The Purple Jade Sect rests high in a mountain range shrouded in endless purple fog, its peaks resembling jade towers that pierce the heavens.
At the base of the mountains sprawls a vast city, its walls firm as steel, its streets lively by day with merchants, disciples, and common folk who thrive under the sect's shadow.
But when night falls, the city changes.
The streets grow silent, yet from one quarter light blooms.
A single building blazes against the darkness, windows glowing with golden fire.
From it flow the sounds of strings and flutes, alluring rhythms that coil through the alleys.
Laughter, drunken and boisterous, rises with the smell of wine and perfume that clings to the night air.
Men stagger out of its doors, robes dishevelled, faces flushed with intoxication.
Some laugh, others mumble, and a few collapse against the steps before being dragged away by companions.
Inside, the heart of indulgence beats stronger.
A broad hall stretches open, dominated by a raised platform at its centre.
Upon it, women clad in gold-draped garments move like flowing flame, their steps weaving shadows and light, their jewels flashing beneath the lantern glow.
Every sway of hip, every turn of wrist, drips with practised allure.
Around the walls stand tiered rooms, curtained and divided into boxes, each holding its own world of revelry.
From these vantage points, men recline, cups in hand, eyes fixed upon the dancers.
Some whisper to attendants at their side, others shout for more drink, their words drowned in the thrum of music.
In one such box, five men sit gathered around a low table heavy with wine and roasted meat.
Their gazes linger on the platform, their laughter mixing with the music, their voices carrying the arrogance of men accustomed to power.
Cups clink, meat tears, and their eyes glimmer with a hunger that is not for food alone.
Jun Qing reclines lazily, his cup turning slowly in his hand as he watches the dancers move like flowing gold below.
"The war with the Black Flame race," he says with a faint smile, "it is nothing to lose one or two regions."
The man beside him, already flushed with wine, slams his palm on the table.
"Yes, yes, what matters is the quota for the Supreme Battlefield Realm."
Another leans forward, his voice dropping as if afraid the golden-clad women could hear.
"Ten seats if the humans win, only five if we lose."
Jun Qing's gaze flickers with pride, though his tone remains casual.
"Every ten thousand years the throne appears, waiting to be claimed," he says, "and whoever sits upon it will rule the Ancestral World."
The others nod in drunken awe, their eyes reflecting the allure of such power, though it is far beyond their reach.
One of them blurts with a grin, "Our Purple Jade Sect must surely place its best—Jun Zhenhai!"
"Yes, Jun Zhenhai will crush all competition," another agrees eagerly, "Situ Chen may be strong, but compared to him it is nothing."
Jun Qing smirks, satisfied at their chorus of flattery, though none of them has the right to decide such matters.
Still, in this smoky chamber filled with wine and music, their boasts carry the weight of truth to themselves.
As the night wanes, one man leans closer, his tone shifting.
"I heard the Lanshan Sect is sending someone here to join us."
Jun Qing tilts his head slightly, curiosity flashing in his eyes.
"Lanshan Sect?" he asks, "and who is this they send?"
The man shrugs, drunk laughter spilling from his lips.
"No name yet—but we will know soon enough."
Another sneers, swirling his cup.
"Hmph, whoever he is, coming from some backwater Lanshan Sect, he should learn his place."
"Yes," one echoes, smirking, "when he arrives, we brothers will make sure he understands the difference between ants and dragons."
Jun Qing's eyes narrow with cold amusement.
"Teach him well," he says softly, "so that he remembers that there is a price to pay for going against the Jun Family."
The others laugh loudly, their voices mingling with the music and the sweet perfume in the air.
Two days later, Merin enters the city and, with bored eyes, looks at the purple-fog-covered mountain range.
He hears Su Weinan stand beside him and say, "Magnificent, isn't it?"
Merin thinks, I have seen better, but keeps his opinion to himself and simply nods.
They start walking toward the mountain, Su Weinan continuing her explanation.
"The purple fog you see is the power of the sun trapped by the jades in the mountain range."
Merin nods, hearing her explanation.
He can sense the yang spiritual energy from afar, spreading across the mountain.
Su Weinan points toward a large jade tower.
"You see that jade tower, every cultivator joining the sect has to take the test inside."
Merin nods.
Su Weinan continues, "Don't think the test is nothing. The higher the floor you climb, the better the position you join the sect with. And if the performance is bad, then you may not even be able to join the sect."
Merin asks, "How many floors does it have?"
Su Weinan says, "Ten floors. You can join the sect if you are able to climb to the third floor."
Merin nods, "What if someone climbs higher?"
Su Weinan looks at him.
"You are only in the Inner Palace Realm. It will be difficult to climb higher."
Merin smiles with a hidden smirk.
One year and nine months ago, he was in the Inner Palace Realm.
He is not anymore.
The ocean is rich in demon beasts, and for him, demon beasts are resources.
His advancement was only hindered by the lack of resources.
With enough resources, he can become a Tao Space Realm cultivator in no time.
He says, "I still want to know."
Su Weinan answers, "If you climb to the sixth floor, you can directly become an Inner disciple. If you climb to the eighth, you can directly become a Core disciple. And climbing to the tenth floor makes you a candidate to become the next Sect Master of Purple Jade Sect."
Merin's eyes flash.
He says inwardly, "Tenth floor, it is."
He doesn't have the time to play games anymore.
The cultivation path rises from Tao Space Realm, Tao Master, Tao Greatmaster, Tao Lord, Great Tao Lord, Tao King, Saint, Great Saint, Saint King, Quasi Supreme, and Supreme.
And only one can become a Supreme in each era.
There is only one Heavenly Throne.
And the Supreme is his goal.
If he can become a Supreme, it would be easy to complete his mission by building the portal.
But he is not confident in becoming one.
In the void, Tao Space Realm is equal to the Third Stage.
Tao Lord is equal to half of the Fourth Stage.
The Great Tao Lord is equal to the quasi-Fourth Stage.
Tao King is a false Fourth Stage.
Saint is a true Fourth Stage.
Supreme is likely a Fifth Stage cultivator.
So the original realm system was based on the Fourth Stage.
And for that reason, he is not confident enough to reach the Supreme Realm.
Supreme Realm may not even be the final stage.
His senior, a Sixth Stage cultivator, had difficulty conquering the world.
And in the end, that senior had to send him to build the portal.
Merin enters the sect and passes the necessary checks.
Jun Qing meditates outside his cave and feels the power of stars gathering above.
He is in the Star Induction Realm.
In this realm, a cultivator senses the power of stars, draws them in, and refines them into true energy.
When that true energy turns completely golden, the cultivator gains control over gravity.
At that point, they can attempt to break through into the Ascendant Realm.
The Ascendant Realm is a staircase of thirty-three steps leading to heaven.
A cultivator's spirit climbs each step, tested by the heavens with every rise.
Only by reaching the thirty-third step can one break through into the Tao Space Realm.
Jun Qing wants to reach the Tao Space Realm before the deadline for entering the Heavenly Battlefield Realm.
Only there will he have a chance to become a Tao Lord, like his family ancestor.
His cultivation halts as one of his underlings rushes in to report that the Lanshan Sect disciple has arrived.
Jun Qing rises swiftly and strides toward the outer disciple square.
When he arrives, he learns that Merin has already entered the Test Tower.
And inside, Merin has already advanced to the third floor.
Within the tower, he easily defeats the puppet guarding the level.
Without hesitation, he climbs to the fourth floor.
Outside, when the light of the fourth floor shines, Jun Qing's face grows serious.
It means Merin's strength is already comparable to his own.
That makes Merin a real contender in the outer disciple competition a year later.
But then Jun Qing's expression shifts when the light of the fourth floor suddenly dims.
He thinks Merin has failed, and relief washes over him.
Yet instead of Merin walking out of the tower, the fifth floor lights up.
Gasps ripple through the gathered disciples.
Whispers rise as the crowd realises Merin has cleared the fourth floor and advanced further.
The square fills with commotion, and everyone is speculating about the outcome.
Would the new disciple pass the fifth floor and enter the sixth, gaining the title of inner disciple directly?
Or would he fail here, yet still carry enough strength to secure a place in the inner sect during the competition next year?
But a moment later, the truth becomes clear.
Merin does not need to wait a year.
He does not need the outer disciple competition at all.
As the light of the fifth floor dims, instead of Merin coming out, the light of the sixth floor ignites.
A new disciple has climbed to the sixth floor on the very day he entered the sect.
The news spreads like wildfire through the mountain.
Disciples, deacons, and even some inner disciples rush toward the tower.
All eyes lock on the gate, waiting for Merin to step out.
The light of the sixth floor flickers, and their gazes stay fixed on the front door.
Nobody present, not even Su Weinan, believes Merin can pass the sixth floor.
But instead of Merin appearing, the seventh floor blazes to life.
The square erupts with noise as more people flood in.
The crowd swells until even elders are drawn from their seclusion.
Then the seventh floor dims, and to their shock, the eighth floor shines bright.
The sect itself trembles like an earthquake has struck.
A new disciple has ascended directly into the rank of core disciple.
And a core disciple is not a mere title but a seat of power within the Purple Jade Sect.
Before the uproar settles, gasps explode again.
Merin passes the eighth floor and steps into the ninth.
This alarms the entire sect.
Even the sect master abandons his seclusion and arrives with the great elders.
Together, they activate the ancient array that projects the inside of the test tower.
The air hums as a curtain of light spreads, showing the battle within.
The ninth-floor puppet towers over Merin, its body of jade and steel radiating crushing force.
But Merin moves with calm precision.
Each exchange proves the puppet cannot contain him.
His strikes grow sharper, his rhythm unbroken, his will unshaken.
And a minute later, the inevitable happens.
Merin drives his fist through the puppet's chest, shattering its core in a burst of light.
The tower rumbles, and the crowd holds its breath.
Merin places his foot on the stair and begins climbing to the tenth floor.