The morning sun shone brightly over the academy training grounds.
All the students had gathered.
Even the usually lazy disciples sat upright.
Today was different.
Today, Elder Han had promised to explain the path of cultivation.
Standing before the students, Elder Han slowly swept his gaze across the crowd.
"You all speak of the upcoming examination."
"Yet many of you do not even understand the road you walk."
The training field immediately became quiet.
Elder Han picked up a wooden branch and drew several circles on the ground.
"Every cultivator begins at the same place."
He pointed at the first circle.
"The Body Tempering Realm."
"This realm strengthens the muscles, bones, blood, and organs."
"The stronger the foundation, the farther one may travel."
Several students nodded.
Most of them were currently in this realm.
Elder Han drew a second circle.
"After Body Tempering comes Spirit Vein Opening."
"In this realm, cultivators open the hidden spirit veins within their bodies and begin absorbing the energy of heaven and earth."
A murmur spread among the students.
Many had heard of Spirit Vein Opening but knew little about it.
Elder Han continued.
"After Spirit Vein Opening comes Spirit Manifestation."
"At this stage, a cultivator begins to display the characteristics of their chosen path."
A student raised his hand.
"Teacher, what is a path?"
Elder Han smiled faintly.
"A good question."
"The world contains countless paths."
"Some follow the Sword."
"Some follow the Spear."
"Some inherit the legacy of ancient beasts."
The students immediately became interested.
"Ancient beasts?" someone asked.
Elder Han nodded.
"In the ancient records, there are tales of clans descended from mighty creatures."
"White Bulls."
"Silver Vipers."
"Storm Eagles."
"Moon Tigers."
"Even mythical beings spoken of only in legends."
The students listened with wide eyes.
Ye Fu was no exception.
"What mythical beings?" another student asked.
Elder Han paused.
Then he replied.
"Dragons."
"Phoenixes."
"Qilins."
"Sea Serpents."
The entire class erupted in excitement.
"Teacher, are dragons real?"
"Did phoenixes truly exist?"
"Can someone become a dragon?"
Questions flew from every direction.
Elder Han raised a hand.
The crowd immediately fell silent.
"I do not know."
The students froze.
Elder Han shook his head.
"The Ye Clan is small."
"Our province is vast."
"The world beyond our province is even larger."
"What I know comes only from old records."
A trace of longing appeared in his eyes.
"I have never seen a dragon."
"I have never seen a phoenix."
"Perhaps they exist."
"Perhaps they do not."
The students fell silent.
For the first time, many realized how small the Ye Clan truly was.
At that moment, Ye Jun stood up.
"Teacher, what realm comes after Spirit Manifestation?"
Elder Han looked at him for a moment.
Then he slowly answered.
"I do not know."
The training field became silent.
Not know?
Even Elder Han did not know?
The old teacher chuckled softly.
"You children think cultivators know everything."
"In truth, we are all travelers on the same road."
He pointed toward the distant mountains.
"Beyond those mountains are stronger clans."
"Beyond those clans are greater sects."
"And beyond those sects…"
He shook his head.
"I have never been there."
For a moment, nobody spoke.
Even Ye Ming remained quiet.
Ye Fu stared at the circles drawn in the dirt.
For the first time, he realized that the world was far larger than he had imagined.
The Ye Clan was merely a grain of sand in a vast desert.
And his journey had only just begun.
That evening, after returning home, Ye Ming could not stop thinking about Elder Han's lesson.
The world beyond the Ye Clan.
The mythical beasts.
The cultivation paths.
After dinner, he followed his father into the study.
"Father."
The middle-aged man looked up from the scroll in his hand.
"What is it?"
Ye Ming hesitated for a moment.
Then he asked,
"What rank is Grandfather?"
The room became quiet.
His father slowly put down the scroll.
"The Patriarch?"
Ye Ming nodded.
"Teacher Han said there are many realms beyond Spirit Manifestation."
"How strong is Grandfather compared to the outside world?"
His father remained silent for a moment.
Then he sighed.
"In the Ye Clan, your grandfather is considered a great expert."
A trace of pride appeared on his face.
"But outside the clan…"
His expression became complicated.
"He would be considered ordinary."
Ye Ming was stunned.
Ordinary?
The man he viewed as the strongest cultivator in the world was merely ordinary?
His father continued.
"The Ye Clan follows a fragment of the Ancient Sky Lineage."
Ye Ming frowned.
"A fragment?"
"Yes."
"The complete lineage was lost generations ago."
"We only inherited a small portion."
"Most of what our ancestors once possessed has disappeared."
Ye Ming became even more curious.
"What beast do we descend from?"
His father shook his head.
"No one knows for certain."
"Some records speak of the Silver Feather Hawk."
"Others mention the Storm Wing Falcon."
"But the oldest records were lost long ago."
He looked toward the night sky beyond the window.
"Perhaps our ancestors knew."
"Unfortunately, we do not."
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then Ye Ming asked one final question.
"Father…"
"Have you ever seen a dragon?"
His father laughed.
"No."
Then his expression became serious.
"Neither have I seen a phoenix."
"Nor a qilin."
"Nor any of the creatures spoken of in the ancient records."
He looked back at his son.
"Remember this, Ming'er."
"The world is far larger than the Ye Clan."
"And one day, if you are capable enough…"
"You may be the first member of our clan to see it."
Ye Ming silently nodded.
For the first time, the pride he held in being a genius of the Ye Clan seemed much smaller than before.