It was early in the morning.
The sun shone a soft, warm light upon the land. The mountains were shrouded by misty clouds.
Towering peaks pierced through the clouds and were lit up by the sun in the sky. This gathering of peaks was where the Divine Will Sect was located.
In this world of cultivation, the Heavenly Origin Supercontinent was divided into four great continents.
Each of these continents was vast.
And on the eastern continent that was among these four great continents, there were countless cultivation sects.
But even so, in the Heavenly Southern Region of the Eastern Continent, the Divine Will Sect was among the overlords.
In this sect, those at the golden core stage were not of much value, and those at the foundation establishment stage were everywhere.
Within the Divine Will Sect, there were even nascent soul stage elders!
At the foot of a spiritual mountain today, an entrance ceremony was being held.
"Congratulations to all of you, junior brothers and sisters. You have gone through many selections and have emerged from the crowd to join our great sect."
"I, your senior brother, will show you around our sect and explain some things for you to take note of."
The one speaking was a man in a plain robe with an otherworldly temperament. He was the senior brother in charge of welcoming the new members of the sect.
He led the group of young men and women through the mountain gate.
"Thank you, Senior Brother Su!" The disciples bowed their heads as they said.
The Senior Brother Su that they were referring to was not some old man, but his strength had already reached the foundation establishment stage.
For him, walking on the rugged mountain road was as easy as taking a stroll on flat ground.
This group of new disciples was all excited for the future that awaited them. They all hurried to keep up with their senior brother's pace.
Joining the Divine Will Sect was equivalent to stepping into an immortal cultivation hall.
In the heavenly southern region, the Divine Will Sect was the absolute overlord. Even in the vast eastern continent, it was still a first-class sect.
Being backed by such a powerful sect, they all looked at Senior Brother Su with respect and longing.
The group walked through the mountain road and listened to Senior Brother Su's explanation along the way until they finally arrived at the public square of the main peak.
"This is the place where the Divine Will Sect congregates and where lectures are held. It is usually used by the inner disciples of the sect."
Senior Brother Su pointed at the crowd in the square and said, "All of you look there. This is a necessary step on the path of immortal cultivation, qi refining."
When the new disciples turned their heads to look at where Senior Brother Su pointed, they saw many disciples in the plaza in groups of twos and threes, sitting cross-legged and cultivating, or sitting down and discussing the dao with fellow disciples.
There was a very thick cultivation atmosphere in the area.
The new disciples looked over with envy.
"The Divine Will Sect is a major immortal cultivation sect," Senior Brother Su said lightly. "We have many famous teachers, resources, and dao fruits."
"However, don't aim too high. Qi refinement, foundation establishment, and golden core should all be done one step at a time.
"We will remember Senior Brother Su's teachings," the disciples said.
After walking past the main peak, Senior Brother Su brought the new disciples to the back of the mountain.
The terrain here was wide and open, with many cave abodes and courtyards.
At first glance, the scenery was beautiful. It truly appeared to be a place where immortals resided.
"These are the residences of the inner sect disciples," Senior Brother Su explained. "When you enter the inner sect in the future, you can also come here to select your own residence."
"As for you guys who have just entered the sect, your living quarters are still at the back."
While he said that...
"Hu!"
"Ha!"
A panting sound could be heard coming from the direction of one of the cave abodes.
Everyone looked over and saw a strong senior brother wearing a short white shirt. He was practicing something in the bamboo forest.
That person's figure was tall and straight, and he looked extraordinary.
The wind that resulted from the movements of his fist was strong and fierce.
However, his method of practice had him assume a stance akin to a tree, then suddenly move with a burst of speed like lightning.
He was completely different from the cultivators who were meditating in the square.
No matter how one looked at him, his actions did not look like immortal cultivation at all. Instead, it was much more like he was practicing martial arts.
The new disciples looked at each other and discussed in low voices.
"What is he doing?"
"He looks very handsome..."
"It seems to be stance training. I've read about it in ancient books before."
Senior Brother Su, who was walking in front, turned around.
He glanced at the bamboo forest with some contempt.
Then, facing the new disciples, he warned them coldly, "On the path of cultivation, do not learn from this person."
"Body cultivation is a small dao, and it is difficult to achieve great things on this path."
"I'll take you all to the main hall."
"Yes!"
The new disciples felt a chill in their hearts and followed him.
...
In the bamboo forest.
The figure's actions seemed to gain more and more strength, and the force he sent into the air carried the sound of bones cracking.
Even when people passed by just now, he did not care or pay them any mind. He remained wholly immersed in his training.
It was not until he heard a prompt in his mind that Li Ming came out of his trance state.
[Obtained entry, Unmoving as a Pine.]
[Unmoving as a Pine (Green): Stance training efficiency increased by 50%]
Li Ming was very happy when he heard the prompt.
After practicing for so long, he finally gained another entry!
After obtaining the new entry, he did not stop but completed his routine even more faithfully.
The figure in the bamboo forest seemed to possess even more grace in his movements.
Li Ming finished his routine and stood still. His muscles were tense, and his body was rumbling like thunder.
"Huff~ Huff~ Huff~"
Li Ming let out a long breath and sat down on the stone bench.
He opened his system interface with joy.
[Name: Li Ming]
[Fate: 11 (longevity to a hundred years old) ]
[Current Entries]
His system's list was very concise.
One's fate was generally determined from birth and it was very difficult to improve.
But Li Ming knew that his entries could affect his fate.
Nevertheless, the effects of the entries that he obtained still varied.
Li Ming opened the list of his current entries, and a long list of entries appeared in his field of view.
[Juvenile Precocity (White): Photographic memory]
[Balanced Simplicity and Elegance (White): Increases temperament]
[Forbearance (White): Increases temperament ]
[Legendary Artist (White): Legendary-level painting]
[Dragon Trailing Brush (White): Excellent penmanship]
[Unmoving as a Pine (Green): Stance training efficiency increased by 50%]
[Weapon Mastery (White): Can use any weapon]
[Spiritual Sword (White): Consume spirit to launch a powerful sword attack]
[Reinforced Iron Bones (White): Skeleton sturdiness increased by 25%]
[Rough Skin Thick Flesh (White): Defense increased by 25%]
[Eagle Eye (White): Enhanced vision]
[Dextrous Hands (Green): Increases the success rate of martial arts practice by 100%.]
[Silent Steps (White): Silent when walking]
[Unified Mind (White): Increases body control increased]
[All Rivers Run to the Sea (Green): Increases efficiency of learning breathing techniques.]
This dazzling array of entries was accumulated by Li Ming over the years.
These entries could only be obtained by doing corresponding actions.
For example, Li Ming's [Dextrous Hands] was obtained by practicing hand-related martial arts.
This entry could increase the success rate of his martial arts cultivation.
And practicing martial arts could trigger new entries, creating a complementary relationship.
However, things were not as easy as he had easily imagined.
Looking at all the entries, Li Ming felt slightly emotional.
"It's already been three years..."
Li Ming was 15 years old this year.
Three years ago, he was favored by an elder of the sect and brought back to be promoted to an inner sect disciple.
He had been known as the future star of the Divine Will Sect.
However, only Li Ming himself knew that his actual situation was horrible.