“Hurry, hurry! We can’t be late!” The woman from the hut grabbed his hand and led him into the square. He followed after her, stumbling along on too-short legs.

Hui grinned and smoothed his robes with his free hand. Cultivators! How wonderful! I don’t have to suffer in some medieval village. Magic, power, flying on a sword through the sky… possibilities beyond my wild dreams will open up to me! As long as I get selected… He clenched his fists, then looked down at his palms. Tension boiled in his gut. I have to believe in the powers of reincarnation. I must have some kind of ability!

One after another, the children came to the front of the line. They pressed their hands against a crystal ball while the cultivators looked on. Hui quietly watched the cultivators, searching out their expressions. They gazed into the middle distance, expressions blank. None of them paid any attention to the children passing by.

No prospects yet? Or is there something I can’t sense? Hui tensed, nervous. Don’t tell me, is this one of those worlds? Am I a useless waste commoner, fated to live and die in the dust?

At last, his turn rolled around. The woman gave him a little push, and he stumbled up onto the stage. Again, the cultivators ignored him. One blinked slowly, suppressing a yawn.

Hui swallowed. He lifted his hands and pressed them onto the crystal ball. C’mon, please!

The faintest glimmer of light swirled to life in the heart of the ball.

He looked up at the cultivators. I did it!

The first cultivator rubbed his eyes, letting out a second yawn. The second stared into the middle distance, her eyes completely glazed over. The third watched a bird fly along to the left.

“I did it!” he announced loudly.

The three cultivators jumped. They exchanged a look. Their eyes flew from one to another, but no one said anything out loud.

Mental communication? Hey, don’t cut me out of the loop! He turned to the crowd. “I did it, right? Everyone saw it!”

“I saw it!” the woman from the hut announced.

One or two of the other villagers nodded, some of them hesitantly.

“He can’t perform the test again. It only works once,” the first cultivator said aloud.

“Take him, then. If he can’t cultivate, he can work as a servant,” the girl argued.

The third one put up his hands. “Fine, fine. We’ll take him.” He gestured Hui toward him.

Yes! I did it! Hui strutted over to their side, pleased with himself. Now my story can begin!

In the crowd, the woman from the hut gave him a loving gaze, mopping her tears from her eyes. He smiled at her and gave her a nod. That’s probably my mother, right? I don’t remember my original mother, but this lady seems nice. If I make it, I’ll make sure she has a good life.

The last of the children from his village filtered through. No one else made the ball light up. The cultivators nodded to themselves. The female cultivator unfolded a sheet and laid it out for him. “Sit on this, and we’ll take you with us. You can nap or rest if you prefer. We have a long day ahead of us.”

Hui nodded and stepped on board. Although it looked soft, the sheet held his weight without giving. He sat down toward the center and gathered a handful of sheet into his fist, gazing nervously at the sky. I won’t slide off, right?

The four of them took off into the sky. To his surprise, Hui didn’t even feel a breeze as he sat on the sheet. A faint golden aura surrounded it, forming a shield of sorts. He looked around, taking in the sights. Slowly, his hand unwound from the sheet, and he relaxed. It’s like flying on an airplane, but magical.

“You aren’t afraid?” the first cultivator asked.

Hui shook his head. You can fly on swords. Even if I fall off, you could catch me.

The first cultivator laughed and patted his head. “Good kid! I’ve taken a liking to you.”

“Are you going to take him as your disciple?” the female cultivator asked jokingly.

“No, no. I’m still a disciple myself. But maybe in ten years, if he manages to cultivate successfully…” He turned and smiled at Hui.

Hui smiled back. A route out of being an outer disciple, before I’m even in the sect? Is this a silk-pants setting? My golden finger, already appearing? Is this life my reward for all that I suffered in my first life?

He settled back on the sheet. I could get used to this kind of treatment.

The day drew on. The cultivators stopped a few more times at other villages, but no other children passed their test. Slowly, Hui grew drowsy, and curled up on the sheet to nap. At the end of the day… I’m only five or so. I need to sleep.

A big hand shook him awake. He startled upright, and found seven or so other kids gathered on the sheet with him. Most were about his age, boys and girls in almost equal measure. Except for one of the boys, they clustered toward the front edge of the sheet, unafraid of the edge, and watched the world stream by. The other boy, smaller even than him, laid sprawled beside him, still fast asleep.

The first cultivator smiled at him and nodded ahead of them. “We’re almost back.”

Wiping his eyes, Hui blinked ahead of him, then stared.

Five mountain peaks rose into the sky before them. Arrayed in a loose circle, no peak looked exactly like the next. The shortest, soft and round, was populated with beautiful pavilions, fluttering with all manner of birds and butterflies. Neat stone paths led from one pavilion to another. The second peak bloomed with flowers and plants, a lush jungle sporting its own clouds, rain gently pattering over its left flank. The third peak let off a thick plume of smoke from its top. Smaller plumes of multi-colored smoke rose off its sides, mingling with the large plume as the wind took them. Tall and stately, the fourth peak sported an elegant red palace at its top, with open fields along its length where disciples practiced martial arts, swordplay, and magical techniques. As he watched, a disciple in the highest of the fields turned to the sky and roared. A fiery lion burst from their mouth and charged into the sky, letting off an enormous pressure. This far away, he couldn’t feel it, but the impression of power carved itself into his heart.

Beyond the first four peaks, the fifth peak jutted higher than all of them. Covered in a tangled, unruly forest, it laid quiet and empty compared to the five busy peaks.

“Is that the sect?” Hui asked, awestruck.

The first cultivator nodded. “Welcome to the Starbound Sect.”