Chapter Sixty-Eight: A

The Grand Gathering of Cloud Province's Chosen was the most prestigious event in the entire region of Cloud Province. At that time, countless prodigies would appear.

But what, exactly, was a “chosen one”? They were the darlings of the immortal path.

Aside from innate talent and comprehension, one’s fortune and opportunities were also considered crucial factors in measuring a true prodigy. The most visible standard was the grade of one’s innate Daoist art upon establishing their foundation.

A ten-star foundation was a phenomenon unseen for centuries—a rarity across the whole continent. Nine stars were nearly as rare. In the entire Cloud Province, including Ye Cang, there were fewer than ten cultivators of the current generation who had achieved a nine-star foundation.

Therefore, nine- and ten-star prodigies belonged to a realm too distant for most to even consider. When cultivators spoke of prodigies in daily conversation, they typically referred to those below these exalted levels.

For example, achieving an eight-star foundation was already a feat worthy of widespread admiration. Even in Cloud Province, eight-star foundation cultivators were exceedingly rare. Generally speaking, such a level of strength placed one at the very pinnacle of the Grand Gathering.

Seven- and six-star foundations ranked slightly lower, but were still considered extraordinary talents. As for the five-star foundation, it marked the minimum threshold.

In other words, from five stars and up, one could be called a “prodigy,” up to the ceiling of eight stars; nine and ten stars were so rare they were better described as “monsters,” not simply prodigies.

Wang Ran, with his ten-star foundation, possessed talent surpassing even Ye Cang. Yet outside his own sect, his name was scarcely known. This was because the Only Me Sect had always been secretive with its information, and Wang Ran’s meteoric rise had occurred only within the last few months. Word of his abilities had yet to spread, so almost no one outside the sect even knew of his existence.

By contrast, Ye Cang and Xu Ke were already established prodigies, their reputations well-known throughout Cloud Province for years.

As a result, invitations to the Grand Gathering reached Xu Ke, Beiming Lie, and Ye Cang. Wang Ran received none, simply because the world was unaware of him.

As for his junior sister’s invitation, it was obtained through special means from her grandfather, the sect’s second elder.

Thus, if Wang Ran wanted to attend the Grand Gathering, he would have to find another way.

His junior sister’s plan was to simply snatch Xu Ke’s invitation and claim it for himself, but Wang Ran would never stoop to such underhanded tactics—after all, that wasn’t the kind of person he was!

We transmigrators are all upstanding youths of the twenty-first century; we wouldn’t take so much as a needle or thread from the people!

So instead, Wang Ran approached Xu Ke in a friendly manner, chatting about everything from family matters to cultivation speeds, from Daoist arts to geography and astronomy. Only when Xu Ke was nearly driven to distraction—and was beginning to question his very existence—did Wang Ran finally reveal his true purpose.

Relieved, Xu Ke handed over his invitation jade slip to Wang Ran without a second thought. The Grand Gathering was a coveted event among countless young cultivators, and to attend it was considered a great honor. But for Xu Ke, who had received invitations multiple times and attended before, it was no longer a novelty; whether he went or not made little difference. So, as soon as Wang Ran expressed interest, Xu Ke generously gave his invitation away.

The invitation jade slip for the Grand Gathering contained no identifying information. Anyone holding it could enter, as these jade slips were never lost—every invitee treasured theirs as a mark of honor.

This worked to Wang Ran’s advantage. With Xu Ke’s jade slip, he could attend as well.

Wang Ran’s trip to Cloudfall City wasn’t only for the Grand Gathering; he also had business to conclude with the Cloudfall Pavilion. The spirit jades he had earned from selling talismans were running low, and now that the Haoran Alliance had grown large, every aspect required resources.

Luckily, Wang Ran had learned to craft talismans, so acquiring spirit jades was never a major concern for him.

That evening, Wang Ran and his junior sister changed into new clothes, concealing their sect robes before hurriedly departing. Since Wang Ran needed to trade with the Cloudfall Pavilion and would inevitably deal with Huang Huifeng, he preferred to keep his sect affiliation secret—some matters were best left unseen.

Their sword-flight was swift, and by dusk the following day, the enormous city of Cloudfall loomed ahead.

Wang Ran gazed into the distance, astonished. The city was more bustling than ever, filled with cultivators in small groups everywhere.

Each one was attired in fine silks and brocades, exuding extraordinary bearing, a faint aura of powerful spiritual energy radiating from them—clearly the elites of their generation.

In the skies, aside from Wang Ran and his companion, streaks of light from flying swords continually crossed the horizon from all directions. Every blade shimmered with impressive power.

Some cultivators weren’t flying swords at all, but rode fantastical beasts: some astride flying tigers, others mounted on qilin, arriving in high style.

Not far from Wang Ran, a young man in splendid attire stood upon a deep purple flood dragon. The dragon’s cold, lantern-sized eyes glared menacingly in all directions, its crimson tongue flickering as it exhaled murderous breath, revealing cultivation at least at the fifth level of Foundation Establishment.

The awe-inspiring presence of the dragon caused nearby cultivators to quickly clear a path, casting envious glances at its rider.

“Well, I’ll be damned, you certainly know how to make an entrance,” Wang Ran muttered, blinking in disbelief. It was his first time witnessing the splendor and vastness of this world of cultivation, and he was momentarily dumbstruck.

His junior sister, however, took it all in stride, perfectly composed, as if she had seen such scenes countless times before.

After a moment, Wang Ran regained his composure, coughing lightly to mask his astonishment. Surveying the scene, he descended with his junior sister to the ground.

In front of Cloudfall City’s gates, prosperity reigned. Cultivators from all walks of life mingled and conversed, prodigies everywhere.

Wang Ran quietly observed for a while, planning to find an opportunity to make a striking entrance himself. After all, those prodigies’ grand arrivals had drawn all eyes, making it difficult for him to earn his “Path Points” with so much competition for attention.

So Wang Ran decided it was time to make his own impression, scanning a few cultivators nearby.

These individuals were clearly from distinguished families, their conversation elegant and refined.

One youth in purple chuckled, “Brother Zhu, you’re here for the Grand Gathering too?”

“Brother Qin? Ah, it’s been far too long,” replied a youth in yellow, hands clasped in greeting.

Another joined in, “Come now, Brother Zhu, Brother Qin, everyone knows that not only are you two prodigies in cultivation, but also renowned scholars of our generation!”

The two young men demurred with modest gestures, but their eyes sparkled with pride.

Wang Ran watched with amusement—this was classic mutual flattery!

Renowned scholars, are they? How talented could they be? Could they possibly outshine me, the great Wang?

As this thought occurred to him, Wang Ran pulled a folding fan from his system bag, a faint smile playing at his lips as he strode toward the group…