I want to tread the heavens

When they returned to the small courtyard in the west city, the sun was already beginning to set. Fa Cai immediately greeted them, his silver eyes quickly scanning Ling Xiao's body. His nostrils flared, confirming there were no new serious injuries, and a relieved thought rippled through his mind: "You're back. Did you get it?"

"Got it. And... better than expected." He closed the courtyard gate and sat down on the threshold of the main house. He first took out the leather pouch containing fifty spirit stones and waved it in front of Fa Cai, making a pleasant clinking sound. "Look, we're rich now. In a couple of days, I'll buy you the best meat, as much as you want."

The fat man swayed its tail almost imperceptibly, its amber eyes fixed on the skin, and it let out a satisfied low growl: "Good. Lots of fat."

Ling Xiao smiled and set the leather pouch aside. Then, he carefully took out the dark silver Heavenly Mystery Pavilion guest elder token and the recommendation letter, sealed with vermilion sealing wax and signed by several people, and placed them on his lap. Fa Cai leaned closer and sniffed, a hint of doubt flashing in his silver eyes: "This... has a 'deep' scent. Like Old Man Su... and that tower. That... has a strong scent of many 'words'."

"Hmm. This is the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion's guest token. From now on, we'll have something to rely on; we can get discounts on things and take on more missions." He stroked the token's cool surface, feeling the faint connection it shared with the drop of his own blood. "This letter... is even more important. It's the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion's recommendation to the three major immortal sects. With it, my chances of passing the Ascension Tournament and securing a place in the sect will be much greater."

Fa Cai didn't quite understand the intricacies of the situation, but it could sense the seriousness in Ling Xiao's tone. It lay quietly at his feet, its ears still perked up, alert to its surroundings. It didn't rush to study the token's specific permissions, nor did it immediately plan how to use this "huge sum." Its mind was preoccupied with Elder Mo Yuan's final warning and the choice it was about to face—the letter of recommendation tucked in its bosom now felt heavy, like a future-oriented decision that had to be made.

The Three Great Immortal Sects.

Heavenly Sword Sect. Mysterious Purity Sect. Hundred Refinement Valley.

These are no longer distant terms from his hometown legends, nor vague fragments of information passed down through the jade pendant. Now, they are real, colossal entities capable of determining his future path. And he must make a choice among them.

He closed his eyes, sorting through the fragmented information he had gathered over the past few days about the three major immortal sects, and weighing it repeatedly in light of his own situation.

The Heavenly Sword Sect—a sacred land for sword cultivators. Adhering to the principle of "one sword breaks all techniques," it pursues the ultimate offensive power and sharpness. Its disciples mostly possess sharp spiritual roots such as metal, fire, wind, and thunder, and are generally upright, ambitious, and even aloof. Competition is fierce, with resources skewed towards those with the most outstanding sword talent. The advantage is that those who excel often possess unparalleled combat power among their peers, and the "Sword Heart Clarity" technique rigorously hones willpower and spirit, leading to rapid growth. The disadvantage is the enormous resource consumption (superior flying swords, high-level sword techniques, body-forging materials), the brutal competition, the high attrition rate, and a relative disregard for "miscellaneous studies" such as alchemy, weapon crafting, talismans, and formations.

Xuanqing Sect – the orthodox Taoist school. Adhering to the principle of "following the natural way," it emphasizes inclusiveness and possesses the deepest foundation, encompassing magic, supernatural powers, alchemy, talismans, and beast taming, each with its own lineage. The sect's atmosphere is relatively peaceful and tolerant, emphasizing foundational training and enlightenment, and discouraging excessive fighting. The advantages are a wide path suitable for all-round development, extensive networks, and excellent intelligence. The disadvantages are that initial combat strength may be inferior to those specializing in a particular path, such as sword cultivators or body cultivators; growth requires time and experience; and internal factions may be equally complex.

Hundred Refinement Valley—renowned in Qingxuan for its alchemy and weapon crafting. They believe in the principle that "the Dao resides in the vessel, life resides in the elixir." Their disciples mostly possess fire, earth, or metal spiritual roots, with priority given to those with talent in alchemy and weapon crafting. Resources are relatively self-sufficient, making them extremely wealthy; each disciple receives excellent magical artifacts and elixirs. The advantage is that their skills are highly valued, making them sought-after wherever they go, providing excellent survival skills, and ensuring they are never short of money. The disadvantage is that they may become overly reliant on external resources, potentially lacking in their own offensive capabilities, and their immersion in alchemy and weapon crafting might hinder their progress in cultivating core techniques.

So, what about him?

Ling Xiao examined himself. He primarily cultivated the *Zhou Tian Xing Chen Dao Dao Jing* (Great Dao Scripture of the Celestial Stars), his spiritual power being balanced and peaceful yet concealing the sharpness and violence of meteoric power (lightning attribute). His fighting style stemmed from life-or-death battles in his old haunts and the teachings of Rong Bo, emphasizing directness, ruthlessness, and precision; overcoming the strong with the weak; and skillfully seizing weaknesses to defeat the enemy in one strike. This seemed to resonate with the sword cultivator's philosophy of "going forward without hesitation, aiming straight for the vitals." He was ignorant of magic, unskilled in alchemy and artifact crafting, possessed a resilient will, preferred solitude, could grow rapidly under pressure, and disliked unnecessary detours.

It seems the Heavenly Sword Sect best suits his current fighting style and spiritual root attribute (Meteorite with Lightning). The purity and sharpness of a swordsman might maximize the destructive power of the Meteorite force within him. The intense competitive environment might also force out even greater potential. However… a swordsman's devotion to the "sword" borders on faith. Can he, a self-taught swordsman, truly integrate into this path? Will his disdain for "miscellaneous studies" hinder his ability to repair the starship and search for his parents and the whereabouts of the Meteorite remnants in this world?

The inclusiveness of the Xuanqing Sect might better conceal his secrets and facilitate his exploration of the Great Dao of the Stars. Its vast heritage might offer clues that complement his cultivation methods or unravel the mystery of the falling stars. However… his initial combat strength growth is relatively slow. In this perilous Qingxuan Continent, will he have enough time to develop steadily? Will its seemingly peaceful, yet potentially deeply entrenched, factions offer him, a rootless, secret-filled rogue cultivator, protection or another quagmire?

Hundred Refinement Valley could solve his most pressing resource problem—poverty. Elixirs, magical artifacts, even the knowledge needed to repair the starship—it could all be provided here. Having a skill would indeed guarantee basic survival and development. But… was becoming a “craftsman” truly what he wanted? Could the innate ferocity for survival and direct thirst for power within him be satisfied before the alchemy furnace and forging hammer? Would over-reliance on external tools dull his most reliable “sword”—himself?

Choices are never black and white. Every path has its scenery, as well as its thorns.

He touched the warm jade pendant on his chest, then glanced at Fa Cai, who was quietly guarding him at his feet. His choice concerned not only himself, but also Fa Cai's future, and even more so, how quickly he could gather the power and resources needed to pursue that heavy past.

Deep down, the scales have already tipped.

The Heavenly Sword Sect's "one sword breaks all laws" sharpness resonated strongly with his unwillingness to lie low and his determination to carve a path to survival with the "blade" in his hand. He was the type who erupted under pressure and broke through between life and death. The purity and ultimate skill of sword cultivation might be able to completely ignite the latent, violent power of meteoric lightning within him.

But… he couldn't act impulsively. Elder Mo Yuan's reminder still echoed in his ears: "The tallest tree in the forest is the first to be felled by the wind." The fierce competition within the Heavenly Sword Sect was probably far greater than outsiders imagined. If he, a rogue cultivator with a recommendation letter and no background, entered, wouldn't he immediately become the target of everyone's attacks? Moreover, sword cultivators' obsession with the "sword" was almost obsessive; he used a saber (albeit a broken one). Would that be seen as "impure"?

He needs to understand more deeply. He needs... an opportunity to observe.

He opened his eyes, a resolute glint in them. He carefully put away the token and the letter of recommendation, then picked up the jade slip from the city lord's mansion that directly recommended him.

A divine sense probed in. The jade slip clearly stated: the holder of the slip must report to the "Talent Selection Division" of the City Lord's Mansion three days before the start of the Ascension Assembly's main selection process for unified arrangements. The main selection would begin ten days later.

In other words, he has seven days left.

These seven days cannot be wasted in this dilapidated little courtyard.

"Make a fortune," Ling Xiao stood up, dusting himself off. "Let's go out. We have two things to do."

"First, spend these spirit stones. Buy some decent clothes, some healing and recovery pills, and some really good meat for you. We have some savings now, we can't be too stingy."

"Secondly, he turned his gaze to the center of Falling Star City, in the direction where the three major immortal sects had established branch campuses. "Let's go... to conduct an 'on-site investigation.' Let's see which immortal sects are leaning towards. And while we're at it, let's listen to what's going on."

He needed to know: What were the disciples of the Heavenly Sword Sect like in the city? Where did the cultivators of the Profound Purity Sect usually gather? What treasures circulated in the shops of Hundred Refinement Valley? Which prominent families and guilds preferred to recommend their scions to which sect?

Knowledge gained from books is ultimately superficial. Some choices require firsthand observation, hearing, and even... personal experience.

Clenching his fist, feeling the coolness and weight of the jade slip and recommendation letter in his arms, Ling Xiao knew that the moment that would determine his fate was drawing ever closer.

But before that, he needs to be fully prepared.

The courtyard gate creaked open. The afternoon sun bathed the street in golden light. Fa Cai walked beside him, his silver-gray figure casting a lithe and loyal shadow in the dappled light.

The bustling streets of Falling Star City once again came into view. But this time, the air itself felt different.