. Jack could tell from their expressions alone that they weren’t quite convinced.

“For a mortal, your potential is quite good. Are you sure you don’t remember anything else? Maybe, someone or something special about you?”

Jack shook his head. “No sir. I was abandoned by my parents when I was young. I suffered many hardships and was enslaved for most of my youth. There was nothing special about my place of origin. At least as far as I am aware.”

The Patriarch appeared pensive as he glanced at the Grand Elder. They both nodded.

“One last question before the test. During the Azure Realm, you’ve managed to unearth a secret room. Did you find anything special inside it?”

Jack internally sighed at the problematic question. “Most of the room was dust, but I did find this sword-less hilt.”

The Patriarch didn’t show any reactions as he remained to observe Jack’s hilt silently. He indeed had noticed it when he met Jack for the first time in the gardens. This man wasn’t lying.

Again, muttering erupted inside the room. One stubborn old woman couldn’t keep her mouth shut anymore.

“Lord Patriarch. That must be some sort of treasure belonging to the founder. A disciple who joined the sect eight months ago has no right to keep it! It must be returned!”

“House Meng is right!” An even older man also stood up. “An important treasure like this should be confiscated and kept in the sects’ treasury! Don’t tell me you are going to let an insider obtain such an item? What if he is a spy of an enemy sect?”

Soon more and more stood up protesting, bombarding Jack from all directions. Dissent and disapproval were on the rise. The Patriarch remained unaffected though as he raised his hand for silence.

“Jack, looks like a lot of people aren’t convinced yet. Do you have anything to say to persuade them?”

The entire room regained their attention as they affixed their gazes on Jack. Most were waiting for Jack to make the slightest mistake in his choice of words so that they could accuse him. Unfortunately for them, Jack was gaining confidence with each passing breath.

“I have lived most of my life alone, without any hope, any future. I never experienced familiar love and the few friends I had died one after another. The cultivation world has brought new meanings to my life. The few hopes I had left were rekindled, my expectations for the future brightened. It’s like I was given a new lease of life.

“Lord Patriarch, it is true that I have no blood connections with the Sky Water Sect, and it also true that some people of this sect are crazy bastards that deserve to die and their bodies fed to the dogs. However, I can’t single out everyone just because of some bad fruits. Also, I am intelligent enough to understand humanity’s fear of the unknown. Some resistance against me is only natural.

“With that said, the Sky Water Sect was the first sect I have stepped since I came into this world. I consider this as something preordained by fate. So if there is a place I wish to call home, then that place is naturally this Sect.”

The Patriarch fell into silence for a period that seemed much longer than it actually was. After glancing at both sides of the room, he seemed to come up with a decision.

“Your training session with the grand elder is being cancelled. Instead, I am giving you my own test.”

A commotion erupted immediately at the unexpected change of plans. Even Dai Jun and the Grand Elder couldn’t help themselves but be surprised.

“In one year, it is the official opening of the Yellow Moon Festival organised by Zhongyang Palace. This festival is a tradition that predates even our alliance’s existence, and every significant power shall be attending it. Some countries actually use the festival as an excuse to organise battles between the various geniuses. Although not precise, it is still a good indicator to gauge how strong a nation is.

“This time, it is the turn of our Sky Water Sect to represent the alliance. We are required to nominate five disciples of the Qi seeking Realm, age not higher than twenty. Same goes for the other eight regions.

“During the festival, there is a particular realm called the Counterbalance Realm that opens only once every ten years. You can say it is similar to our own Azure Fiery Realm. However, it has several distinguishing features.

“Now about your mission. Inside this realm grows a scarce herb that I very much need, the rainbow-coloured camellia. If you can fetch one before the realm closes, I will officially nominate you as my formal disciple. However, if you fail to retrieve this herb, not only you shall lose your inner sect disciple status and have to return back the hilt, but you shall also be expelled from the sect.”

Dai Jun immediately frowned. “Esteemed Patriarch. I beg to reconsider—”

“My decision is final Dai Jun. If he can’t pass this simple test, then he has no place inside this sect. Also, I remember handing out an invitation to you already? Great, you shall be his escort then.”

The Patriarch then stood up and raised his authoritative voice, indicating the crowd to disperse.