In a quiet mountain stream, clear water trickled between lush trees.

Deep in the greenery hid a sect—Chihong.

Outside its gates, a bunch of teens around fifteen or sixteen waited anxiously for the sect’s entry test.

Ethan Rivers stood among them, his eyes fixed on the platform. One glance at a drawing in the center, and people were deemed either qualified or rejected.

“Drawing made with divine script?” he murmured.

He remembered what Elder Zachary Henderson had said earlier. That picture—painted with ancient divine language—could judge one’s aptitude at a glance. If you had it, something would click. If not, it’d just be a blank stare.

But Ethan couldn’t tell how that judgment worked.

“We’re probably up soon, huh?”

“Yeah, it looks like it’s our turn. I’m so nervous!”

“Same! Not sure I’m gonna pass!”

“If I can just get into Chihong Sect, sky’s the limit!”

“But that divine language… way too tough. I really don’t have any hope.”

The youths from the Shuiyun Dynasty chatted in the local tongue.

Even though Ethan had crossed into this world, he understood every word. The language seemed carved into his mind. If not for his past life memories, he’d think he was born here.

But he wasn’t. He was from Earth—just one more soul cast across the veil.

“Ethan Rivers, from Shuiyun Dynasty!”

A voice from above pierced through the crowd.

“That’s me.”

Ethan stood up and walked to the stage. He didn’t know how gifted he really was, but since fate had brought him here, he had to try.

“Hey, that one’s pretty good-looking.”

“Yeah, I like his face.”

“Hmph, just another lowborn from a minor dynasty.”

“Exactly. Probably can’t even cultivate.”

His appearance drew some attention from the girls—including ones from powerful dynasties—but no one expected much from him otherwise.

Ethan didn’t care. He didn’t need their approval.

He stepped onto the stage, gave that so-called divine script drawing a lazy glance. But the moment he actually saw the characters, it hit him like a cartload of bricks.

“Absorb spiritual energy?”

Instinctively, he read the script out loud.

Right then, a faint breeze blew in from all directions—then burrowed straight into his body. Energy. Flowing in. Real.

“You… You can read divine script?! That was spiritual energy—he’s absorbing it!”

The man beside Ethan, a middle-aged elder, stared at him like he’d seen a ghost. It was Zachary Henderson, the test’s overseer.

He wasn’t sure if he was asking Ethan or talking to himself.

“Even twenty years back, the best talent could only grasp a single character… How the hell did he read out the whole thing without any guidance?”

Zachary’s mind was spinning.

Ancient divine language wasn’t something you picked up casually. Most cultivators needed to be taught by elders, piece by piece.

Without talent, even hearing it meant nothing—you couldn’t repeat it.

But this guy?

His first time seeing it—and he read it clean.

What kind of monster-level perception did this kid have?

Zachary was stunned. And so was Ethan.“This is supposed to be the language of the ancient gods?”

Ethan Rivers frowned. “Hell, this is just Chinese—archaic seal script at that.”

“You studied the language of the gods before?” Zachary Henderson squinted at him, clearly not buying it. No way a newcomer had comprehension that freakish.

“Nope,” Ethan shook his head. There was no way he’d spill the truth about his past life.

“You didn't? Then how can you read it?”

“Easy,” Ethan nodded. “It’s simple.”

He wasn’t bragging. In truth, in his previous life he’d studied ancient scripts. Seal script, even pictograms—he’d nailed them all before.

“What’s taking so long?”

“What’s that guy doing?”

“Elder Henderson looks shocked.”

“What’s going on up there?”

A group of Redrain Sect disciples murmured curiously.

“That kid’s from a lower kingdom, right?”

“Is he cheating?”

“No one dares cheat in Redrain Sect… unless he’s got a death wish.”

“Judging by Elder Henderson’s face… he might be furious!”

Young men from other kingdoms mocked coldly, but Zachary didn’t care. He just stared at Ethan, hesitated a moment, then said, “I’ll say a line in god’s speech. You try repeating it.”

Without waiting for a reply, Zachary began reciting.

As the last word left his mouth, he gently rose off the ground.

“No way... he’s flying?”

Even Ethan felt like cursing. That was definitely Chinese he heard.

“He’s floating!”

“Too strong!”

“Elder Henderson’s amazing!”

“I wanna learn that too!”

Youngsters below—men and women alike—cheered when they saw Zachary take flight. The ones who flunked the test just gritted their teeth.

Zachary landed softly and looked at Ethan. “Your turn. Repeat it.”

Ethan nodded, then calmly said, “Ride the Wind.”

Just two words, plain and clear.

The moment he finished speaking, his body went light… and slowly lifted off the ground.

“I’m flying?” Ethan’s eyes widened. He was pumped. Who hadn’t dreamed of flying?

But now—it was real.

Zachary, still standing by, wore a face of disbelief. He’d only wanted Ethan to repeat the phrase. Most folks couldn’t even manage that.

But the boy didn’t just speak the words—he actually flew.

“This kid…” Zachary’s voice was low. “His comprehension is monstrous. No, not monstrous—he’s a damn freak. The Heavens bless Redrain Sect today!”

Shock. Relief. Delight.

Shock at Ethan’s unnatural skill.

Joy that such a freak had come to their sect.

“How did he do that?!”

“He’s flying? Is he already a cultivator?”

“No way! He’s from a backwater kingdom!”

“This can’t be real!”

As the silence broke, disbelief rippled through the crowd below.

None of them could accept what they were seeing. A kid from some minor kingdom… managing something only cultivators could dream of?

The Redrain disciples were in utter shock. The other kingdom youths, not understanding how damn difficult flight magic was, didn’t even know what they’d just witnessed.Even some disciples who've been in the sect for a whole year can’t recite that line of the divine script!