Yu Xuan walked alongside Lingluo and Ming Tiani toward the front of the gathering plaza, their steps in perfect harmony despite the slight difference in height and temperant.
Their presence together — was enough to cause ripples through the sea of disciples.
As they passed, the surrounding crowd instinctively parted before them, like a tide pulled back by an invisible force. Murmurs stirred. Respectful nods, wide-eyed awe and hushed gossip followed in their wake.
Their reputations had grown far beyond just being the children of prominent figures. All three had proven themselves. Though Lingluo remained mysterious, no one dared to question her.
Eyes followed them from all directions.
So sparkled with admiration.
Others glinted with jealousy.
A few sparkled in... suspicious ways.
Still, none dared obstruct them.
They were too well-known now. Their re nas were weighty.
The trio walked casually, chatting about random topics. Snacks, recent tournants in neighboring clans, and — to Ming Tiani’s embarrassnt — the stash of sweet buns she still hid under her bed.
Yu Xuan teased, "I knew that biscuit box was suspiciously heavy."
Tiani faked cough, looking away. "Don’t judge what you don’t understand."
Lingluo nodded solemnly. "That’s right. It’s a cri to waste dessert."
Before they could argue whether preserving sweets should be considered a martial virtue, an elder’s voice thundered across the field, infused with spiritual energy:
"Disciples, form your lines!"
The frontmost rows snapped to attention.
Backs straightened, limbs locked, expressions turned serious in an instant. Like trained soldiers.
From that starting ripple, the formation quickly aligned across the massive plaza.
Within minutes, the disciples stood in perfect lines — thousands of them, spanning generations of the Yu Clan’s future strength.
Yu Xuan found himself near the very front. Looking left and right, he spotted familiar faces — so from the tournant years ago, others he’d seen in passing during training drills or library visits.
To his left stood Lingluo, her expression unreadable. To his right, Ming Tiani — poised, serene, and looking as if she belonged in a scroll painting.
Directly ahead of them were the elders. Hundreds. Maybe more.
Lined up not just by cultivation rank, but by profession, contribution, and seniority. So were combat-focused, others renowned healers, scholars, or spirit artists.
It was said that in the world of cultivators, people lived so long that almost everyone eventually developed a "passion project."
Many here had painted murals, written books, created musical arrays, or even invented cooking styles that now influenced entire regions.
The murmurs silenced as a spiritual wave rippled across the courtyard — a signal of arrival.
At the head of the grand procession ca the Patriarch, Yu Changming, flanked by First Elder Yu Ying and Second Elder Wu Jinhai. Their robes shimred with subtle enchantnts, each footstep perfectly asured.
These were legends in their own right — once rivals, now pillars of the clan.
Following behind were two older figures: Grand Elder Yu Tai and Grand Elder Yu Qin, their presence like mountain ranges looming over valleys.
The pressure they emanated wasn’t overwhelming — but omnipresent, like gravity itself.
Yu Changming raised his hand. Instantly, the plaza hushed.
"Disciples of the Yu Clan," he began, voice calm, eyes sharp. "The opportunity long foretold may arrive at any ti. When it does, it may select so of you. And others... may not be chosen."
He paused. "Regardless of the outco, know this — you are the future of this clan. Those who are not selected will not be discarded. Resources and support will continue for your growth."
Many disciples sighed in relief.
The elders? Not so much.
More than a few muttered bitterly.
"Back in my day, we got tossed into spirit beast dens with only a wooden stick."
"Resources? Support? We had to fight for a single qi-condensing pill!"
"No wonder this generation can’t even sit cross-legged for more than two hours."
But the bitterness remained unvoiced beyond their private telepathic chats.
Yu Changming turned and gestured to the elders behind him. "Now, a few words of guidance from our honored Grand Elders — Yu Tai and Yu Qin."
Yu Tai stepped forward first, hands clasped behind his back, his voice deep and slow.
"This is a rare opportunity," he intoned, his gaze sweeping over the young crowd. "The path to immortality is long, filled with challenges beyond your imagination..."
He continued.
And continued.
And continued...
Thirty minutes later, Yu Xuan was gently rocking back and forth, eyes glazing over.
’This... is similar to average principal’s speech’ he thought bleakly.
To most disciples, however, Elder Tai’s words were divine truths — every syllable absorbed like sacred scripture. They nodded and murmured in agreent.
When Yu Tai finally stepped back, Yu Qin replaced him.
She gave a warm chuckle.
"Old Tai ans well, but his words go on longer than his battles back in the day."
A few elders coughed awkwardly. Others nodded solemnly — it was true.
She flicked her wrist and summoned a guqin, carved from ancient spirit wood. Its strings glowed faintly.
"I’ll let music speak first."
She played.
The lodies weren’t just beautiful — they were restorative. With each note, people’s fatigue lted away, like sunlight evaporating mist.
So disciples felt clarity in their minds. Others felt emotional burdens lift. Even Yu Xuan blinked, feeling... more awake.
After the performance, she too gave a short speech, but her words had more warmth than formality.
Yu Xuan, however, had already ntally checked out again.
With a casual thought, he summoned his system interface.
A black-gold screen shimred into view, visible only to him.
==================
[Magic Swordsmanship of the Avalon Imperial Family]
"All remaining systems will bow to the Avalon Empire." — Luthor Von Avalon VII
A prestigious and absurdly overdramatic magic sword style passed down through the ancient Avalon Empire — a civilization so arrogant they nad every planet after themselves. This technique combines refined swordsmanship with magical force projection, enabling the wielder to launch elegant, glowing sword arcs, deflect spells, and dramatically pose on high ground.
Originally designed for imperial heirs who wore capes for no reason and practiced speeches about galactic domination in front of mirrors. Has a 70% chance of making the user look cooler than they actually are, and a 100% chance of making nearby systems feel slightly nervous.
==================
Yu Xuan couldn’t help but chuckle quietly.
’If I had a cape, and everyone else wore soldier uniforms... I could probably convince half this crowd we were part of a galactic army.’
He imagined launching sword arcs from a flying battleship shaped like a dragon, lasers clashing with lightning bolts as formations whirled overhead.
A single tear threatened to fall on his cheek.
’That would be peak cultivation fantasy.’
But alas — reality was speeches, guqin concerts, and standing perfectly still under the judgnt of a hundreds of elders.
Still, he smiled to himself.
That absurd technique?
It was his.
And one day, it would paint the skies with sword light and absurd declarations.
For now, he just needed to be patient.
The real story was only beginning.
[Yu Lingluo’s character added]
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