Elder Xu's eyes swept over the gathered disciples before he spoke.
"We will begin our training soon. But first there is a very important announcement you must all hear."Elder Xu said, his voice firm, steady, and carrying across the hall effortlessly.
The disciples exchanged puzzled glances.
What could be so urgent?
Elder Xu allowed the suspense to build for a moment.
Before continuing Elder Xu wore an expression that blended both pride and solemnity.
His voice, steady and strong, reverberated across the hall.
"The first Young Master of our Xiao Clan has broken through to the Martial Grandmaster Realm and has successfully been accepted as an Inner Disciple of the Sword Pavilion."Elder Xu announced, pausing for effect.
For a moment, there was only silence.
And then—
A roar of cheers erupted from the gathered young cultivators.
"First Young Master is truly unparalleled!"
"To break through to Martial Grandmaster before thirty… he is a genius blessed by the heavens!"
"With First Young Master in the Sword Pavilion, the prestige of our Xiao Clan will surely soar!"
One after another, the younger generation began praising the First Young Master, their voices rising into a frenzied chorus of admiration and envy.
Xiao Wei stood at the back of the hall, watching it all with quiet detachment. Unlike the others, there was no excitement on his face.
Only calm observation.
"First Young Master, huh?"Xiao Wei thought to himself.
From the fragmented memories he had inherited after awakening in this body, Xiao Wei knew little about him.
He was a distant figure, someone who had always been leagues ahead of the rest of the younger generation. A legend even within his own clan.
Yet despite their shared surname, Xiao Wei had no personal connection to him.
In the Xiao Clan's rigid hierarchy, talent dictated everything.
Xiao Wei, after his parents death had been shunned, neglected, and treated as nothing more than a stain on the clan's reputation.
The First Young Master, on the other hand, was the clan's shining sun.
A young man born with extraordinary aptitude, showered with resources, praise, and endless opportunities.
The distance between them was like the gap between heaven and earth.
Or at least—that's how others saw it.
He had left Mo City years ago when he become the Sword Pavilion disciple, his name becoming more and more distant, almost like a myth for the younger members who had never even seen him in person.
But Xiao Wei's attention was not drawn to Xiao Feng himself.
Rather, it was the place Elder Xu had mentioned—the Sword Pavilion—that stirred memories buried deep in his heart.
"Sword Pavilion, huh..."Xiao Wei mused inwardly.
His eyes flashed with a subtle, hidden light.
He knew about the Sword Pavilion.
That name alone stirred stories his mother once told him, long ago.
Xiao Wei's thoughts wandered as Elder Xu continued boasting about the First Young Master's achievement.
He turned his gaze slightly to the tall windows along the hall's side, where the morning sunlight streamed in golden beams.
Through those windows, he could almost see the vast world that lay beyond Mo City—the endless expanse of the Mo Empire.
The Mo Empire was an ancient and powerful nation, its lands divided into five great states: Fu State, Chen State, Wu State, Dong State and Mo State.
Each state was enormous, consisting of countless cities, towns, villages, and mysterious regions.
Mo City, the city they lived in, was located within the Fu State.
Compared to the vastness of the empire, Mo City was but a speck of dust.
And within the Mo Empire, there were countless sects and schools dedicated to the martial path.
Some rose. Some fell.
But there were always four that stood unshakable, their names echoing across the Mo Empire like eternal mountains: Sword Pavilion, Saber School ,Mystic Mountain and Cloud Village.
Each of these sects possessed profound legacies, ancient techniques, and monstrous geniuses capable of shaking the heavens.
Among them, the Sword Pavilion was famous for its unparalleled mastery of sword arts.
It was the sanctuary of Sword Cultivators, a place where only those truly devoted to the sword could thrive.
While the Saber School disciples were known for their cold sharpness, as if their very souls had been forged into blades.
The Sword Pavilion's eternal rival was the Saber School.
Where the Sword Pavilion emphasized precision, elegance, and speed, the Saber School cultivated overwhelming power, ferocity, and unstoppable momentum.
Their clashes, both in open duels and behind the scenes, were the stuff of legends.
Blood had been spilled between their members for centuries.
Yet both sects respected each other, for only a worthy opponent could push one to greater heights.
Above them, however, stood the enigmatic Mystic Mountain.
The Mystic Mountain was considered the strongest of the four sects.
It accepted disciples from all weapon paths and all Cultivation styles.
Their influence stretched across all States, there is no one who don't know what the Mystic Mountain.
Finally, there was Cloud Village.
Perhaps the most mysterious of them all.
Little was known about Cloud Village.
Its disciples rarely appeared in public or even if they appear no one will know about them.
Cloud Village was not even really a "village" but a hidden land perched somewhere among the remote place of the Mo Empire.
It was said that only those fated could find the path to Cloud Village.
Their disciples were rare and few, but each one possessed strength far beyond their peers.
And they carried an aura of otherworldly detachment, as if the mundane world meant little to them.
Xiao Wei's heart softened slightly as he remembered the soft voice of his mother from years ago.
He was an orphan in his previous life so don't know much about parental love. But after inheriting the real Xiao Wei memories he become one with him.
When he was a child, she would often tell him bedtime stories about the mighty sects of the empire.
But whenever she spoke of Cloud Village, her voice would grow gentler, filled with longing and pride. As she had once been a disciple of Cloud Village.
A true genius.
However, for reasons Xiao Wei still did not fully understand, she had left Cloud Village behind, married into the Xiao Clan, and lived a life of quiet obscurity.
A sudden shout snapped Xiao Wei out of his memories.
"Long live the First Young Master!"
Dozens of voices joined in unison, chanting and clapping.
The training hall was filled with excitement again.
The rowdy noise inside the training hall reached a peak after the announcement of the First Young Master's success, but it was quickly extinguished when Elder Xu raised his hand high and shouted, his voice booming like a hammer striking a bell:
"Silence!"
The command thundered through the hall, and instantly, the disciples stopped their chatter, standing stiff and upright, their eyes focused obediently on the elder at the front.
Elder Xu's face was serious, but there was a faint glimmer of pride in his eyes as he continued speaking:
"There is more good news for the Xiao Clan. Because of the First Young Master's achievement, the Sword Pavilion has granted our Xiao Clan a rare and precious gift"Elder Xu said, his voice calm but carrying weight, each word striking deep into the hearts of everyone present
The hall trembled with tension as everyone leaned forward slightly, holding their breath.
"They give our Xiao Clan an Outer Disciple spot!"
A collective gasp rippled through the room.
An Outer Disciple spot in the Sword Pavilion was like a direct ticket to a future of limitless potential. Even though it wasn't an Inner Disciple position, it still meant access to the Pavilion's sacred grounds, resources, and elite martial teachings.
Anyone with ambition dreamed of stepping into one of the Four Supreme Sects, especially the Sword Pavilion.
Before the young disciples could start discussing wildly, Elder Xu raised a hand and declared the next words crisply:
"And the Clan Leader has decided to bestow this spot upon the Second Young Master — Xiao Yen!"Elder Xu announced.
The silence lasted only a heartbeat.
Then the hall exploded.
"Congratulations, Second Young Master!"
"As expected of the Second Young Master! Entering the Sword Pavilion is just the beginning!"
"After entering the Sword Pavilion, Second Young Master will surely soar to the heavens like a true dragon!"
The flatteries rained down like a storm.
Among the noisiest was Xiao Li, who hurried to step forward, his voice shrill with admiration:
"Young Master Xiao Yen, you are destined for greatness! The clan's future will shine even brighter because of you!"
Xiao Yen stood in the center, his chin lifted proudly, basking in the praise. His eyes gleamed coldly, and occasionally, his gaze would flicker toward the back of the hall where Xiao Wei stood silently.
Smugness was written all over Xiao Yen's face.
After a few more minutes, Elder Xu raised his hand again.
"Enough!"
The room once again fell into silence, though the excitement remained buzzing under the surface.
"Now start training. If you wish to achieve greatness, you must work harder!"
Under Elder Xu's command, the disciples began practicing the Tiger Claw technique.