Chapter 3 — The Road to Glory
The early morning light spilled over the treetops, casting long shadows as Elias Quinn stepped away from the remains of the village. Smoke still lingered in the air, clinging to the scorched earth and splintered wood where demon beasts had rampaged just hours before. The rebuilding had already begun — villagers worked in silence, repairing thatched roofs and lifting fallen beams with quiet determination.
Elias turned his back to it all. His journey wasn't here.
Xiao Lan adjusted the travel bag slung over his shoulder, tightening the straps. "You sure about this?"
Elias gave a nod, jaw set. "I've never been more sure of anything."
They walked side by side, heading toward Glory City. The forest loomed behind them, no longer a trap but a memory.
The road wound through gentle hills, wildflowers scattered along the path like stars spilled across dirt. Overhead, birds flitted from branch to branch, and the wind carried the scent of pine and damp earth.
Elias walked in silence. His legs were still adjusting to this younger body, thirteen, technically. Lean and untrained, though naturally agile. But beyond muscle memory, it was the sharpness of his senses that stood out. He noticed everything: the weight of Xiao Lan's steps, the change in wind pressure before a bird took flight, the way the horizon bent subtly toward civilization.
He didn't remember having that kind of awareness before… on Earth.
Not that he spoke about it. Not even to Xiao Lan.
In this world, reincarnation wasn't folklore. it was feared. Whispers told of dark rituals, soul-devouring techniques, and forbidden arts used to twist fate. Even the idea of returning from the dead was considered taboo, reserved for demons or ancient cultivators who'd paid a terrible price.
So Elias said nothing. He simply observed.
"So," Xiao Lan eventually said, "you ever been to Glory City before?"
Elias shook his head. "No."
"Then prepare yourself. It's huge. Like… everything we've passed until now? Doesn't compare."
Elias let out a quiet hum. "I believe you."
"You've got this weird calm about you," Xiao Lan continued. "Most people are nervous before their first awakening. But you… you look like someone heading to a business meeting."
"I like knowing where I'm going," Elias said smoothly. "And what I'm walking into."
It wasn't arrogance. Just habit.
A lifetime of solving puzzles and staying three steps ahead didn't vanish just because he wore a younger face.
By the third day, the terrain changed. The trees gave way to cultivated fields, and the road widened to accommodate wagons and caravans. They passed merchants, guards, and clusters of young cultivators, all heading in the same direction.
Then, finally, they crested a hill.
Glory City.
It rose like a mountain of stone and silver, with towering walls that shimmered faintly under the light of enchantments. Watchtowers lined its perimeter, and behind them stretched a vibrant city, stone roads, tiered districts, clan estates, cultivation halls, and distant peaks where spirit energy swirled visibly in the sky.
Even Elias, with all his calm, paused.
"That's…" he began.
"I know," Xiao Lan said, grinning. "You never forget your first time seeing it."
The city gates buzzed with activity. Guards inspected travelers, logging names and checking identification. Xiao Lan stepped forward confidently.
"We're here for the Holy Orchid Institute," he said.
The guard raised a brow. "Both of you?"
"Yes. We came from the western border. We want to take the aptitude test."
The guard gave a brief nod and waved them through. "Go straight until you hit the jade plaza. You'll see a silver archway. That's the Institute's outer courtyard. Don't cause trouble."
"Wouldn't dream of it," Xiao Lan said.
The Holy Orchid Institute's outer court was massive, a wide plaza paved with white stone and surrounded by tall buildings with tiled blue roofs. Statues of famed cultivators lined the path to the central dome, where the Awakening Ceremony would begin.
Hundreds of thirteen-year-olds filled the area, some in plain clothes, others in clan robes marked with family crests. Parents lingered on the edges. Instructors in deep blue walked along the lines, barking instructions.
Elias found himself eyeing them with interest — evaluating their posture, their discipline, their handling of spirit energy.
Xiao Lan elbowed him. "Don't go analyzing the staff already."
"Too late."
They stood in line for nearly an hour.
At the center of the stage sat a crystal unlike anything Elias had seen before, jagged and shimmering, almost alive. This was the Soul Crystal, a relic from an older era, used to measure the soul's innate aptitude.
One of the elders, long-bearded, stern, raised his voice to the crowd.
"You will come forward one by one. Place your hand on the Soul Crystal. It will reveal the color of your soul realm. That is your foundation, red, orange, yellow, or beyond. Strength comes later. Without a sufficient aptitude… you will not be accepted."
The line moved slowly.
Children stepped forward, palms pressed to the crystal.
Red… Orange… Yellow…
The crowd murmured with each display.
Some were not accepted due to their poor aptitudes, while others rejoiced about their promising futures.
When Xiao Lan's turn came, he gave Elias a confident smirk, stepped up, and pressed his hand on the crystal. It glowed bright yellow, he has the potential to become a silver level demon spiritist, while going beyong will be very hard.
Solid. Reliable. Above average.
He returned to Elias, proud but not surprised. "Guess I'll be your senior disciple."
Elias just raised a brow.
Then came his turn.
He stepped onto the platform in silence.
The whispers started immediately.
"Who is he?"
"Never seen that one before…"
"He doesn't look like he's from here."
Elias placed his palm on the Soul Crystal.
At first, nothing.
Then, a flicker.
A slow, pulsing indigo light surged from the heart of the crystal, casting a ripple of stunned silence over the crowd. The glow deepened, then warped, threads of silver and blue dancing through it like a storm barely contained.
The elders stood up. One leaned forward sharply.
"Indigo…! no, wait..it's not stable."
Another elder narrowed his eyes. "That's not a flaw. That's resonance. His soul is echoing something beyond typical classifications…"
The crystal continued to pulse erratically, like two frequencies trying to merge — then finally settled into a deep, luminous indigo, with hints of iridescent undertones curling just beneath the surface.
A stunned hush followed.
Legend-grade potential ! Even Lord Ye Mo had a cyan soul color !! One instructor whispered.
Elias removed his hand slowly.
The crowd had gone dead quiet. Even the other initiates stared at him like he had horns.
He stepped back, expression unreadable.
Xiao Lan's mouth opened slightly. "What in the… dude."
Elias said nothing.
But in the quiet corners of his mind, where memories of boardrooms and deathbeds still lingered, he felt it too:
The storm had only just begun.