Born with the Ethereal Divine System

"Today is the day I waited for a long time. I have already crossed my fourteenth birthday, and from now I can cultivate and join a sect and become powerful enough to stand above everyone else. I never in my life want to be again depended on the pity of others," thought Erik.

When children cross the age of fourteen, they can join a sect to become cultivators in this cultivation world.

The village where Erik is from is under the control of the Heavenly Peak Sect. So anyone who wants to cultivate is customarily taken away by this sect.

When he was seven, Erik's mother was killed by some bandits who raided the village. She was his only known living family, and he lost her. He knew the only reason he lost her was not that the bandits killed her. He lost her because he was not strong enough to protect her.

That day he decided to become strong, so he never would lose his loved ones. The powerful in this world are those who cultivate. Even the nobles and kings bow before them. So he decided that only through cultivation does he can become strong.

Early in the morning, every child above fourteen assembled in front of the village chief's house. Even other children and adults are there, but a gap is maintained. It is where the sect's envoy retired for the previous night when she arrived late last night.

A young lady walked out alongside the chief. She looked no more than twenty.

She is wearing a long black sleeveless with a deep plunging V-Neck and a split thigh showing her beautiful thighs. The dress complemented her dark raven hair and brown eyes.

If one were to describe her in two words, elegant and beautiful. Everyone looked at her with either envy or lust. Some even cursed the chief in low voices.

Cough, cough

"Children, this is our esteemed guest, Lady Amelia. She is the envoy from Heavenly Peak Sect, who graced us with her presence."

The chief continued with praises, but Amelia was bored. It was the same wherever she went; everyone fawned over her. It's just not for her beauty and her unrivaled talent. She happened to be the daughter of the sect master, though this time, she just introduced herself as an envoy from the sect.

She lazily swept her eyes over the kids she came to pick up for the sect. They all seemed ordinary. It appears as if every boy there lusts over her body, and girls look at her body with jealousy. If looks could kill her, she would have died multiple times that morning.

Cough

"Thank you, chief, for your kind words," said Amelia, thinking inwardly, 'This old man sure is a sly fox. He makes a good politician, no wonder he is the chief.'

"Kids, I came here to your village to take candidates for the sect. Anyone over fourteen can enter the sect, but before your dreams reach the sky, let me tell you something. Once were arrive at the sect, everyone will be given a basic cultivation technique.

You who come with me, let's see, 1,2,….17, there's seventeen of you here.

The sect will provide you with a cultivation technique. You have to reach at least Novice Realm level 3 within three years, or the sect won't accept you.

When you arrive, you become members of the sect as Outer court servants. In the outer court, outer disciples and elders live. You become an outer disciple if you reach Novice level 3; if you get stuck there, you become an Elder who's just an older man without power.

To become an Inner court disciple, you have to reach the Mortal realm before you are eighteen, or else your life is only for the outer court unless some miracles happen.

The most inner part is the core. The core disciples are personal disciples of higher echelon members. At first, there may not be much difference between core and inner disciples, but they get the personal guidance of many elders who took them as disciples. They get more resources than others. Only an inner disciple with talent gets to be a core disciple.

Even if you think you can get to the top, only 10% of recruits become inner disciples every year, and I am only one of many envoys sent. The sect takes thousands from all over the two kingdoms of Alon and Defur.

Think about it before you join the sect. I'm not just stating the difficulty but the pain you have to endure. Deaths are common in the sect; at least 50% of recruits die before reaching the Mortal Realm. Staying here doesn't make you strong but reduces the probability of death. I know about the bandit raid that happened years ago, but what you should focus on is that it was years ago.

In the cultivation world, you live with dangers and death every minute of your life. Here you'll live in peace, but someday someone will erase those words from your dictionary if you come with me.

There is also something for you to think about before joining the sect. You don't have any cultivation, but it won't be the same for all recruits. Some are legacies, coming from the two kingdoms' noble families or wealthy families. They have techniques and resources better than you. So a few might even be selected directly upon arrival to be outer court disciples, though they are the same age as you.

You have half an hour. Decide".

Stating her thoughts, she briskly turned away and walked inside.

The kids are shocked to hear her words; even the chief is no different in this matter.

Half Hour later

Amelia came out wearing the sect's robes over her black dress. She asked, "Have you brats decided on your path. I'm leaving now, so whoever wants to enter another world follows me."

With saying that, she touched her necklace, and a second later, everyone in the village heard a loud shrill cry of a bird away from the village.

She started walking in the direction of the cry, leading the ones who followed. She didn't pause or look back if they were following her.

A colossal bird landed before the village entrance as they exited the village.

When the villagers see the bird, they are awed. Its entire body is blue, and even its eyes are blue. Looking at it, they felt like ants. It's the Blue Thunder, a Rank-5 beast. Every beast has its ranks, starting from Rank-1.

Rank-5 beast is something that can obliterate cities in a few seconds. Having it as a mount makes her background something they had to fear, and they did fear looking at her.

She jumped onto the head of the bird and said, "Quickly get on, or else you'll be left behind."

Hearing Amelia's words, the kids quickly got on to the bird's back. When she gave the speech, she thought more than half would drop, but only two did, reducing the number to fifteen. There's more space for double their number.

'Hmph, I give that they are braver than I thought. Let's see how long it lasts once these brats see what they'll face there,' thought Amelia.

After the kids got on, she ordered the beast to take off.

Erik and others who followed her gripped tightly onto the bird's feathers, fearing they may fall and die. As they ascended, many looked back to glance at the place where they were born and grew up for the past fourteen years.

For many of them, it's the last time that they'll ever see their home again.