Chapter Fifty-Eight: First Glimpse of Talent

Du Gu Ling, Bo Jun Cheng, and Ouyang Chi arrived at the registration window and completed their sign-up without a hitch. They were now preparing to board the special conveyance destined for the Divine Hidden Pavilion—a celestial crane.

The three stood before the temporary pick-up point, a simple building, and in front of them lay three beautiful celestial cranes. It was Du Gu Ling’s first time witnessing such wondrous and elegant creatures, and he couldn’t help but quietly ask Ouyang Chi, “Are we riding these to the Divine Hidden Pavilion?”

Ouyang Chi looked at Du Gu Ling in disbelief. “Have you never heard of mounts before?”

Du Gu Ling scratched his head, embarrassed. “I really don’t know much about them.”

With a sigh, Ouyang Chi patiently explained. “Cultivators above the intermediate immortal rank can fly on swords, and some even soar through the air unaided. But mounts like these are not just about saving effort—they’re symbols of status, and some even possess unique abilities. The celestial crane is the most common mount; it can fly for thousands of miles, is highly intelligent, and easy to care for.”

“Is it really that good?” Du Gu Ling gazed at the crane, thinking he might want to raise a few himself.

Ouyang Chi saw right through Du Gu Ling’s little scheme and smiled, speaking in a low voice, “These celestial cranes are the lowest grade of mounts, meant for ordinary people. Still, don’t underestimate them. Without specialized training techniques, you’d never be able to command them, let alone the higher-grade mounts. Those techniques are guarded secrets among the great sects.”

Du Gu Ling nodded thoughtfully. He resolved that, given the chance, he must acquire such training methods and raise a batch of cranes at Iron Ox. That way, his adoptive father and the blacksmiths would find travel much more convenient.

Little did Du Gu Ling know that, in the future, after expending immense effort to obtain the Divine Hidden Pavilion’s Beast Taming Codex, Cang Cang would tell him that the Chaotic Holy Canon contained even better beast-taming methods. But that is a story for another time.

Now, Du Gu Ling and his companions had mounted the three celestial cranes, and Elder Tian bid them farewell, heading back to Cold Moon City. The person escorting them to the Divine Hidden Pavilion was an unfamiliar senior brother.

The three rode the cranes, while their guide soared ahead on a flying sword, all four traveling toward the Divine Hidden Pavilion.

The Divine Hidden Pavilion was perched atop a massive peak in the northwest of the Divine Beast Mountains. The mountain had a natural sheer face, mysteriously cleaved in two at mid-height.

When the founding ancestor of the Divine Hidden Pavilion first arrived at the Hundred Beast Mountains to establish a sect, he immediately recognized this site as a geomantic treasure. He named the fractured mountain Divine Hidden Mountain, and the sect he founded was called the Divine Hidden Pavilion—a small haven of cultivation, hidden amidst the vast peaks.

But fate played its hand, and after the passing of the first ancestor, in just a thousand years, the once tiny sect of a few had grown into a grand order with over ten thousand disciples. Truly, destiny works in mysterious ways.

Du Gu Ling had been riding the crane for several hours now. Fortunately, all three had some skill and training; otherwise, any ordinary person would surely freeze to death flying at such heights.

Even so, Du Gu Ling, the most robust among them, was beginning to falter under the relentless cold winds. Ouyang Chi and Bo Jun Cheng were even worse off, looking utterly bedraggled.

Meanwhile, the senior brother flying ahead on his sword watched Du Gu Ling with surprise. This journey was, in fact, a small test set by the Divine Hidden Pavilion. If one could not withstand even this hardship, the path of cultivation would be a thousandfold more difficult—how could one hope to persevere?

Those who faltered or succumbed to the trial would be sent back, quietly eliminated from consideration.

What astonished the senior brother was that Du Gu Ling was the first ordinary person he’d seen who breezed through the test so easily. Others either failed outright and were sent home, or, if slightly more resilient, ended up numb, stiff, and dazed, enduring only by sheer willpower. The best could manage to stay clear-headed, though their limbs were frozen, sneezing and sniffling—like Ouyang Chi and Bo Jun Cheng now. But never before had he seen someone like Du Gu Ling, who only occasionally shivered, neither sneezing nor running nose.

This boy is extraordinary, the senior brother thought quietly.

Less than an hour later, Du Gu Ling sat atop his crane, gazing down at the scenery below, when suddenly a remarkable fractured mountain appeared on the horizon. They were close to the Divine Hidden Pavilion.

Upon the mountain’s unique summit sat a dazzling, resplendent palace, clearly visible. The sheer cliff and hidden grandeur seemed to dominate hundreds of leagues, shutting out the sun and sky.

Its magnificence left Du Gu Ling speechless; it was simply immense and beautiful beyond words.

Gradually, the senior brother led the cranes down from the sky to land before the grand gate of the Divine Hidden Pavilion. “We’ve arrived,” he announced.

Du Gu Ling dismounted. Before him stood a colossal gate, dozens of meters tall and more than a hundred meters wide. He was awe-struck, suddenly feeling utterly insignificant, as if he were but a speck of dust in the great cosmos. The vastness and profundity of the universe, the world, and the wonders of nature seemed unfathomable.

His thoughts drifted, as though his soul had left his body to wander through nature’s beauty. At times, he felt himself a grain of sand, at others a flower, a stone, a droplet of stream, even a butterfly or a stalk of rice. A mysterious aura radiated from Du Gu Ling, spreading out into the distance.

“What’s happening to him?” Ouyang Chi, worried, saw Du Gu Ling’s trance and asked the senior brother. But when he looked up, he saw the senior brother’s face had changed dramatically, his eyes nearly bulging out. He whispered, “He... he’s having an epiphany... How can this be?”

What? Ouyang Chi’s expression changed instantly. Bo Jun Cheng’s mouth dropped, seemingly able to fit two eggs.

An epiphany was a realm ordinary people could hardly hope to reach in a lifetime; even cultivators needed immense luck to glimpse such a profound state. Every cultivator yearned for it, for a single epiphany could save decades of hard work, sometimes bringing unexpected benefits.

Meanwhile, several thousand meters above, a man and woman floated in midair without any visible support—clearly high immortal rank or above.

The man had a clear, fair face with sharp, handsome features; deep, dark eyes with an alluring sheen; thick brows, a high nose, and perfectly shaped lips. He crossed his arms and, half-smiling, said to the woman before him, “I didn’t expect a freshman this year to be so gifted—just a glance at the Divine Hidden Pavilion’s gate and he’s already having an epiphany. Our Carefree Institute wants him.”

The woman before him was shrouded in black gauze, her long robe concealing her figure. Her physique was rather unimpressive, with a rounded belly pushing the robe’s middle outward. She was, unmistakably, the senior sister who had rescued Du Gu Ling at Du Gu Village.

She stared intently at Du Gu Ling, as though she’d seen him before. But a year had passed, and she hadn’t given the rescue much thought, so she did not recognize him. With a cold snort, she was clearly unwilling to surrender Du Gu Ling so easily.

Just then, a burly, rough-looking man flew over, riding the wind. “Second brother, such a genius can’t be claimed by you with a single sentence! The Carefree Institute is fine, but our Iron Arm Institute is no less. Sister’s Spirit Jade Institute doesn’t admit men, so it’s out, but for a rare talent like this, let’s compete fairly. May the best offer win—what do you say?” He spoke bluntly, clearly a man who said whatever was on his mind.

Just another lucky fellow? What’s so arrogant about him? The first man was displeased, but did not show it, keeping his arms crossed in silence.

All three fixed their gaze on Du Gu Ling, still standing in front of the gate, immersed in epiphany.

Du Gu Ling was unaware that his actions had already sparked such a stir within the Divine Hidden Pavilion.

The epiphany lasted not long, perhaps a quarter of an hour. Legend held that epiphanies should not be interrupted. As Ouyang Chi and Bo Jun Cheng recovered from their shock, preparing to stand guard for Du Gu Ling, they saw he had already emerged from his trance.

“What happened?” Du Gu Ling asked, curious at the sight of his companions seated beside him.

“Do you not know what just happened?” Ouyang Chi asked.

“Did something happen?” Du Gu Ling replied, confused.

“You just had an epiphany. Do you know what that is?” Ouyang Chi explained.

Du Gu Ling pondered, “Epiphany? What is that? I just felt, somehow, as if I became many things, understood some truths, but I can’t quite explain it. It was just a vague feeling—was that what you meant by epiphany?”

Ouyang Chi scrutinized him, confirming he was not lying, then admitted, “Actually, I don’t know what an epiphany feels like either.”

At that moment, the senior brother who had brought them approached and said, “Enough chatter. Hurry inside; tomorrow is the grand entrance ceremony. It’s getting late, you should rest.”

The trio nodded and, under his guidance, entered a clean, spacious room—large enough for all three.

As the senior brother closed the door behind them, he muttered under his breath, “Imagine, someone had an epiphany before the exams even began! I must report this to Third Brother. Such a talent cannot be overlooked.”