Re-birth: The Beginning after the End

The spirit beast's movements were impossibly smooth, each wingbeat carrying them through air currents that normal birds couldn't perceive. They flew past mountains that pierced the clouds and valleys that descended into morning mist, until finally, the Heavenly Smith Sect came into view.

The sight took their breath away—a sprawling complex of forges and pavilions built into the side of a mountain that gleamed with metallic veins. But what caught their attention was the courtyard below, where at least one hundred young cultivators stood in perfectly arranged rows. The morning sun glinted off their robes as they waited, their presence suggesting this was more than a simple admissions ceremony.

As their crane began its descent, Li Hao's expression shifted from excitement to nervous anticipation. These would be his future sect mates, which meant they'd be together for the next three years.

Li Hua sensing his nervousness, reached for his hand and gave it a squeeze.

When they landed, Li Hao turned to his siblings and gave them big hugs, holding on a moment longer than usual. After all their time together, after all they'd faced and overcome, this would be their longest separation.

Then he jumped down, bowing deeply to Grandmaster Yu and then to the crane, his movements carrying both respect and gratitude.

"Thank you, Grandpa," Li Hao said, his voice thick with emotion.

He turned to his siblings, eyes bright with unshed tears. "Let me know when you're at the Sect..." His voice caught slightly. "I'll miss you both so much."

Tears welled up in the siblings' eyes, years of shared memories and protected moments flowing between them. Li Hua couldn't help herself—she jumped down from the crane and pulled her brother into another embrace, one that spoke of all the words they didn't need to say.

"Take care of yourself, second brother," she whispered, her voice carrying both fierce protection and gentle encouragement.

Li Wei joined them on the ground, his usual composure softening as he placed a hand on Li Hao's shoulder. The three of them stood together for a moment, a final circle of unity before their paths diverged.

"Don't forget to eat properly," Li Hua said, gesturing to the food containers in his storage ring. Her voice carried the same caring tone she'd used since they were children. "And if you need anything—anything at all..."

"I know," Li Hao managed a watery smile, reaching out to pat Li Hua's head—a gesture from their childhood. For once, she didn't dodge or complain, letting her brother have this moment.

"And don't get too caught up in your forging that you forget to rest and cultivate." Li Wei said, his attempt at sternness failing as his own eyes glistened.

The morning sun caught the tears on their faces, turning them to golden drops that seemed to capture all their shared years together. After one final embrace, Li Hao straightened his robes and wiped his eyes, trying to look presentable for his future sect mates. But just before he turned to join the waiting crowd, he looked back at his siblings with that familiar mischievous grin they'd grown up with.

"Race you to the Martial Phase Rank 7?"

The challenge brought laughs through their tears—some things would never change, no matter how far apart they were.

"You're on," Li Wei and Li Hua responded through their tears, the familiar competitive spark between siblings burning bright even in this moment of parting. It was a promise—to grow stronger, to make each other proud, to meet again as equals on their chosen paths.

"Wait!" Li Hua called out suddenly, her protective instincts surfacing. "Remember your concealment, second brother." She watched as Li Hao's distinctive features shifted, becoming unremarkable—just another face in the crowd of disciples.

After watching him disappear among his future sect mates, Li Wei and Li Hua returned to the crane's back. Their faces still bore traces of tears, but there was determination in their postures now. They had their own path to forge.

Grandmaster Yu guided the crane upward with a gentle gesture. As they rose into the morning sky, both siblings kept glancing back until the Heavenly Smith Sect's metallic spires faded into the distance. The wind dried their tears, but the ache in their hearts remained—the second real separation since their parents were taken from them.

The crane banked eastward, its powerful wings carrying them toward their own destiny. Below them, the landscape transformed from rocky mountainsides to vast forests where spirit beasts were said to roam freely.

The Beast Tamer Sect's territory came into view—a sight that made even the Heavenly Smith Sect's grandeur seem modest in comparison. The sect's entrance defied ordinary architecture. Twin stone guardians in the form of ancient spirit tigers flanked gates that seemed to breathe with their own rhythm, the wood harvested from trees that had absorbed spiritual essence for millennia. Beyond the walls, elegant pavilions and training grounds rose in tiers up the mountainside.

As they descended, they could see that the gathering below dwarfed the one they'd just left. Where the Heavenly Smith Sect had welcomed one hundred potential disciples, here at least three hundred young cultivators stood in formation, their presence creating a tapestry of varied spiritual energies that seemed to resonate with the very ground beneath them. Each appeared to have their own spirit beast companion—some prowling the ground, others soaring overhead, and a few that seemed to cling onto their masters.

"Go." Grandmaster Yu nodded to Li Wei and Li Hua.

The siblings nodded. Li Hua reached over and hugged grandmaster Yu, "Thank you, Grandpa!"

When she pulled back Li Wei bowed deeply and also thanked him.

Grandmaster Yu chuckled, "I'll see you again!"

The siblings nodded and Li Hua wrapped her arms around Li Wei's arm as they head to the end of one of the lines. They both waved and watched Grandmaster Yu ascend before his figure disappeared from view.

Li Hua looked up at Li Wei and smiled, "Ready, eldest brother?"

He gently pinched her nose, "Always."

Without discussion, both siblings activated their concealment techniques, making their remarkable features average. Li Wei wrapped a subtle Permission Barrier around his core, while Li Hua merged the presence of her core with the ambient essence using Breath of the World. It wasn't that they distrusted their future sect mates, but these techniques had become as natural as breathing.

As they waited in line, Li Hua observed the other potential disciples. Some stood with majestic spirit beasts that prowled restlessly at their sides, while others had smaller companions perched on their shoulders or coiled around their arms. The variety was breathtaking—everything from traditional beasts like tigers and eagles to creatures she'd only read about in ancient texts.