Fourteen years passed quietly in the mountain village where Yao Chen was born.
The fragile child who once watched storms and rivers had now grown into a calm young man of fifteen. His shoulders had broadened, his movements had become steady, and his once childish eyes now carried a depth that made elders pause when speaking to him.
Years of training under his father had strengthened both his mind and body.
But today would determine whether those years truly meant anything.
Today was the day of the Dao Realm Academy entrance examination.
The Path to theAcademy
The Dao Realm Academy stood above the clouds.
Ancient stone stairs carved into the mountainside stretched endlessly upward, leading to an enormous gate floating between two towering peaks. Around the academy, several islands hovered in the sky, connected by bridges of spiritual energy.
Thousands of young cultivators had gathered before the entrance.
Some came from powerful clans dressed in fine robes.
Others carried weapons on their backs.
Some looked arrogant.
Some looked nervous.
Yao Chen stood quietly among them, observing everything.
Beside him stood a lively boy with messy hair and bright eyes.
"Chen! This place is incredible!" the boy whispered excitedly.
This was Lin Xiao, a cheerful youth Yao Chen met during the journey to the academy.
Standing beside them was another boy, calm and observant.
This was Huo Yuan.
Unlike Lin Xiao, Huo Yuan rarely spoke unless necessary.
"The spiritual energy here is extremely dense," Huo Yuan said quietly.
"Nearly ten times stronger than normal villages."
Yao Chen nodded.
The moment he arrived, he felt the Dao energy flowing like rivers through the mountains.
The Examiner Appears
Suddenly the wind grew heavy.
The noisy crowd slowly fell silent.
A powerful figure descended from the sky.
His white robes fluttered gently as he landed before the massive academy gate.
His aura felt like a mountain pressing down on the valley.
"I am Elder Ming, examiner of the Dao Realm Academy."
His voice echoed across the mountain.
"You have come seeking the path of cultivation."
"But understand this clearly."
"The Dao path is not meant for everyone."
With a wave of his sleeve, the ground trembled.
A giant crystal pillar slowly rose from the platform.
Ancient runes glowed across its surface.
"This pillar will test your cultivation stage and Dao compatibility."
The Twelve Stages of the Mortal Realm
Elder Ming raised his hand.
Spiritual light appeared in the sky.
"The Mortal Realm contains twelve stages of cultivation."
He pointed to the glowing symbols.
Dao Qi Awakening
Dao Qi Condensation
Meridian Opening
Bone Tempering
Blood Refinement
Spirit Core Formation
Spirit Sea Realm
Dao Vessel Realm
Soul Awakening Realm
Heaven Bridge Realm
Dao Lord Realm
Mortal Transcendence Realm
"When a cultivator reaches the twelfth stage," Elder Ming continued, "they may attempt to break the limits of mortality and ascend to the Immortal Realm."
Many students gasped.
Reaching even Stage 6 was considered legendary in many places.
The Entrance Test
Students began stepping forward one by one.
Each placed their hand on the crystal pillar.
The pillar glowed with different colors.
"Dao Qi Awakening – Stage 1. Rejected."
"Dao Qi Condensation – Stage 2. Accepted."
"Meridian Opening – Stage 3. Accepted."
Soon it was Lin Xiao's turn.
He placed his hand on the pillar confidently.
Orange light burst out.
"Bone Tempering Realm – Stage 4."
Lin Xiao laughed proudly.
"Not bad!"
Next wasHuo Yuan.
He calmly placed his hand on the crystal.
Blue light spread across the pillar.
"Blood Refinement Realm – Stage 5."
Even Elder Ming nodded.
"A promising disciple."
Yao Chen's Test
Finally it was Yao Chen's turn.
The crowd watched curiously as the calm young man stepped forward.
He placed his hand on the crystal.
For a moment—
Nothing happened.
Some students began whispering.
Then suddenly—
Golden light exploded from the crystal pillar.
The pillar trembled violently.
Even the floating islands around the academy seemed to vibrate.
Elder Ming's eyes widened slightly.
The light slowly stabilized.
"Meridian Opening Realm… Stage 3."
The crowd murmured.
"At only fifteen?"
"That's impressive!"
Yao Chen quietly stepped back.
Inside his body, he felt the Dao energy swirling gently.
But he also sensed something deeper.
Something he still didn't understand.
Far Beyond the Mortal Realm
Beyond the stars existed a realm invisible to mortal eyes.
Inside a palace of radiant cosmic light stood two divine beings.
They were Radha and Krishna.
Krishna looked toward the mortal realm with a faint smile.
"The boy has grown."
Radha nodded gently.
"The Dao flows naturally around him."
Krishna folded his arms.
"If he continues on this path…"
"…he may one day climb high enough to meet us."
Radha's gaze remained calm.
"But the path of cultivation is long and dangerous."
A Hidden Observer
High above the academy, another ancient figure watched silently.
He was the junior brother of Radha, a primordial being connected to the earliest creation of existence.
"So the journey begins," he murmured softly.
His ancient eyes watched the young disciple far below.
"Let us see… how far the senior brother can climb again."
The New Disciples
By evening, the accepted students gathered inside the academy courtyard.
Floating lanterns illuminated the stone pathways.
Lin Xiao stretched happily.
"We did it! We're academy disciples now!"
Huo Yuan nodded.
"This is only the beginning."
Yao Chen looked toward the stars.
For some reason, his heart felt uneasy.
The Strange Disturbance
Suddenly—
A faint ripple passed through the air.
Yao Chen's eyes narrowed.
"Did you feel that?" he asked quietly.
Lin Xiao blinked.
"Feel what?"
Before Yao Chen could answer—
The sky above the academy trembled slightly.
Far beyond the clouds, hidden from mortal sight, a massive shadow slowly moved across the heavens.
Inside the deepest tower of the academy, the headmaster suddenly opened his eyes.
"…Impossible."
He stood immediately.
"That presence… it should not exist in the Mortal Realm."
Far above the stars, Krishna's expression turned serious.
Radha also sensed it.
"A disturbance has appeared."
Krishna nodded slowly.
"And it is heading toward the Dao Realm Academy."
Meanwhile, Yao Chen looked up at the night sky.
He could not see the shadow.
But deep inside his body—
The Dao energy began reacting violently.
As if something ancient had just noticed him.
The wind grew cold.
The floating lanterns flickered.
And somewhere in the darkness above the academy…
A pair of unknown eyes slowly open.