The anticipation for the Rite of Ascendancy had reached its peak. The Li clan's estate had never been so alive with activity. Elders moved with purpose, their robes billowing as they directed the final preparations, and disciples lined up, eyes full of determination. For the selected team of the Li clan, this was their moment to prove themselves not only to their peers but to the entire kingdom.
Li Wei stood at the forefront of his team, calm and collected as always, while his teammates—Jin Rui, Li Jun, Zhou Wei, and Mei Chen—fidgeted with excitement and nerves. Their training had pushed them to new heights, but they knew that what lay ahead was something far greater. They weren't just representing themselves but their entire clan.
Beside them, the five elders of the Li clan stood in silent contemplation, their presence lending an air of gravity to the occasion. And at the center of it all, Patriarch Li Tian loomed tall and majestic, his eyes surveying the gathered disciples with a mixture of pride and expectation.
"Everything's about to change," Li Jun whispered under his breath, his eyes darting around at the elders, then back to his teammates. "I've never seen the clan this serious before."
Mei Chen smiled softly. "The Rite isn't just a competition, it's the future of our clan. It's only natural."
Jin Rui, who had once been the most reluctant to join the team, stood in a calm silence. He had come to respect Li Wei's leadership and was now fully committed to their cause. Zhou Wei was his usual smirking self, though even he seemed more focused today.
Li Wei's eyes flicked towards the horizon. He knew what was coming, and though his heart remained steady, he couldn't help but feel the weight of destiny pressing down on him. His system was quiet, as if waiting for the moment to reveal its next step.
The journey to the capital of Qianyuan was swift. The Patriarch had arranged for special transportation, a sleek flying carriage powered by the Qi of the five elders. They flew over vast stretches of land, passing over villages, cities, and sprawling forests. For most of his team, this was their first time leaving the Li clan's estate, and their eyes were wide with awe.
As they approached the capital, its grandeur was overwhelming. The city was massive, far larger than any of them had imagined, with towering walls and endless streets that seemed to stretch on forever. The air buzzed with the energy of thousands of cultivators from across the kingdom, all gathering for the same purpose.
The Patriarch led them to the gathering point, a vast open plaza in the heart of the city, where the chosen teams from the three great families—the Li, Zhao, and Feng—as well as countless smaller clans, had gathered. The plaza was a sea of people, each team wearing their clan's colors, banners flying high in the air.
Li Wei's team stood tall among the participants, their heads held high. Around them, other teams sized them up, some with curiosity, others with hostility. Among the crowd, Li Wei spotted familiar faces—the Zhao clan's prodigy, Zhao Yan, and the fiery Feng clan leader, Feng Lan, both standing with their teams, oozing confidence and power.
As the sun climbed high into the sky, the anticipation reached a fever pitch. And then, it arrived.
A massive flying ship descended from the clouds like a majestic beast. Its hull was forged from ancient dark wood, inscribed with glowing runes that pulsed with power. The ship was colossal, easily the size of several city blocks, with immense wings that shimmered in the light, propelled by the energy of formation arrays. It floated effortlessly above the plaza, casting a long shadow over the thousands of participants below.
Li Jun's jaw dropped. "That… that's a flying ship?"
Zhou Wei let out a low whistle. "That's no ordinary ship. It's powered by a formation that must be hundreds of years old."
Li Wei's eyes narrowed. He could sense the formation's power, its intricate web of energy far beyond what most could comprehend. His experience as a formation master in his past life allowed him to see the delicate lines of Qi that held the ship aloft. It was masterful work.
The ship's ramp descended with a soft hum, and the sound of horns echoed through the plaza, silencing the crowd. From the ship emerged a figure, an elder dressed in deep crimson robes, his presence commanding attention.
"Welcome, participants of the Rite of Ascendancy!" his voice boomed. "Today, you embark on a journey to the far east of our great kingdom, to a place where only the strongest will survive and rise to the top! You will be taken to the Endless Forest, where the Rite will begin."
Murmurs swept through the crowd. The Endless Forest was a place of legend—a vast, untamed wilderness that stretched beyond the horizon. It was said that even the greatest cultivators feared to enter its depths.
"And at the center of that forest," the elder continued, his eyes gleaming, "stands the World Tree, an ancient relic that reaches the heavens themselves. The tree holds within it the essence of the world's most powerful Qi. But beware—only those with the strength, the wit, and the will to survive will make it to the center."
Li Wei's heart stirred. The World Tree. Even in his many lives, he had never encountered such a place. His mind raced with possibilities, and his system remained quiet, as if waiting for him to unravel the mystery.
The participants were ushered onto the massive ship, each team taking their designated space on the lower deck. The ship was spacious, with multiple levels, each carved from the same ancient wood. As it ascended into the sky, propelled by the power of the formation, the ground below disappeared into a blur, and the vast capital shrank to a mere speck on the horizon.
Li Wei's team stood by the railing, looking out at the kingdom below. The wind whipped through their hair, and the sky seemed endless.
"This is it," Mei Chen whispered, her voice filled with awe. "The Rite has truly begun."
Li Jun clenched his fists, his excitement barely contained. "We've trained for this. We're ready."
Li Wei remained silent, his eyes fixed on the horizon. His thoughts were already ahead, preparing for what was to come. The Endless Forest was more than just a battlefield—it was a test of their survival, their strategy, and their ability to work as a team.
Hours passed as the ship flew east, the landscape below shifting from rolling hills to dense forests. And then, just as the sun began to dip toward the horizon, it appeared.
The Endless Forest.
It stretched as far as the eye could see, a sea of towering trees, their leaves shimmering with an eerie, otherworldly glow. And at the very heart of it all, piercing the clouds like a spear to the heavens, stood the World Tree.
Li Jun gasped. "It's… massive."
Zhou Wei's smirk faded, replaced with a look of awe. "I've never seen anything like it."
The tree was impossibly large, its trunk so wide that it seemed to blend into the horizon. Its branches stretched high into the sky, disappearing into the clouds. The sight of it stirred something deep within Li Wei, a sense of power and mystery that he had not felt in any of his previous lives.
"This is where the Rite will take place," the elder's voice echoed across the deck. "In the heart of the Endless Forest, where only the strongest will emerge victorious. Prepare yourselves."
As the ship began its descent, the participants braced themselves. The real test was about to begin.
Li Wei, however, remained calm, his gaze fixed on the World Tree. He could feel it—a pull, a connection, something ancient and powerful calling out to him from the depths of the forest.
"The Rite of Ascendancy," he murmured, "is just the beginning."
And with that, the ship landed at the edge of the Endless Forest, the journey to the unknown now fully underway.