As Han Yun strolled through the cobbled streets, making his way toward the sects the guards had mentioned—Azure Mist Valley Sect and Crimson Tide Blade Hall—he kept his ears open. In a city like this, half the good information came from whispers, not signs.
Sure enough, he caught the tail end of a conversation between two robe-wearing cultivators passing by.
"…you hear? That mountain sect's opening its gates this week."
"Which one? That massive one near the city edge?"
"Yeah, the one up near the clouds. They say it's recruiting openly all week. Anyone can try."
Han Yun's steps slowed immediately. His head tilted slightly.
Mountain sect?
He quickly closed the distance to the two cultivators, throwing on his best friendly-face expression.
"Ah, excuse me, seniors. I happened to overhear just now—are you talking about a sect recruiting near the outskirts?"
The two looked him over—one of them clearly measuring his cultivation. After seeing how normal he was, they eased up.
"Yeah. It's called the Thousand Peaks Immortal Gate," one of them said. "They're not affiliated with Misty Spring City's authority. Totally independent."
The other nodded. "They don't usually open recruitment either, but apparently this year's an exception. Maybe they lost some disciples or want fresh blood. Who knows?"
Han Yun gave a respectful bow. "Thank you for the information."
They waved him off, already back to their murmurs.
Han Yun didn't wait. With renewed purpose, he changed direction, following the faintly visible winding trail that led toward the massive peaks overlooking the city.
It took nearly an hour of uphill trekking—through narrow mountain paths, stone-paved trails, and a long forested stretch—but when he finally reached a higher elevation and the trees cleared, he stopped dead in his tracks.
There it was.
The Thousand Peaks Immortal Gate.
From his vantage point, he could see only a fraction of the place—and even that was overwhelming. Towering pavilions stood atop carved cliffs, suspended bridges stretched across ravines, and waterfalls flowed down temple walls into spiritual ponds. It wasn't just big—it was massive.
This place wasn't just a sect. It was a fortress of cultivation.
The sect grounds sprawled over what had to be nearly two-thirds the size of Misty Spring City itself. And unlike the other sects nestled politely inside the city walls, this one loomed above everything—like it had no interest in sharing space with anyone weaker.
"Yup," Han Yun muttered, wiping a bit of sweat off his brow as he stared up at the outer gates. "If I've ever seen an independent sect with a protagonist, this is the one."
With his robe slightly damp, his breathing a little short, and his curiosity peaking, he began climbing the final steps toward the grand entrance of the Thousand Peaks Immortal Gate.
This…
This felt like the place where fate changed.
As Han Yun finally stepped onto the last stone stair, brushing the mountain dust off his sleeves, he looked up—and immediately froze.
Before him stretched a sea of people.
Cultivators of all kinds—young and old, confident and nervous—stood in a winding, seemingly endless line that wrapped around the towering outer walls of the Thousand Peaks Immortal Gate. They carried swords, talismans, flags of their home villages or minor clans, and wore expressions ranging from awe to exhaustion.
"...You're telling me all these people are waiting to get in?" Han Yun muttered under his breath, dumbfounded.
He walked closer to the line and tapped the shoulder of a robe-clad teen who looked like he hadn't slept in two days.
"Hey, brother. How long have you been waiting here?"
The teen blinked and replied with a hoarse voice, "Two days. Camped outside the wall. Got here early, thought I'd be in by noon yesterday."
Another person nearby chimed in—a girl with dark circles under her eyes and her hair tied messily. "I've been here since last week. My clan sent me here straight from the southern branch village. They said this might be the only chance in years."
Han Yun blinked. "A week?"
"Some have been waiting longer," another person muttered nearby, not even turning to look at him. "They're rotating spots, camping in shifts. You're lucky if you arrived today."
He slowly turned back toward the gate, jaw slightly slack.
"This place might be more insane than I thought…"
Then—BOOM.
A deep, sound echoed across the mountain path. The massive gates began to creak and rumble open. The ground trembled faintly beneath Han Yun's feet as brilliant golden lines lit up along the edges of the stone.
A gust of Qi-rich wind poured out from the opening, blowing dust and hair back as the crowd collectively turned toward the gate.
The chaos that had been buzzing just moments ago was gone instantly.
Everyone fell into stunned silence.
From within the gate, a group of figures stepped out—floating just slightly above the ground, robes flowing as if untouched by gravity.
At the front were several stern-looking elders, their auras heavy and composed. Behind them stood instructors in tighter combat gear, sharp-eyed and battle-hardened. Then came a group of senior disciples, each radiating spiritual energy like walking pressure cookers.
Han Yun could feel it in the air—power.
These weren't street-level sect guys with rusty swords. These were real cultivators. The kind who made others lower their heads just by existing nearby.
Han Yun slowly leaned back, still squinting through the crowd.
"Well… guess I found the real deal."
And just like that, the selection had begun.
As the crowd held its breath, one of the elders at the front of the group floated a step forward, his hands behind his back, his long silver robes rippling softly in the wind.
He didn't look overly large or intimidating, but the moment he spoke—his voice carried through the entire mountainside like thunder wrapped in silk.
"Welcome to the Thousand Peaks Immortal Gate."
Even though the tone was casual, almost relaxed, it demanded silence. Respect. Obedience. It was the kind of voice that only came from someone whose cultivation had reached a level most people would never even see in their dreams.
The elder's sharp eyes scanned the crowd, then continued calmly.
"This year's recruitment will be different."
The murmurs that had barely started in the back instantly died again.
"Last year, our intake lacked sufficient talent. Too many mediocre talents and few with real potential. Therefore..." his voice turned firmer, "we have opened our gates earlier this time, to cast a wider net. But we will not be wasting time on formality."
He raised his hand, and with a flick of his sleeve, a large stone platform floated out from behind the gates, levitating slowly into view. Embedded at its center was a crystal-like artifact, carved with glowing runes and shaped like a sharp, angular obelisk, there are 5 of them.
It pulsed faintly, like a heartbeat.
"This is the Sevenfold Spirit Resonance Stone," the elder said, gesturing toward it. "Step forward, place your palm on the stone, and it will reveal your Innate Talent Root in color."
He paused, letting that hang in the air for a moment.
"There are seven colors—each representing a tier of talent."
Purple – Trash
Blue – Low
Green – Mediocre
Yellow – Decent
Orange – Promising
Red – Exceptional
Black – Heaven-defying
Gasps echoed through the crowd. Han Yun's eyes widened slightly as he watched the stone shimmer faintly under the sun.
"Those who awaken below Green—will be instantly disqualified and escorted out," the elder stated bluntly. "We do not cultivate the hopeless here."
A ripple of unease spread through the crowd. A few people shifted uncomfortably, some already looking like they wanted to turn around.
"Yellow and Orange will enter as outer disciples.
Red and above… will be taken in as inner disciples immediately."
The elder gave a slight nod to the disciples beside him, who began moving to organize the crowd.
"Let the testing begin."
Han Yun slowly exhaled, glancing at the massive line ahead of him… then down at his own hand.
"…Well," he muttered, "time to find out if this system upgrade was worth all that soul-ripping pain or if I'm about to get kicked off a mountain."
He cracked his knuckles and waited for fate to give him its color.
The line was… hell.
Han Yun stood in it for what felt like an eternity, watching the sun slowly fade away.
He rubbed his neck, shifted from foot to foot, and nearly fell asleep standing three times.
At least the view was entertaining.
One by one, hopeful cultivators stepped forward, placed their palms on the Sevenfold Spirit Resonance Stone, and waited. Some looked confident. Some were already praying. Most walked away with heads lowered and shoulders slumped.
And a few…
Collapsing to their knees.
Heartbroken.
Han Yun had watched a girl burst into tears when the stone glowed a faint, pathetic blue, then get escorted away by a senior disciple without a second glance. Another guy tried to argue when he got a purple, shouting, "The stone must be broken!" before getting kindly but firmly thrown out like a drunk uncle at a wedding.
It was kind of… humbling.
Still, Han Yun stayed calm.
He wasn't worried. According to his system panel, his talent rank was B, and he was classified as an Awakened Spiritual Root. Maybe not heaven-defying or enough to attract flying swords and divine birds, but solid. Strong. Better than most mortals. Maybe even better than half the people in line today.
"I may not have protagonist-tier luck," he thought "but I've got enough to stand on my own."
Even so… he wasn't exactly the most patient guy in the world. So after watching the same group of outer disciples rotate shifts and noticing one who looked a bit sleepy and disinterested—Han Yun did what any opportunistic cultivator would do.
He slipped over, gave the guy a discreet nod, and slid a shiny middle-grade spirit stone into his hand like passing a secret bribe at a black-market auction.
The disciple blinked, looked around, then cleared his throat and quietly waved Han Yun up like it was perfectly normal.
"Next."
Han Yun stepped forward like he'd been called.
The line behind him grumbled, a few people glaring, but no one made a scene.
As he approached the stone, his expression stayed neutral, composed. His heart beat a little faster, sure—but he wasn't scared.
This was it.
He placed his palm on the cold surface of the stone.
The moment Han Yun placed his palm on the Sevenfold Spirit Resonance Stone, a gentle hum echoed through the area.
The stone pulsed softly, and then—burst into a vivid, radiant red.
Gasps rippled through the crowd like a stone dropped into still water.
"R-Red?!"
"That's the first one today!"
"A genius…!"
Even the outer disciples who had been lazily ushering people forward straightened up. The atmosphere around Han Yun shifted instantly. He could feel dozens of eyes suddenly glued to him, their curiosity sharpening into envy, awe… and perhaps a little fear.
From the platform, one of the elders raised a brow, then gave a small nod. "Acceptable."
Han Yun, however, wasn't reacting like the crowd. He just stood there, palm still on the stone, quietly processing the result.
Red… huh.
He slowly pulled his hand back, a faint smirk twitching at the corner of his lips.
"So a B-level talent from the system... is already red here?" he thought. "Guess that means I'm already above the average cultivator in this realm."
Not the best. Not chosen. But enough to matter.
Before he could dwell on it further, one of the senior disciples stepped beside him, respectfully now.
"Please, follow me. Inner disciple candidates will be evaluated further inside."
Han Yun gave a slight nod and turned to walk—
Then he froze.
A blinding flash of red lit up the far side of the courtyard—at one of the other testing stones reserved for a separate line. Before the buzz could settle, that red flared even brighter—and then shifted into an inky, unnatural black that pulsed with a chilling aura.
The crowd lost it.
"B-Black?!"
"That's—Heaven-defying!"
"Is that even real?!"
All heads turned as the elders suddenly stood upright, their calm expressions twisting into shock. A few of them even took half-steps forward, Qi stirring faintly around their bodies.
Han Yun snapped his gaze toward the source.
There, standing awkwardly in shock, was a poorly dressed young man—clothes ragged, hands still calloused from what looked like farm work. He stared at his own hand like he'd just accidentally punched through heaven's front door.
And then—ding.
A soft chime echoed in Han Yun's mind.
[System Alert: Protagonist-Class Target Detected]
[Status: High Fortune Density — Heaven-Defying Talent]
[Target not yet registered. Too far for lock-on tracking.]
Han Yun's jaw twitched slightly as his eyes narrowed.
"…You've gotta be kidding me."
One red.
One black.
And somehow, he'd just missed the chance to tag the biggest fish in the pond.
"Knew it" he muttered, watching as several elders practically teleported down from the main platform to approach the newly awakened chosen one.