I and the others followed the elder quickly and soon arrived at a massive ancient gate. The gate was decorated with several golden dragons riding on clouds, making for a grand visual impact. Written in huge, bold letters at the top of the gate was the name of the sect, "Floating Cloud Sect."

I gazed at the words, but felt a sharp pain, forcing me to quickly look away.

The elder, who seemed to have noticed, warned us, "Don't look at the carvings too much. This was written by the first sect leader of the Floating Cloud Sect, Yuan Ze. You disciples who have not yet cultivated cannot withstand the residual qi left by the sect leader."

I was grateful for the warning, even though it came too late. It served as a reminder that this was not a game, but the real world, and that there were things in it that were not mentioned in the game. I gathered my thoughts and watched as the elder talked to a guard and showed a jade. The guard respectfully bowed and opened the door.

The elder then introduced himself to us for the first time, "You all can call me Elder Ye. I am the outer sect elder of the Floating Cloud Sect. You are the fortunate few who are able to enter the realm of cultivation. You must understand that cultivation is not just about increasing your realm, but also about strengthening your heart. I hope that all of your cultivation journeys will be successful. But for now, welcome to the Floating Cloud Sect."

Several people gasped in awe at his words, which were likely infused with qi, making them even more impactful.

This also means that I have taken the first step toward becoming Immortal.

...

I looked at the Floating cloud sect impressed.

The bilateral symmetry of the various buildings we passed seemed to signify balance. "Noice."

While walking, I gazed upon the various outer sect disciples. They were all adorned in Taoist robes and armed with a variety of weapons, ranging from swords and axes to halberds.

Soon, we arrived at a large building with a sign that read "Registration Hall."

"This is the Registration Hall," Elder Xu announced. "All new disciples will register here and then be assigned to different courtyards. You may enter and obtain your identification jade, officially making you a sect disciple."

With that, Elder Xu gestured for us to head toward the hall. The disciples began to move forward, forming a line. I hung back for a moment to collect my thoughts before joining the end of the line.

At the front of the line, I noticed that Xiao Han was glaring hatefully at Xiao Tian, who appeared to be ignoring the situation with his eyes closed. Was he communicating with his portable grandfather?

As I was lost in thought, I felt a pat on my back. I turned around to see a grinning face. In front of me stood a pair of pink-haired girls. Their countenance was similar, so they were probably sisters.

"Yes?" I asked, trying to bring my thoughts back to the present moment.

"Hello, I'm Qin Yue," the older of the two girls introduced herself. "This is my baby sister, Liuli." She playfully patted Liuli's head, eliciting an annoyed response from her sister.

"Qin Yue! Stop it!" Liuli protested.

I couldn't help but smile at their sibling dynamic. Much to my amusement, it seemed to have dazed both of them for a moment.

"Nice to meet you," I said slowly before introducing myself. "My name is Bai Yu."

"You're such a cutie," Qin Yue gushed, seemingly enamored by my appearance.

"Not really," I replied dryly.

Sensing my mood, Qin Yue quickly changed the subject. "So, Bai Yu, you're not from Blue Flame City, are you?"

"No," I explained. "I'm just a wanderer who stumbled upon the recruitment."

Their curiosity was palpable, and I wasn't surprised. A beautiful stranger with a rare spiritual root appearing out of nowhere was bound to pique interest.

Hearing my answer, Qin Yue's eyes seemed to flash a bit. "How about we become friends?" She proposed. "After all, we're going to be fellow disciples from now on."

I nodded in agreement. "Sure."

I remembered that both Qin Yue and Liuli were named characters in [Cultivation Online], and it seemed wise to be on friendly terms with them. They were from a prominent clan and appeared to be kind-natured, at least on the surface.

As we chatted, I learned that both of the girls had already begun their cultivation journey. I chose to avoid discussing my personal details when they asked, redirecting the conversation instead.

As soon as it was my turn to enter the Registration Hall, I bid farewell to the pair of girls, promising to wait for them. I walked briskly toward the counter, where a senior sister was occupied with writing something on a piece of paper.

"Excuse me," I said to the senior sister. "I'm here to register as a new disciple."

The senior sister glanced at me briefly, then handed me a form and said, "Please fill this out."

I took the form and surveyed it. The questions were straightforward, asking for my name, aptitude, address, and so on. On the back of the form, there was a note indicating that I could include any additional information I deemed relevant.

I completed the form quickly and returned it to the senior sister. She took it from me and pressed it onto the crystal ball in front of her, as if registering it. She then examined my form, and her expression brightened.

"Bai Yu, top-grade spiritual root... you're quite lucky, junior. A top-grade spiritual root is quite rare in our sect," she said.

"Thank you," I replied, as the senior sister continued to record my information. However, as she turned the form over, her expression changed.

The sister seemed puzzled at first, then she looked at me and then at my form.

"Sister, is something wrong?" I asked, concerned that there might be a problem with the details I had provided.

The senior sister, realizing her mistake, coughed and asked, "You're a boy?"

I let out a sigh of relief. It seemed that nothing had gone wrong. I had learned from past experiences of being misgendered, so I made sure to include my gender on the form as well. Although it may seem unnecessary, I didn't want to take chances and get f*cked further down the line.

"Yes, senior sister," I responded.