Chapter 45: Peaks [1]

Chapter 45: Peaks [1]After their brief standoff with the dragonkin group, Yu Xuan and his companions finally approached the crystalline stations. The transparent crystals shimmered faintly, emitting a soothing hum.

One by one, each of them placed a hand upon the crystal.

The moment their palms touched the cool surface, a soft glow pulsed through the crystal, and with a faint chime, a medallion materialized out of thin air before them.

The medallions hovered momentarily before gently falling into their hands.

Within moments, everyone had theirs.

Instinctively, Yu Xuan willed his sense into his medallion — and like a flash of lightning, streams of information flooded his consciousness.

Each disciple stood silently, eyes momentarily glazed as their minds absorbed the data being transmitted.

When it was over, they exchanged glances, somewhat disoriented.

"Well... that was efficient," Yu Xuan muttered, blinking as he processed everything.

He was the first to speak again, looking at the others. "What’s your quarters number? Mine’s ED101."

"ED102," said Yu Lingluo with a tired yawn.



"ED103," replied Ming Tianmei, casually spinning her medallion on one finger.

"ED104," grinned Mo Lin. "Looks like we’re neighbors."

Everyone’s quarters were near each other.

Yu Xuan rubbed his chin. "Is it because we registered around the same time?"

"Maybe" Tianmei replied, looking thoughtful.

"Or maybe the system just doesn’t care." Yu Xueqing offered dryly.

"Well, which peak did you all get?" someone asked.

Yu Lingluo, already stretching her arms, cut in before anyone could answer. "How about we discuss that tomorrow? I’m about to pass out."

Everyone nodded in agreement. Even if they were wannabe cultivators, the long journey and the intense trials had taken their toll.

The group followed the directions provided by the medallion and, after walking for about twenty minutes, arrived at a long, horizontal building. Its structure was simple, clean, and — surprisingly — modern in its design.

There were multiple identical buildings around them, all seemingly part of a large residential district. Each complex appeared to hold around a hundred rooms, lined efficiently in neat rows.

’How modern,’ Yu Xuan thought as he eyed the entrance. The design reminded him oddly of an academy dormitory back on Earth — only far more elegant and refined in aesthetic.

Finding his door — ED101 — right at the corner, he turned back to the group.

"See you all tomorrow," he said, raising a hand casually.

"Good night!" Lingluo waved back before disappearing into her room.

Yu Xuan entered his own quarters.

Inside, the space was modest but comfortable. A soft meditation mat lay in the center of the room, a low bed was neatly tucked in the corner, and two smaller rooms branched off — one clearly a washroom, the other likely a bathing chamber.

He didn’t waste a second.

The moment he saw the bed, he collapsed onto it — and within moments, Yu Xuan slept like a log, the weight of the day finally catching up to him.

***

The next morning, after what might’ve been the best sleep they’d had in years, the group slowly woke one after another.

Since they hadn’t planned a meeting time the night before, they ended up waiting around for each other in the corridor until everyone finally emerged.

After regrouping, they followed the faint glow of their medallions, which gave them directional guidance to their destination.

And their destination?

What Yu Xuan immediately identified with some amusement — as the sect’s version of a cafeteria.



Technically, it was called the Nourishment Hall a fancy name, but in his heart, it would always be the cafeteria.

There was no such thing as personal servant-disciples here, at least not for Outer or Entry-level disciples.

It was believed that a cultivator, even in training, should be capable of handling basic responsibilities themselves.

And to be fair, most of the daily chores were already automated.

Cleaning formations swept the grounds better than a person. Light arrays managed the lighting during nights. And food?

Well, that was where things got interesting.

As they entered the hall, they were greeted by the low hums of conversation — disciples of all kinds, seated in clusters, eating and chatting happily.

Following the queue, they approached the food counter.

Instead of chefs, what greeted them was puppets — sleek, metallic and wooden constructs, likely powered by spirit stones and formations — efficiently distributing meals with precise movements.

They handed out trays, adjusted portions, and somehow never once got an order wrong.

Yu Lingluo gave one of the puppets a suspicious look. "That thing is smoother than me after even after practicing five times."

"I feel amazed." Mo Lin replied as he took his tray.

"At least you don’t need to cook food now." said Yu Xuan.

After collecting their food, the group found an empty table in a quiet corner and sat together.

As they began eating, the food surprisingly fragrant and tasty — the conversation naturally shifted.

"So," Mo Lin began between mouthfuls, "I got recommended to the Martial Heaven Peak."

"What? You too? Me too!" Yu Hao grinned.

"You too? Me too!" Lin Fan said, raising his chopsticks like a sword.

"Me too." Yu Xueqing smiled.

The four of them stared at each other.

And then broke into laughter at their own responses.

Yu Bo, not missing a beat, chimed in with a more grounded tone. "Well, I got recommended to Myriad Path Peak."

Yu Zhen adjusted his sleeves and said, "I was recommended to the Order Heaven Peak."

Then, all eyes turned as Ming Tianmei casually spoke.

"I got assigned to Celestial Heaven Peak."



A beat later, Yu Lingluo added, nonchalantly, "And I was recommended to Chaos Heaven Peak."

The table went silent for a few seconds.

"...Well, that explains a lot," Mo Lin muttered, chewing slowly now.

Those were among the most prestigious peaks, from the information they got.

And finally, all eyes turned toward the last one yet to speak.

Yu Xuan placed his chopsticks down and sipped his tea.

"Well, I..."

He paused.

The group leaned in.

A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.

"I’ll tell you after breakfast."

Everyone groaned.