Chương 5: Feathered War Machine

Dong! Dong! Dong! The bell rang out immediately. Everyone fell silent as the inner disciples standing near the groups began gathering toward the center.

"KRI!" A piercing bird cry echoed from beyond the horizon. Every new disciple raised their head at once. In the sky, they saw snow-white swans with pairs of antlers on their heads. They were titans, with wingspans of nearly a hundred meters and bodies fifty meters long. Some had colorful flecks on their bellies, but the swan leading the flock was pure, pristine white, from its legs to its beak.

"T-that's a Phantom Swan!"

"Did you know many people mistakenly think it's named that because of illusions? It's actually just because of its coloring!"

"Wow! My grandmother once took me on one when I was very little!"

"Wait, are we going to travel to the Peaks on them?" The crowd buzzed at the sight of the colossal creatures. Some were ecstatic, while others turned pale with fear.

"Wow... I'm getting goosebumps just looking at it. If it actually swung its wing, half the people here would be sent flying to the base of the mountain!" An swallowed hard, but curiosity ignited within him. If an ordinary swan here was the size of an industrial factory, what about other beasts?' There must be a library in the sect with books on bestiaries. I need to find out what kind of creatures exist in this world and what they look like.'

Standing by the stone, An studied the swans with intense interest, forgetting the fear that had been bubbling inside him just seconds ago.

"All new disciples, approach the Phantom Swans and climb onto their backs. They will take you to the Outer Hall of your respective Peaks!" The voice from the clouds boomed like thunder, startling the disciples.

"Is this an illusion? Or some kind of technique?" After hearing the voice, An noticed that one particular swan seemed highlighted in his vision, as if someone had singled it out from the entire flock just for him. Noticing that everyone in his group was walking toward that exact swan, An frowned. He realized an illusion had been used on him, but what scared him even more was the thought that it was a perception-altering technique.

It wasn't just a simple trick, it was something that entered his mind and changed what he saw.' I hope I can find a technique to defend against illusions and mental intrusions. I always hated charm and illusion techniques in novels... Ugh.' An shuddered at the thought. Suddenly, An noticed he was standing alone while everyone else had already reached the swan. He quickly caught up, though he tried to stay slightly behind the rest. As he approached, he saw the inner disciple responsible for his group wave a hand.

Several stones rose from the ground to form a staircase, each step levitating in the air. Waiting for his turn, An took a deep breath. With a slight tremor, he placed a foot on the first floating stone. He expected it to sink or spring under his weight, but to his surprise, the stone didn't move a millimeter. It felt as solid as the ground. An stepped onto it with both feet and even gave a little hop, but the stone remained fixed in space.

"Hurry up..." the inner disciple urged, his voice thick with irritation at An's dallying.

"Oh!" An gasped, hearing the sharp tone, and quickly scrambled up the levitating steps onto the swan's back. There were no saddles or ropes to hold onto, just a broad, flat back where the other disciples had already gathered in their small groups. Looking around, An spotted an empty spot near the base of the tail. He sat down and, unable to resist, touched the feathers. As he ran his palm over them, he realized they weren't soft at all. They felt cold and hard, like sheets of iron.

"So this isn't just an overgrown goose, it's a war machine," An muttered quietly. Immediately, he felt a vibration beneath him and a deep, throaty "Gruu~" from the beast. An looked up in surprise and saw that the swan had turned its head. Its massive eye was staring directly at him. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

"S-sorry, Mr. Swan..." An whispered, his face flushing. He realized his remark had been heard. The swan sent another vibration through its body and turned its head back, as if accepting the apology.' I almost got into trouble with a beast already... I have to remember that cultivators and creatures like this have incredibly keen hearing.' An exhaled, relieved he had gotten off so easily.

"KRII!" The swan cried out, lifting its head toward the sky. With one powerful flap of its wings, it lifted off the ground. Some of the children cried out in surprise. An tried to grip the iron-hard feathers, even though they offered little purchase. As they soared, the swan began to glide toward the Peaks. From his vantage point, An could finally see the full scale of the sect. Before him stood seven peaks, each piercing the sky and vanishing into thick clouds.

The swan veered to the side, bypassing a large settlement that lay on a flat plain in the center of the mountain range. An tried to make out the details of the settlement. The only things he could see were several tall buildings with conical roofs, similar in structure to castle towers. He also managed to spot several small arenas on the outskirts and one massive arena in the center, which covered nearly a quarter of the entire area.

The swan continued its flight, circling to the right of the gate and the strange settlement. It rounded the first and nearest peak, where the trees grew in various colors and sizes. As they flew past, An noticed beasts running around a huge building on one side of the mountain. The entire surface of the structure was covered in vines that seemed to move, intertwining with each other even as he watched from above.

On the other side, further away, several settlements of different sizes occupied the slope, forming several levels of various structures. The swan raced past the first peak at high speed, curving around it in an arc before flying directly toward the next one. This peak was smaller, and though the trees displayed every imaginable shade, the vegetation was significantly denser here. A massive staircase ran from the base of the mountain all the way up into the clouds.

Since the swan began its sharp descent toward the base of that staircase, An couldn't see much else on this peak. He only saw the stairs disappearing into the mist, with a barely visible boundary marking the beginning of a huge platform. He managed to catch a glimpse of a few buildings there before the swan dropped below the level of the platform. The massive beast landed abruptly, pressing its belly to the ground to make it easier for the disciples to dismount.

Once they touched down, the inner disciple levitated off the swan's back.

"Follow me!" he shouted, waving his hand to create a floating staircase so everyone could descend safely. An stood up and followed the others. When everyone else had dismounted and he was the only one left on the beast's back, he approached the edge. Just as he was about to jump onto the first floating stone, he felt a vibration from the swan. In the next second, he was sent flying toward the ground.

"Aaaa!" With a scream, he tumbled through the air. After landing hard on his stomach, he sat up and checked himself for injuries.' Phew... good thing it wasn't very high. Damn goose!' An frowned and looked up at the beast. The swan was staring intently back at him." Guo... guo..." Without opening its beak, the swan seemed to laugh at him. With one sharp movement, it soared into the sky.' I'll remember this, you overgrown goose!'

An stood up and watched the swan until it disappeared behind the clouds, memorizing every detail of the creature's appearance. Lowering his head, An realized the group had already gone far ahead. Dusting himself off as best he could, he hurried after them. He caught up just enough to hear the inner disciple explaining something, then slowed his pace to a steady trudge behind the rest.

"... as I already said, all that's left for you now is to climb up to the Outer Platform and collect your plaques and belongings from the Outer Hall." Those were the last words An heard before the inner disciple pulled a sword out of thin air, jumped onto it, and soared into the sky with a low hum. He raced past the Outer Platform and continued climbing higher, disappearing above the clouds. Looking away, An finally noticed just how wide and tall the staircase was.

It was over a hundred meters wide, and he couldn't even tell how far he would have to climb to reach the platform.

"Damn... how am I going to climb this? It will definitely take more than a few hours, and I don't even have any food or water." An patted his clothes where pockets would usually be, realized he had none, and looked around for anything he could use as provisions. Realizing there wasn't a single plant, berry, or fruit he recognized, An sighed. He looked back at the stairs and saw that everyone had already started the ascent. Some were even running, trying to reach the top first as if it were a competition.

"How long will they last? Twenty minutes, and then what? They'll be lying on the steps, groaning in exhaustion. Eh." Seeing the children sprint upward, An shook his head.

"Well, it's time for me to start climbing too. The first step, the first stair, the beginning of my new life and my cultivation." he took a deep breath and stepped onto the first stair. Standing there, he glanced back for a moment and smiled. Then he turned his head and looked up, focusing on the barely visible edge of the Outer Platform. Clenching his fists, he began to climb slowly but confidently, conserving his energy.

"Don't worry, brother, mom, dad... I'm fine. I've been given a second chance. Don't forget me, and I will never forget you. You will always be the most important people from my first life and this one. I will take you with me on this unfamiliar and scary adventure. After all, they say that as long as a person is remembered, they are still alive!"