This world is called The Great Starry Path, existing since the beginning of time, where legends and ancient figures grew up and perished. In this world, cultivation is all-encompassing and defines the future of those who practice it.
In a gloomy valley surrounded by leafless trees, a person stood in the middle. They seemed mysterious and unfathomable. Suddenly, with a wave of their hand, the sky split open, and countless intertwining lightning bolts appeared, revealing a figure in the center. The figure appeared young, but its presence spoke otherwise. The mysterious man in the middle of the valley wore a long white Taoist robe with a golden crown. He bowed quickly when he saw the figure amidst the lightning.
"Great Ancestor, the time has come for the Divine Peacock Clan to be reborn. Please grant me the opportunity to carry out this honorable task," said the man in a terrified tone.
After a long silence, the voice of the figure echoed.
"...Go and make the clan prosper until I hear of it in the Divine Realm," it said in a commanding tone.
At these final words, everything returned to normal, as if no disturbance had occurred.
5,000 years later.
On a training ground in a vast mountain valley, thousands of young children sat in lotus positions, all neatly arranged in rows and columns. Before them stood a dimensional portal, still sealed.
Then an old man appeared, flying. His clothes were unkempt, and his hair was messy, yet an immense pressure and presence emanated from his body.
"You, who have been chosen by the heavens, will bring prosperity and merit to the Divine Peacock Clan and become the future pillars of the clan."
"Each of you will be placed based on your talent, from the first rank to... the last rank. This will determine your future within the clan."
"You will pass through this portal with me, and you will continue your journey alone," the old man said in a somewhat annoyed tone.
Suddenly, he waved his hand, and each child floated in the air, moving to a designated spot. Then the old man waved again, and an identification token appeared before each child. Finally, the ground transformed into a flying platform, surprising the children, and they entered the portal that had been unlocked by the old man just moments before.
"What's happening?"
"Why can this man fly?"
"Where are we going?"
"I'm scared..."
The voices of many children were heard, and confusion and fear were evident in their eyes. After all, they had been confined in secluded homes their entire lives, waiting to be chosen by the clan. They had seen nothing of the world, didn't understand it, and knew nothing about it.
The old man guided the platform, flying ahead and protecting the children from spatial storms with a barrier he had erected.
After ten days of travel, the end of the spatial tunnel could finally be seen. During this journey, the children began to understand their situation, thanks to the words the old man had said before they left. They quickly became aware of their rankings and thus their futures in the clan. The old man was intrigued and watched them closely, not expecting the children to be so calm. This was indeed unusual. It was thanks to a little girl who had helped the other children remain calm and explained the situation to them. She had never panicked, whether during her period of confinement, the start of the journey, or the crossing of the tunnel. She had long white hair and a dragon-patterned robe, and her expression was always the same—impassive. She was ranked second in the first row.
Suddenly, a blinding light flooded the area, and the children realized the platform had stopped and landed. Before them, a magnificent scene unfolded. The sky was filled with dragons and phoenixes, and islands floated in the sky, forming a shape resembling a peacock. At the center stood an immense palace that reached the heavens, but it rested firmly on the ground. Numerous mountains, forests, lakes, rivers, and oceans made up the stunning landscape.
The children couldn't help but kneel before the awe-inspiring sight, but the roar of a dragon sent chills down their spines, and they quickly resumed their usual fearful postures.
The elder's voice was suddenly heard.
"You will be recognized as members of the clan once you pass the selection."
Suddenly, all the children were teleported into a forest. It was dense, somewhat eerie, and the sun was nowhere to be seen. Many wild beasts hid within.
As they turned their heads, they saw other groups of children, more than twenty thousand in total.
They were already divided into groups of ten. Some were in the top rankings, while others were in the lower ranks. In fact, the groups were not balanced at all, suggesting a very low success rate for this test. The division of groups was deliberate by the Divine Peacock Clan, as they intended to keep only those with the greatest talent and allow the rest to disappear.